Protyre News

Earlier this year a brand-new team was established in Protyre, with an aim to evolve and improve the already fantastic training capabilities within Retail.

Led by Neal Rhodes, the Training Team work directly with Area Managers to identify opportunities for staff to develop and potentially work their way up the career ladder.

Neal said: “We believe in making sure that our staff have a chance of bettering themselves, and the creation of our new team really does give us the best chance of delivering on our promise of delivering care, honesty and expertise.”

Three new Regional Technical Training roles were created to enable this approach, with Archie Murray, Garry Mantle and Clarissa Rogers the trainers for the North, Central and South.

So, what does a Regional Technical Trainer do?

Here’s a good example from Garry…

“A centre requests support from an Area Manager for assistance with tablet and data training. The AM would then contact me to find out what options are available. We then decide to attend the site in question to carry out the relevant training and analysis with the team, and training sessions can also be held about the importance of data, and how by using a tablet we fulfil our message of caring, honesty and expertise for the customer, as well as aligning with our SDG goals of saving paper.

By taking part in the training our centres can give better service to our customers, and it also helps our marketing team plan future campaigns and actions. Additionally, it enables a clear training path for individuals at each centre.

But what does a whole week look like for me. Well, let me talk you through a recent week of activity…

I’m pretty much as centrally located as can be, and I live near Wellingborough, so you get the idea…

Last Monday I drove to Kent and visited our Sittingbourne centre where I carried out all the training needs and analysis for the technicians at the centre. Establishing clear and identifiable individual training plans are essential at all our centres and they were warmly welcomed by all the technicians.

Every Monday PM consists of a regional call to update all the Area Managers on the induction process for new starters in the areas, as well as LMS updates and reviewing training attendance.

This regular catch-up/communication is so important and ensures opportunities for development.

Tuesday was closer to home, as I visited the Protech Delphi Academy in Warwick. This venue plays a key role in the evolution of our staff, and the recent Retail Technician of the year competition took place here. This time I was one of the students, and it turns out I don’t know everything and have a lot more to learn!

As with every job there’s always going to be admin, and on the Wednesday, I caught up with this and a burgeoning email inbox! On the plus side thought I was able to go through all the training requests from the previous week, and make sure the finalists from the Retail Technician of the year competitions were ready for the awards ceremony at the Retail Roadshow the next day.

Which brings me on to…

The Retail Roadshows are always great for networking, catching up with managers and colleagues who I might not have spoken to in a while, as well as analysing the year ahead and what’s expected of us all.

At this year’s Central edition in Coventry, we had the honour of presenting the previously mentioned Retail Technician of the year awards, including Service Technician of the year, Truck Technician of the Year, and Tyre Technician of the year.

There were some truly talented technicians who reached the finals, and they showed great skills. Overall, it was a great day, and I think the evening was enjoyed by all who attended!

Finally, after a long week we reached Friday. Training visits to Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard and Wellingborough filled the schedule, but as with Sittingbourne, it was brilliant to see technicians so excited about progressing their careers with Protyre.

From a personal perspective my recent promotion to a Regional Technical Trainer has been great, as the job varies from day-to-day. More importantly however, is the feeling I get from the positive conversations at the centres and being able to help shape the futures of our staff by assisting them to reach their full potential.

It means I can go home a very happy man, and my wife Jackie, whom has had the unfortunate job of putting up with me for 19 years at least gets an easier life!

As a company, it’s fantastic that we have expanded our training team, and to now be at the heart of it. Protyre is especially people focused, and I am delighted to involved.

If you are keen to develop, or are unsure about how to better yourself, then please feel free to contact myself or the team (details below), and we can find a route that is the best for you.”

“Be better today than you were yesterday and be better tomorrow than you are today."