We focus on training and development right from onboarding
As the operator of Belgium's high-voltage transmission system, Elia stands at the interface of sustainability innovation, supranational cooperation and digital transformation. "We give our 1,500+ employees every opportunity to keep their knowledge, skills and careers moving," says Learning & Development Designer Ellen Arts.
In today's rapidly evolving world, with ever-changing circumstances and emerging challenges, lifelong learning is no longer an option – it's a must. As an employer, Elia understands this. In April last year, its former L&D Department and Technical Training Centre joined forces to become the Elia Academy.
"This is a separate entity within the organisation that focuses on all aspects of learning and development. It's a gateway that allows people to brush up or expand their knowledge within specific professional domains according to their personal preferences and job requirements, and to do so at their own pace," explains Ellen Arts, who as Learning & Development Designer at Elia develops learning initiatives and development opportunities tailored to the organisation, teams and functions. "As such, we give our people the opportunity to keep their knowledge and careers moving."
Talent-led
Elia also sees this approach as part of its corporate culture – keeping employees stimulated, incentivised and up-to-date. Self-leadership also plays a role here: the idea that everyone in the organisation is a leader, best placed to take charge of their own development and given the necessary freedom to do so. This enhances motivation and engagement.
"Here at Elia, learning and development starts right from the onboarding stage," says Arts. "After an initial induction day, new employees can take part in a range of workshops, inspiration sessions and information events straight away, and are supported by their manager and team on the job."
The learning pathways go much further than the training needed to obtain mandatory safety certificates, for example, and cover a broader spectrum. Formal training opportunities are actively supplemented by on-the-job learning, as well as learning on demand. "Right from onboarding, people can choose additional topics they find personally interesting and in areas where they want to develop, outside of their job-specific technical training pathway," explains Arts. "Examples include classroom training or e-learning on enhancing soft skills, project management, time management, well-being and so on."
Individual and/or team coaching is also available to support people in their personal development.
In some roles, employees are routinely assigned a coach to help them unleash their full potential, both within their job and on a personal level.
The power of job shadowing
Job shadowing is another option for some positions. This is where a new or existing employee observes the activities and tasks of a colleague performing a different role for a set period. Arts says: "Finding out what people do in other departments and how they go about their work immediately provides valuable insights."
It means that people have a better understanding of each other and the role they play within the organisation. Such cross-functional, cross-company learning strengthens collaborations between people and departments throughout the organisation. Another tool supporting cross-business-line learning is our Young Graduates Programme, which specifically focuses on this area. For two years, internal consultants get to experience a range of projects within Elia, with support and advice from an expert. They move on to a different project every six months. This programme gives new recruits a feel for what they like, what they are good at, and the areas where they have potential to develop. They can then apply internally for a position that matches their specific talents and ambitions.
People who have worked for the organisation for some time also have the opportunity to take a new path. As a company, we see this as part of lifelong learning. Colleagues are empowered to take control of their careers, while always being able to count on support from the organisation through training, education and development opportunities," says Arts. These initiatives also encourage internal mobility, with more than 40 people rotating to other jobs within the company each year.
External knowledge centres, internal incubator
Elia also works with external business schools and universities to further broaden its training offer for employees. "Some of this training is specifically geared to the energy sector and the energy transition," says Arts.
"But there are also courses on leadership and change management, for example. We view lifelong learning as a driver of innovation." In other words, completing certain types of training helps people to develop fresh insights or inspires them to come up with new proposals themselves.
This is one reason why Elia launched an in-house incubator, The Nest, a few years ago. "Any employee with an innovative idea – even someone who's still in the onboarding phase – can pitch their concept to a project team, who will offer further support where relevant," explains Arts.
"As such, The Nest provides a safe context in which new ideas can be analysed and tested." Elia also sees this co-creation as a form of development. "Such processes often generate a lot of new knowledge and experience."
Endless possibilities
Finally, Arts highlights the fact that Elia employees have an annual meeting with their manager to review their personal development opportunities. "This is separate from the end-of-year appraisal. The meeting focuses on where the person is at that moment in terms of development, skills and competencies, and where they aspire to be going forward."
A personal learning plan is then drawn up around that vision, as a kind of roadmap or step-by-step plan. At Elia, therefore, people are not only given plenty of flexibility and choice in terms of development, but are also supported and encouraged where necessary.
"Completing training, choosing the courses that suit you and trying new things outside your comfort zone: the possibilities are endless," concludes Arts. "We support all this as much as we can, based on our corporate culture and mindset. We truly are a learning organisation."
