HARDI’s 12-week skill development program wins a ‘Special Prize’ at ZBC’s Continuing Education Award 2024
From challenge to strength
In the face of shifting market conditions, focusing on opportunities for growth often becomes the key to navigating uncertainty. At HARDI, the past year has been a journey of adaptation and growth, and we’re excited to share a meaningful milestone that emerged from this journey.
Last September, we introduced a 12-week course program aimed at enhancing the skills of 200 production employees. This program was initially born out of a quieter production period, driven by a downturn in market conditions. However, what began as a strategy to maintain the workforce has become a positive development and a competitive strength for HARDI.
We at HARDI are pleased to have been recognized with the ‘Special Prize’ at the ZBC Continuing Education Award 2024.
A collaborative effort
The training curriculum was made in collaboration with several educational institutions in Denmark, such as ZBC, CELF, EUC Sjælland and many more. Each course package covers various aspects of production and industry-relevant skills, ensuring our production team gains the latest knowledge and techniques.
A positive impact on our team
The feedback from our production team has been very encouraging. Many shared how the program helped with their skills. Margit Anja Jeppsson from the Boom Assembly department says, “With the course, we now have a clearer view of our operations. It gave us the knowledge and understanding of the projects we work on a greater depth.”
We also understand that it wasn’t always easy for the employees. For many, the hands-on work of production is familiar and fulfilling, so stepping into education for weeks was a shift outside their comfort zones. But despite the challenges, we are incredibly proud of their dedication.
René Malm, Market and Education Director at CELF, shared, “The education was introduced to the employees as ‘Time to Learn’ to employees rather than ‘Time to Produce’. The working day would now focus on learning, not producing. It wasn’t easy for them, the idea of going to training and learning about Lean Production was on the table, and we are so happy with the results.”
Moving forward with optimism
Today, as market conditions show signs of improvement, we have begun increasing our production team."We are extremely proud. It has been a team effort, and our union representatives have played a key role. The entire coordination between the schools and our HR department has been exceptional. So, we are very happy and proud of this," says Morten Toelberg Eriksen, Vice President Global Production & Supply Chain at HARDI.
