Investing in Our People: Employee Development

Large numbers of learning and development initiatives have been launched and continue to be applied. Every member of staff now takes part in the Coaching for Performance process, which provides three formal opportunities each year to discuss team and individual objectives with their line manager and to design a personal development plan.

A development plan has little purpose without the tools to make it happen, so a range of supporting programmes and projects is also available. Our aim is to provide all employees with access to at least one way of adding to their skills and knowledge.

LEAP and Learning for All are two examples. LEAP (Learning and Educational Assistance Programme) helps staff gain vocational qualifications which can enable them to work more effectively, to exploit their potential and to encourage self-development. Learning for All, on the other hand, offers financial help for staff studying in their own time – whether a foreign language or a practical skill.

In the workplace, tens of thousands of training days are delivered every year to enhance and extend employees' skills, and more and more parts of the business are seeking – and achieving – Investors in People status. This is an important independently-recognised standard, which must be reassessed on a regular basis to ensure that the qualifying standard is maintained.

It happens away from the workplace, but the Helping Hands volunteering scheme nevertheless develops teamwork and innovation and is an important source of satisfaction among those who have an opportunity to take part.

A chance to expand working horizons and share experiences beyond the UK may be found on GEO (Group Employment Opportunities), available on the intranet in English and French, which promotes specialist and management skills throughout EDF Group.

For those coming to work in London from other parts of the UK and abroad, we work with an organisation called Friends in the City, which helps newcomers to integrate into London life.

In some parts of the business, a skills audit has identified a future shortfall in some crucial areas, and how we are addressing this is discussed in employee development.