Learning and Development

General

This policy intends to outline Glucode’s general guidelines and processes surrounding learning & development at Glucode.

Learning & Development may take the form of learning/training and/or development opportunities.

These opportunities are geared towards creating a capable workforce with the competencies required within the organisation. It is to ensure that you have the necessary skills and expertise to meet current and future challenges within the working environment and sector. The Learning & Development policy has been developed in line with Glucode’s overall strategy and culture of development.

Commitment

Glucode believes that you have the potential to grow and develop, both in their work role and career, and it will endeavour to provide opportunities for professional learning & development.

At Glucode, we believe in

sharing the responsibility for training and development between yourself and Glucode
empowering you to take ownership of your own learning and development
ensuring the processes and resources are in place in order to plan and provide learning and development opportunities for you

Warning

The onus and initiative remains on you to drive your own learning and development, whilst making use of Glucode’s means and resources in order to achieve this.

Glucode will

regularly review its overall level of investment in training and development to ensure that adequate and appropriate resources are provided
consider it appropriate to base such learning & development opportunities on the requirements of the business, and decisions about investment in staff learning and development will be made accordingly and at the discretion of the organisation.

Current Initiatives

Glucode may provide a range of learning & development opportunities for you, which fall into the following broad categories:

Enhancement of skills for your current position These may include but are not limited to: Udemy/ courses on online learning platforms/ nanodegrees /certifications/certificates/degrees. These programs may internal and external courses including technical training, specialist training and soft skills training specifically relating to the skills that employees require to perform their role/future role.
Specific management or supervisory focus These include internal and external courses with a focus on management development, supervisory skills for Leads and Heads. These programs fulfil the needs of leadership development programmes.
Health and safety training This includes courses in risk assessment, fire safety, first aid, and hygiene regulations.
Mentoring program Glucode has developed its own mentoring program that runs every 3-6 months. This program is intended to transfer the skills and knowledge of more experienced employees with more junior employees in order to ensure that knowledge transfer and skills development occurs in a planned manner.

Implementing New Initiatives

Any new training initiatives will be planned as a result of training needs analysis activities, which are in turn part Glucode’s GrowthFrameworks or should a specific need/requirement arise.

In addition, Glucode is committed to reviewing learning & development initiatives so that relevant training and development is provided for skills in specific job areas, where work procedures have changed, or where new standards are introduced.

Any new learning & development programmes offered will be publicised through Glucode’s normal communication channels.

Procedure

In order to identify learning & development opportunities at Glucode, regular 1:1s and performance appraisals discussions will occur for all Glucode employees.

If a Growth Framework is present in the area, this will also be used to inform learning & development opportunities, during these performance appraisal discussions.

It remains your responsibility to utilise the platform of these discussions/Growth Frameworks in order to identify learning & development opportunities for the upcoming year.

Following a performance appraisal discussion or 1:1 with Lead, a record of the performance appraisal discussion as well as a copy of the approved personal development plan/goals/performance agreement is recorded on Lattice.

The performance appraisal discussion will provide feedback on past performance and will set out key objectives/goals as well learning & development support needs for the upcoming months/year.

These sessions will provide you with an opportunity to identify your learning & development needs and requirements.

The identified learning & development needs will be recorded by the Lead/Head in priority order and consideration will be given as to how these needs can best be met by both the Lead/Head and yourself.

You will need to submit a request for learning & development opportunities identified.

Submitting a Request

In order to identify learning & development opportunities at Glucode, regular 1:1’s will occur.

You can request learning & development, should a specific need or requirement arise.

This request may arise after discussion surrounding placement on the Growth Frameworks and/or during 1:1’s conducted regularly.

In both instances, it becomes your responsibility to work with your Lead and/or Head to identify opportunities for Learning & Development.

Once the opportunities mentioned above have been identified, you should engage these requests with their Lead and/or Head in writing.

This will be sent through, in a written request, to the Head of People for approval on the Learning & Development Approval Form on BambooHR.

The Head of Department and along with yourself will need to sign the form.

Info

Glucode considers it appropriate to base such learning & development opportunities on the requirements of the business, and decisions about investment in staff learning & development will be made accordingly and at the discretion of the organisation.

Recording

You should keep a personal record of all learning & development activities in which you are involved.

All training attended will also be recorded by the People Department.

On completion of any internal or external course that provides a certification or certificate, you must provide the certification/certificate to the People Department for reporting purposes.

Course Completion

Your progress will be monitored by both your own Head/Lead and by the People Department.

It remains your responsibility to

complete the course
provide the certificate of completion/courses marks and any other documentation after the course completion for reporting purposes

Should you  fail the test/examination in line with the qualification/certificate, then it remains at the discretion of Glucode to assist with up to one re-write/supplementary, thereafter it is your responsibility to fund further re-writes/supplementary tests/examinations in line with qualifications/certificates.

Warning

It is at the discretion of Glucode regarding paid Study Leave for study/examinations. Please refer to the time off policy

Compliance

Glucode considers it appropriate to base such learning & development opportunities on the requirements of the business, and decisions about investment in staff learning & development will be made accordingly and at the discretion of the organisation.

Monitoring and Evaluating

Glucode believes that it is critical to the success of both the planning and delivery of learning and development activities that the resources invested are monitored and the outcomes achieved are measured.

Such outcomes may be measured at an individual, departmental and organisational level.

The Head of People shall work with Leads/Heads to evaluate and measure the success of the learning & development opportunities underwent using specific criteria scoring.

Glucode intends to use its evaluation findings for future business planning and the planning of continued investment in staff training and development. Accordingly the evaluation findings will be regularly shared with the Leadership Team and Executive Committee.

Legislation

Our Learning and Development policy is in compliance with following South African Legislation: