Since the late 1930s, when Interflow founder Harold ‘Bill’ Weaver instilled a passion for learning and development within his business, Interflow’s people have been at the centre of everything they do. The HJ Weaver Development Program now enables people to develop skills for their future careers at Interflow.
After his first six months with Interflow as an intern, promising young engineer Matt Cremona was offered a place in a program that would introduce him to all parts of the business.
“I was given the opportunity to rotate around different divisions, for six months to a year each, within the organisation,” said Mr Cremona, who is now Delivery Manager at Interflow. Most valuable, he says, were the relationships he developed during that time with people.
“Having those relationships meant that when I was given opportunities in other divisions, I could rely on those relationships to help me in my new roles,” he said. That was 13 years ago. Interflow’s approach was built on Bill’s passion for developing his people to be their best and formalised more recently as the HJ Weaver Development Program.
“The program is all about supporting and developing people over the years by creating a business environment that encourages, enables and supports learning,” says Fiona Warnock, Interflow’s People and Capability Business Partner. “It’s looking not only at the entry level. It’s also about our existing team members.”
The HJ Weaver Program is made up of two streams that promote learning and development at every level. One is for the business’s interns, undergraduates and graduates. The other focuses on existing team members who want to develop or change their careers.
Chosen education programs are eligible for funding, including fees, textbooks and union fees. For a graduate, that can represent an investment of over $30,000 in their professional education. According to Ms Warnock, In the current employment environment, it’s important that businesses planning for growth are also putting internal talent development structures in place to ensure the future growth can be supported.
“When people realise they are a vital part of that growth story, when they realise they’re valued and are being nurtured and developed, that’s what makes them want to stay with us.”
Why development is worth the investment
The program made a measurable difference in Mr Cremona’s life. “It felt pretty special,” he says. “I was given an opportunity to set myself up in terms of career and development.” A lot of other graduates he’d gone to university with were struggling to find careers or job opportunities while he was being developed through the HJ Weaver Development Program, he recalled.
“But I had that security,” Mr Cremona said. “As I graduated I was also being exposed to different avenues, different divisions and different relationships.” Mr Cremona is now using what he learned to support and develop his own team at Interflow. “That information has helped me succeed,” he said. “It has given me security and also confidence in my ability. I have the confidence now to know what I’m saying is right and to back my own decisions.”
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