1300 080 302As a Senior Estimator at SAGE Automation Fabio is responsible for coordinating with engineers, project managers and state managers to provide estimates on time and for the best possible price.
In order to perform that role to the best of his ability, Fabio was eager to learn the basics of SCADA so that he could better understand and analyse the quotes he was receiving from engineers.
“I started off my career as a trades person with an electrical A-class licence, before moving into management,” he said.
“Given my background, I knew the electrical side of things and the PLC, but the SCADA was a bit hazy, so I approached SAGE management to see if they would allow me to undertake a non-accredited SCADA course and they agreed,”
The business payoff was clear: the training had given Fabio a better understanding of SCADA in order to more confidently assess and question the quotes he was receiving from SCADA engineers.
Skills Lab General Manager, Laura Mabikafola, said that Fabio’s experience proved the benefits of upskilling employees of all ages.
"Fabio's experience shows firstly that it is never too late to train your own in technical skills. If you want continuous improvement, people to feel valued and engaged, and to created efficiencies or new thinking, then upskilling is essential," said Ms Mabikafola.
"Secondly, it's great to see Skills Lab's sister company SAGE Automation engaging in training. We do heavily invest in developing our own, and now we have more than 10 percent of the SAGE Group training through Skills Lab." she said.
SAGE Senior Estimator, Fabio Rubino, reflects on his SCADA training through Skills Lab ahead of retiring in July.
“What if we invest in people and they leave?"
“But what if we DON'T and they stay?”
You’ve probably heard of this old business joke between the CFO and the CEO, and this statement continues to remain highly relevant to the workforce today.
Companies who invest in regular upskilling and training opportunities for their staff will typically reap the benefits; not only from having a highly skilled workforce, but also by increasing their employee tenure.
The theory is that by investing in an employee they feel more valued. This, in turn, motivates them to do a better job in their role. So what may initially be a cost to the business, becomes a boost to the bottom line in terms of strong ROI. Plus, investing in your current employees is certainly cheaper than recruiting new ones!
This research is so strong in fact, that in LinkedIn’s 2018 Workplace and Learning Report, a staggering 94 percent of employees indicated that they would stay longer at a company if it invested in their career development.
In Fabio’s case, despite the fact that he was nearing retirement when he undertook the non-accredited SCADA course, he says he still received the full blessings of his manager when he sought permission to enroll.
“Absolutely, SAGE was very supportive. My manager realised the value in me doing this and took all my quotes away for four days so I could focus on the learning side of things,” said Fabio.
After thirteen and a half years at SAGE, Fabio is preparing to retire in July, 2019.
Learn more about upskilling your teams through Skills Lab, and browse our courses:
