In May 2020, Precision Guide Machinery and Repair Limited (Precision) applied to Northern Development’s Small Business Recovery (SBR) Consulting Rebate program to assist with the costs of completing training for their staff. Precision’s management decided to take advantage of time during the economic slow-down to invest in their staff and increase positive outcomes and efficiencies for both the employees and the business.
With the economic environment and new cultural realities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Precision had noticed a drop in employee morale. Management wanted to show their team that they were invested in supporting their personal well-being and long-term growth in the company. The training provided staff with the tools to bolster their personal optimism and resiliency.
The staff participated in five virtual training modules, which included topical sessions on optimism and resiliency, leadership and teamwork, change management and continuous improvement and high-performance sales. In addition to the training, each participant completed a personal development plan which they discussed with management.
Once the training sessions were finished, management received a lot of positive feedback from staff about the value of the knowledge provided from the consultant. The employees were enthusiastic about what they learned and indicated that they looked forward to using the learnings during their time at work and outside of work.
Precision expects that this investment in skill development will have a significant positive impact on their operating costs – through employee retention, decreased re-work rates and increased productivity. Beyond these quantitative results, they anticipate that staff morale will also increase, leading to a positive and more enjoyable atmosphere for all those in the workplace.
Precision received a rebate for 85 per cent of the cost of these training sessions through the SBR program. Northern Development offers this funding program to support businesses impacted by various industry and regional economic conditions, including downturns, natural disasters and other business continuity events.
