Skills and knowledge should be the motivating force behind the growth of any business. And they have become even more crucial in recent years, given the increasing pace of technological advancement in the workplace.
That’s according to Jarrod Hassett, CEO of, Monitech, a leading mining safety and monitoring solutions provider. “All our staff are encouraged to expand their skills set,” said Hassett, adding that the company supports this by paying for any associated tuition and allocating study leave.
“Our training and skills development programmes are ongoing. Monitech sees these initiatives as key to further increasing its already unparalleled customer service levels.”
Hassett said that having the correct skills for the correct positions makes for greater efficiency, thereby reducing installation times and time taken to execute critical repairs and replacements. “This drastically reduces time for scheduled maintenance as well as any potential downtime for our clients,” he said.
“The skills taught are both theoretical and practical. We also concentrate on personal development in terms of empowering people to take ownership of their own responsibilities.”
To date, the company has achieved some key milestones in terms of its skills development initiatives. In 2016 alone, Monitech upskilled more than 80% of its staff members. They have attended an array of courses, spanning from project management to industry specific courses.
“We also have an ongoing internal mentoring programme aimed at imparting the necessary experience. For us, training and development are ongoing.”
Monitech, as a second-generation company, is well aware of the potential loss of vital information due to company growth and business expansion. “We address this by first and second-generation management, personally giving product and industry-related training and mentoring,” Hassett said.
Development of skills is one thing. Retaining them is quite another. Over a 20-year period, Monitech has had a minimal staff turnover of four staff members, two of whom were due to retirement.
“We believe that a pleasant and motivating work environment is paramount. Everyone has a voice and we encourage people to bring their views and ideas to the table. In addition to that, no one is above the job at hand. Even senior management get into the trenches when needed,” Hassett said.
“So far, we have been very successful in this regard. At Monitech we believe that people will embrace responsibility when it is offered. The resultant effect is satisfied customers, happy employees with an opportunity to increase their qualifications and increase their income potential.”