WineWorks Marlborough Ltd Partners with eCampus NZ – A commitment to professional development.
In early 2019, WineWorks Marlborough Ltd, a contract wine bottling, warehousing and distribution centre for over 150 clients in New Zealand, was looking for a training opportunity for five warehouse team leaders. All of who were in various roles and had supervisory capability for five or more years.
This was an opportunity for professional and self-development. To support technically capable experts on a journey to achieve next level management experience and to give them new skills to bring to various situations, outside of their day to day.
This type of development opportunity was a first for WineWorks and so the organisation was committed to selecting the best training provider to deliver their learning requirements.
After careful consideration, WineWorks enrolled their five warehouse team leaders in the New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4) through eCampus NZ.
“eCampus NZ ended up being the best fit for our business with what they could provide and the support they could offer us,” said Warrick De Waal, Warehouse Manager at WineWorks Marlborough Ltd.
WineWorks Group Training Advisor, Allie Shaw, said while there were some initial concerns about whether to choose an online provider, as it was the first time these warehouse team leaders were completing this level of qualification, it was an excellent decision.
“The team have blown us out of the water with their performance,” said Allie.
Warrick, who is very proud of the five warehouse team leaders, said when they first started out, they had a lot of self-doubt and felt out of their comfort zones. But since completing the First Line Management Certificate in December 2019, they have new levels of confidence and self-belief.
“We knew they could do it but studying with eCampus NZ has given them the confidence to back themselves,” said Warrick.
Armed with this new confidence, three of the team leaders who completed the certificate are now working towards the New Zealand Diploma in Business.
Warrick said the team members are now coming up with solutions independently and with confidence.
“Before studying with eCampus NZ, they would talk through how they should handle something, but now they are doing it without assistance. It is amazing to sit back and watch,” says Warrick.
Warrick says they also no longer jump to the first conclusion and they always consider things from another angle, which is a huge benefit to the organisation.
“They actually look a little deeper, rather than jumping into a problem and reaching a conclusion too quickly. This thinking comes from experience, but also the skills that they have been taught with eCampus NZ,” says Warrick.
He says they now have confidence to take on people issues or project issues.
“If they have a niggly issue where someone’s attitude isn’t quite right, they are not afraid to hit it on the head straight away. Before, they would have said it’s too hard, now they will deal with it immediately and it is being handled when it’s a minor issue, rather than major,” says Warrick.
The other benefit that Group Training Advisor Allie is seeing, is that the five warehouse team leaders have become mentors to other staff.
“We run other lower level qualifications in the Department and our warehouse team leaders are coaching and mentoring other team members when they are struggling. You can see the confidence in these team leaders, they sit down with their teams and talk them through stresses and strains. This is priceless,” says Allie.
When it comes to education, WineWorks Marlborough Ltd encourages their staff to do as much as they can within work hours so the organisation can support them. They gave the warehouse team leaders a half-paid day off every week so they could seclude themselves away from the noise of work to get their study and assignments done.
The warehouse team leaders also supported one another through regular meetings.
To assist the organisation in their support of the warehouse team leaders, eCampus NZ setup a site that the managers could log in to at any time and be kept up to date on how they were progressing through the qualification.
“This gave us an opportunity to be proactive and help our staff if they were ever falling behind. It’s fantastic eCampus NZ can offer this innovation, says Allie.
WineWorks Marlborough Ltd would one hundred percent recommend eCampus NZ to other organisations.
“They made it very easy and the supporting document that we got to track their performance was really cool,” says Warrick.
From a company performance perspective, Warrick says the study has increased the organisation’s efficiency and output, while supporting the businesses succession planning and overall strategic objectives.
“The team are looking at things through a different light and making improvements as they go. We can’t put a price tag on the development that they have had. They are now developing people down their line just because of this experience”, says Warrick.
Allie says at the end of the day, this was all made possible because of the commitment from the warehouse team leaders and the dedication and support from two Warehouse Managers (Warrick and Trevor Voigt) and Plant Manager (Damien Gillman).
“They worked hard, and they have reaped the rewards. Well done to everyone.”