Three junior managers at Pall-Ex Group are celebrating the completion of their learning and development programmes on the journey to becoming the next generation of logistics leaders.
Harry Laverick, Group Marketing Manager and Sophie Adkins, Customer Services Supervisor, have recently completed the ILM accredited LEAP for Leaders programme, designed to support junior management on the pathway to senior leadership roles.
Jordan Hodgson, Regional Support Manager at Pall-Ex Logistics, has become the first to complete the Graduate Management Trainee scheme following two years of developing his expertise in various departments throughout the business.
The introduction of the industry-leading Leadership Excellence Achievement Programme (LEAP) in 2023 followed a recognise in demand for increased development opportunities and routes for progression. The LEAP for Leaders course was created to support young leaders on their journey into senior leadership roles, developing the skills and mindset required to lead efficiently, whilst setting a solid foundation for career development.
Reaching the end of their LEAP for Leaders journey, Harry and Sophie have completed 15 leadership modules, including reflective learning, emotional intelligence and recruitment and retention. Whilst completing LEAP for Leaders, employee engagement survey scores in relation to leadership increased by an average of 6.7%, with staff reporting that under their managers, they are engaged, have a solid development plan and find their young leaders are encouraging and dependable.
Richard Newton, Group Training Manager, has been the driving force behind the LEAP for Leaders course and the Graduate Management Trainee scheme, acting as a mentor for Harry, Sophie and Jordan as they completed their development programmes.
Discussing Harry’s achievements, including his promotion to Group Marketing Manager, Richard comments: “Throughout his learning journey, Harry has demonstrated excellent levels of commitment and enthusiasm towards the course and proactively contributed in all 12 workshops.
“Being shortlisted for the Young Leader of the Year award by the Institute of Leadership and Management and for the Young Leader Award by the East Midlands Leadership Awards is further testament to Harry’s excellent ongoing development within Pall-Ex.”
Since beginning her learning and development journey, Sophie has progressed from Customer Service Advisor to Customer Service Supervisor with support from Richard and the Leadership Excellence Achievement Programme.
Commenting on the dedication shown by Sophie throughout the programme, Richard said: “Throughout Leap for Leaders, Sophie has demonstrated an outstanding attitude to gaining new knowledge and developing new skills. Always positive and proactive in approach, Sophie has contributed excellently in all workshops using confident communication skills to convey her knowledge and understanding.
“Sophie took on board new leadership ideas well and could clearly link how they could be used in her own working role. Overall, Sophie has demonstrated a positive and proactive approach to learning throughout Leap for Leaders and this mindset will support Sophie to achieve her ongoing leadership aspirations in the future.”
For Jordan, the Graduate Management Trainee scheme provided him with the opportunity to work in different areas of the business, including commercial, sales, compliance and owned operations. Gaining a complete overview of the company has enabled Jordan to thrive in his new role, using his training and experience to aid his progression within the business.
Celebrating Jordan’s early career success, Richard comments: “Throughout the duration of the Graduate Management Trainee scheme, Jordan has displayed an outstanding growth mindset and positive attitude towards all responsibilities he has been assigned.
“Working effectively across a wide range of departments, teams and locations, Jordan has demonstrated the ability to work in a flexible and adaptable manner to support a diverse range of teams across the business.
“Jordan’s overall personal development and growth during the two years has been excellent and his contributions towards continuous improvement have supported the business to further achieve success.”
The logistics sector has one of the most prominent aging workforces in the UK and the lack of people opting to train in logistics-based roles is now at a critical level. The launch of the Logistics Excellence Achievement Programme (LEAP) highlights Pall-Ex’s determination to invest in the future of its employees.
Given that logistics is such a fast-paced, changeable industry, the ability to provide training to managers inhouse through the LEAP for Leaders programme and the Graduate Management scheme has proven invaluable to the success of employees.
Since launching, staff across Pall-Ex Group have taken part in over 900 guided LEAP learning hours and over 200 staff have accessed a LEAP training course. This has led to 12 young leaders being promoted into manager, supervisor and lead roles, with six more leaders recently beginning their LEAP for Leaders journeys.
