Management Development Programme Nurtures Home Grown Talent

People investment in high calibre trainees is paying dividends for specialist distributor Oakland International as they congratulate nine employees who have successfully secured promotion following graduation from the firm’s dedicated Management Development Programme (MDP). With a clear focus on strong organic growth and on-going expansion, training is delivered via an onsite education facility, the Oakland Training Academy, which is open to all employees who can access a course framework based around Foundation and Intermediate training, through to Management and Specialist training qualifications designed to nurture and promote fresh and developing business talent from the viewpoint of recruiting for attitude and training to skill. Oakland International Human Resources and Purchasing Director, David Hoey, explains: “Oakland International’s long term objectives are to build skills and competencies for the future and to provide our people with employability skills which can be transferred across our business as their career develops. Producing high calibre young managers with the ability to both perform now and grow into their roles is crucial to our plans and is one of our key priorities. “Taking part in MDP training has delivered opportunity for growth and job progression for many within Oakland, and we congratulate each and every one of our nine MDP graduates on their promotion.” The programme has seen over 26 people in the last 3 years graduate and benefit from their personal effort, focus and training they each put in; undertaking new roles created and developed as a result of recent changes aimed at accommodating Oakland International’s service growth across both existing and new market sectors within the UK and Ireland. MDP graduate and newly promoted contract packing supervisor, Jamie Smith, commented: “Taking part in the management development programme not only helped build my personal skills, it has also given me greater confidence and assurance in my own abilities. Gaining promotion is just the icing on the cake!”