East Kent Colleges Group builds aspirations of Brett Group’s leaders of tomorrow

East Kent Colleges Group is proud to have worked with Brett Group to provide a customised aspiring leaders programme for the Brett Group’s leaders of tomorrow.

Brett, headquarted in Canterbury, Kent, is the largest independent building materials group in the UK, supplying aggregates, concrete, and paving products for both commercial and domestic markets.

With a headcount of over 750 people, Brett was keen to provide opportunities to support colleagues who were aspiring to, or new to leadership roles.

It was this desire that led Brett Group to reach out to EKC Training, East Kent Colleges Group’s training provider.

Samantha Follington, Group Head of People at Brett said: “I have worked with Rhoda from EKC Training on leadership programmes previously, which have been a great success to both individuals and the organisation. “When I joined Brett, we undertook a review of our current courses and decided that a revamp was needed. I had been informed about the Aspiring Leaders course which suits our business in terms of course content and delivery method, and decided that we should try this as a pilot with a couple of delegates.”

From the initial enquiry, the programme was highly customised to suit the Brett Group’s needs, with EKC Training collaborating with them to understand how best to support their future leaders, and the business’ objectives.

Rhoda Allinson, who is a Head of Apprenticeships at EKC Training, explained: “The Aspiring Leaders programme was developed to give individuals a strong foundation in first-line management, and team leading, while helping employers build confidence and capability within their future leadership teams.

“EKC Training worked closely with Brett Group colleagues to understand what their aspiring leaders needed and how the programme could best support them.”

Through the planning stage, Brett settled on a syllabus covering communication, understanding business, managing performance and conflict, understanding customers and customer service, managing working relationships, and coaching others.

Samantha added: “We opted to have the training delivered online as we have a large geographical spread, and this allows all employees to be able to take part, while giving the business flexibility.”

Shane is the Site Manager at Brett Aggregates’ site in Ramsgate, and recently participated in the programme. He said: “I really enjoyed the Aspiring Leadership course and found it a great opportunity to reflect and evaluate my own leadership style and how I work with others.

“It has given me more confidence in my ability to lead and given me some tools that I can now use in my own workplace.

“One of the biggest things I have taken away from this course is the importance of being able to effectively communicate, listen and understand other peoples’ needs and how they work.

“I feel that the course has helped develop my leadership skills and helped me grow both professionally and personally into the type of leader I want to be.”

It’s not just Shane that has benefited, as over 30 employees have now attained a Level 2 qualification for Aspiring Leaders, giving them the key foundations for what it is to be a great leader.

“For Brett, we have invested in our talent to help drive business objectives, by allowing them to provide commercial solutions, excel in delivering customer service and being an aspirational leader for others,” said Samantha.

Rhoda added: “This is a great example of what can be achieved when employers and education providers work together with a shared purpose.”

Alongside collaborating on the programme, Brett Group has also recruited an apprentice with EKC Training, and are supporting a number of T Level students from across East Kent Colleges Group on their placements.

Do you want to find out how East Kent Colleges Group can team up with your business? Get in touch with our friendly team.