Tarmac has concluded the latest cycle of its UK-wide Employee Development Programme (EDP), an industry-leading initiative that sees colleagues from all parts of the business collaborate to tackle industry challenges and develop new skills.
The EDP is part of Tarmac’s commitment to nurturing and progressing talent internally. Since the scheme began, more than a thousand employees from Tarmac and its parent company CRH have come together as part of multidisciplinary teams to research and present solutions to real-life business challenges. These projects range from improving communication at remote sites to boosting diversity and inclusion in the sector.
Employees do not need to be nominated to take part in the programme and can choose to put themselves forward, giving staff across the business an opportunity to take charge of their own progression and development.
Jon Stage, a marine safety superintendent who participated in this year’s programme, said: “I am relatively new to Tarmac so I thought the EDP would be a good way to understand different operations and meet new colleagues. It’s shown me the number of opportunities available and how we can all work together to solve the challenges of the future.”
Combining practical and classroom-based learning, the programme runs over seven months and concludes with regional presentation events. Once participants have completed the EDP, they can volunteer to mentor and support colleagues in future cohorts, which also helps them to build their own knowledge and leadership skills.
Katie Wandless, senior talent manager at Tarmac, oversees the scheme. She said: “The EDP is popular with employees across all our teams and regions, as it allows them to grow their careers and connect over shared learning experiences.
“In the last four years alone, 477 colleagues have taken part in the scheme, with 101 staff achieving progression and a further 70 moving to new business units, showing the success of the EDP in increasing employees’ business understanding and cross-organisational exposure.
“As the approach to careers continues to shift away from a ‘job for life’ mentality towards more varied career paths, initiatives like the EDP help our staff to understand the scope of fulfilling roles available within Tarmac and the wider minerals industry, while ensuring that they have the skills required to progress and take advantage of these opportunities.”
