Best in-class vision for Admin Re
Admin Re UK has recently welcomed Ian Sadler to their operation as Customer Services Manager for Training. Responsible for the company’s customer services training programme, Ian is based at their Colegate office.
Ian is no stranger to the business, having begun his career at Norwich Union, now Aviva, where he stayed for 11 years, predominantly in Claims. His last five years at Norwich Union were spent in the training operation before moving to RBS Insurance (Churchill and Direct Line) where he spent ten years covering numerous roles within the learning and development environment.
First impressions – “I was genuinely pleased with what I saw in my first weeks at Admin Re. I have a really willing team with great enthusiasm and drive who I am enjoying working with,” commented Ian. “I met some great people that have made me feel very welcome. When I left the office on day one, I was well aware that I had joined in a very progressive company with a big agenda.”
The future – Ian has mapped out his strategic plan, which includes the learning curriculum for the STARS programme, Admin Re's new customer services reward scheme. He's also focussing on sharing and implementing best practice across his three training sites based in Telford, Hitchin and Norwich to ensure that the learner's development journey is consistent in all locations as well as working on a brand for the training team that is easily recognised. But the key achievement on Ian's radar will be working with the national training team in the design of cost-effective, efficient and flexible learning solutions to support the company's long-term strategy.
Vision for the future – “My vision for the future is that my team provide a world class service to Admin Re UK using bite sized blended learning, which means using a number of learning methods including m-learning*, self-managed learning and active learning, to name a few,” explained Ian. “The aim is to create a learning university that provides each learner with the curriculum that supports their career path. Ultimately, I'd like this curriculum to be externally recognised as best in class by winning external awards or achieving external accreditation.'
* The term m-learning refers to mobile learning - the name given to ‘on the job training' for someone who accesses training on a mobile device to solve a problem or gain an update.
Supporting Stepping Stones
Swiss Re's community sports and social committee in Norwich recently supported Stepping Stones with a grant of £5,000 to support their work in the local area.
Stepping Stones was established in 1989 to support young adults with learning difficulties. This support takes several forms including the development of life skills such as numeracy, literacy, communication, cooking and practical issues such as using public transport – all of which enable people to be more independent.
A large part of the Stepping Stones programme concentrates on the development of social skills which helps students form relationships and join in with others in the community. This learning experience culminates in a holiday for them each year.
Project manager Angie Cossey says: “The young people we work with have so much they can offer but sometimes they don't realise this. Our aim is to increase the self-awareness and self-esteem of our students. This will help them understand that there is much they can achieve and that others can appreciate what they do. We concentrate on the positives and tailor what we do to each person's needs.
“We have been working with those with learning difficulties for more than twenty years and it is through the invaluable financial support of organisations such as Swiss Re's Admin Re operation that we have been able to do so,” she added.
Green Fingers is Stepping Stones' award winning project. Two allotments have been set up to grow fruit and vegetables for use in Stepping Stones' kitchens and to produce jams and chutneys for sale. Through this project students learn the basics of horticulture in a hands-on way and come to appreciate the pleasures of gardening, as well as starting to develop an understanding of business.
Matthew Burrell, Chairman of the Admin Re's Norwich community, sports and social committee adds: “We were really impressed with the tremendous work that Stepping Stones does and the immense value the volunteers add to their students' lives. The ability to give these young people basic skills that may one day contribute to the local business community was something we felt we should support.”
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