We spoke with Cara about her Learning and Development journey, organisational initiatives she’s proud of, and what she enjoys outside of work.
- Can you tell me a bit about yourself and what lead you into the world of Learning & Development/HR?
My journey into learning and development has been a varied one. I worked in business travel for 18 years and took a career break to have my two amazing children with my husband of 22 years, Paul. I took a part time job close to home with Farrans and 14 years later I am still here. I am now part of the HR and Development team and responsible for supporting our apprentices, placements, and graduates to give them the best foundation skills required to help them on their career path.
- If you had to pick one initiative you’ve worked on since joining your organisation that you were the proudest of, what would that be and what impact did that initiative have on your people?
In 2016 we identified a gap between our junior engineers and senior engineers. We brought together our senior stakeholders within every part of the business to create a robust training programme that would give our graduates the skills to ensure they are fully competent in their role within a two-year period.
Six years later and 11 groups of 12 in, we have a successful programme that is delivered by the experts in the business. It’s a pleasure to support this group of employees and see them flourish. You can see the impact it has on both the individual and the business. We have a celebration event every year where we nominate our ‘Graduate of the Year’. Our graduate programme is now also aligned to the competencies of various professional bodies within our industry which helps them also work on their chartership at the same time.
- You recently had your Engineers Ireland CPD reaccreditation audit, can you tell me a bit about how you found the process of preparing the submission and going to audit?
We have had accreditation with Engineers Ireland for many years now, however, three years ago we achieved ‘Transformational’ status due to the amount of good work we have put in place. This year we are proud to have held on to that status.
The process was very easy to follow. It is a great reminder of everything that has been achieved and an opportunity to identify new areas for improvements against all seven criteria. Preparation was straightforward and using the area experts in each field to feed in was so important. You get to hear and see things that are happening in other parts of the business so the shared knowledge is valuable.
- In your experience, what are the competences or behaviors that distinguish a good engineer from a great engineer?
Our great engineers bring a drive and an energy to want to learn. They are passionate about the industry and the positive differences we can make to society, particularly in areas that will build sustainable infrastructure and reduce our impact on our environment. Great engineers recognise that it is important to walk before you can run. They are determined to want to learn from others by asking questions and have the confidence to push themselves forward.
- What do you do in your spare time?
I am currently learning Italian. I love good food and great wine. My goal is to retire to Italy and enjoy that chapter in my life. My family is my main priority. I love spending time with them, listening to good music, catching up at the end of each day, and debating topics over dinner.
For more information about Farrans visit www.farrans.com