Integra’s award-winning approach to Workforce Skills Development

At the 2022 Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards, Integra Systems was thrilled to be inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame – the highest honour of the night – however, another category in which Integra proved victorious was for Leader in Workforce Skills Development. 

To be recognised for the hard yards put into fostering a productive, motivated and stimulated workforce is something that means a lot to the management at Integra Systems. This award came as a ‘pat on the back’ after the morale-depleting impact of pandemic closures across all Australian industry; a timely encouragement for the Integra team to keep doing what they’re doing, and doing it well.

Paul Hughes, Managing Director & CEO

In reflecting on the award – and without giving away too much of Integra’s ‘secret sauce’ — Paul Hughes, Managing Director of Integra Systems, describes the organisation's philosophy for workforce development as “letting staff evolve under their own steam” as opposed to micro-managing their on-the-job learning. 

“We give our staff a certain amount of training but it’s their own curiosity that truly drives their development,” he explains. “They develop skills off their own bat in a way that might be different if we stood over their shoulder and said, ‘Look, you've got to learn this, this and this’. We feel that this approach really inspires them to learn.”

Integra employs what Paul describes as “a young staff pool”. Generally speaking, young people are more comfortable working with technology and state-of-the-art tools, which also means exploring the limits of what those tools can do. 

As well as being a strategic decision, it’s a source of great pride for Paul that the majority of their current design team worked on Integra’s factory floor learning how to use the machines while studying for their degrees. It’s a strategy that has led to a collaborative curriculum development relationship with two of Australia’s leading universities, Swinburne University and Deakin University, to help nurture more employable engineers.

"There's a real shortfall of engineers or designers with five to 10 years experience.” Paul continues. “But the way we work closely with Swinburne University and Deakin University means our students are doing the practical skills and the learning about how things are made in parallel with their degree. By the time they finish their degrees, they're coming out as engineers with three years' experience already.”

The chance to embark on a defined career path doesn’t just apply to Integra’s design team. As Paul confirms, it’s the same with those in the factory too: “They see there's a migration path for them through the business, and they really develop a thirst for knowledge so they can progress themselves. Putting the digitisation tools in people's hands really inspires that thirst for knowledge as well.”

Integra has been approached by third parties keen to create employment pathway partnerships. Being recognised in this way gives Paul the opportunity to reflect on the reputation Integra’s developing within the industry as an employer of choice.

“I had an interview with the Brotherhood of St Laurence who were looking at placement for disadvantaged youths, or people who've had a tough upbringing, about how to develop their skills, so they can slot into an advanced manufacturing or a digital manufacturing environment. Getting asked those questions makes you think about how you do things yourself, and adjust your thinking with how to skill people.”

“I think being known for skills development, and that we're looking after our people, attracts the right people,” Paul observes. “It puts you on the radar as being an employer of choice and shows that Integra is a place where people want to work.”

Paul’s advice to other businesses and manufacturers looking to improve their workforce skills development is to focus on the culture of the workplace and the attitude of your people as the starting points. As he explains, having a philosophy of empowering staff to ‘learn by doing’ relies heavily on having a workforce that’s engaged in their work and driven to learn and succeed. 

“Everyone who comes here talks to me about how engaged everyone appears,” he admits. “Everyone's got a really good attitude, and I think that’s fostered the self-propelling development of the people.” 

“Young people have got a different way of looking at things than some of us who've been in the industry for a long time, and you've got to let their curiosity help drive your things without standing over their shoulder and saying, ‘It has to be done this way’.”

Paul’s also adamant that having the right equipment plays an important role in the development of a winning culture: “If you want to be in manufacturing these days, you have to have state-of-the-art equipment, and you have to have a vision about how you want that equipment to be used. Then, in skilling your team, you want to convey your vision about what you want to get out of a machine.”

“Investing in the right equipment keeps things fresh and keeps things exciting as well. I think there's a lot to be said for the thinking of young people in business these days, with things progressing rapidly towards a fully digitised environment and a different way of doing things.”

“Looking back, I know we've got a good culture, and I suppose a good culture then fosters a good learning environment,” Paul says with a smile. “In considering the award in hindsight, I can see why we won that category.”

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