For WineWorks Marlborough team leader Jeremy Diamond-Cowlishaw, completing NMIT’s online New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4) was one of the best experiences he’s had at the company so far.
“The year that I did this qualification was one of my most enjoyable years working for WineWorks,” he says.
WineWorks Marlborough, a contract wine bottling, warehousing and distribution centre, is committed to upskilling employees and helping them to meet their personal and professional goals. As part of this commitment, they enrolled Jeremy and four other team members in NMIT’s online New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4).
“We were approached to do the qualification to further our development within the company. We’ve done other leadership training but nothing to this extent,” says Jeremy.
WineWorks decided that learning online was the best option for the team as they needed the freedom to work, live and learn.
Jeremy was “rapt” when he was asked if he wanted to complete the qualification.
“It was a big commitment from WineWorks to put five people through it, and I was rapt to be considered,” he says.
As he moved through his courses, Jeremy found he could directly apply what he was learning in the workplace.
“I found the coursework was very relevant to what we’re doing,” he says.
He particularly enjoyed learning about leadership styles and believes that this has helped him to become a better leader.
“It was really good learning about different leadership styles. This course gave me clear direction about what I can do with my role, people management, and how to adapt my leadership style to different situations,” he says.
“My ability to delegate and develop people in my team has improved. It’s also given me the confidence to have courageous conversations at work. I’ve definitely used what I picked up through the course in my work,” he says.
Jeremy says that online learning while working took a little adjustment.
“Online learning was new to me. Initially, I found it hard to get my head around, but once I got into a rhythm, it was great,” he says.
Keen to keep up the momentum after successfully completing his Level 4 certificate, Jeremy is now working towards the New Zealand Diploma in Business (Leadership and Management) (Level 5).
“Now I know the expectations I feel comfortable taking on the next level,” he says.
Congratulations Jeremy, and good luck on the rest of your learning journey!