Training puts MB Plant and Civils ahead of the field

“Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.”

Matthew Body quotes entrepreneur Richard Branson frequently and for good reason. The billionaire businessman has always spoken of the importance of building a good team as a prerequisite to success. It is a principle that Matthew also wholeheartedly believes in.

One of the most important aspects about employment in an industry such as construction and plant is good training in the areas of health, safety and good practice. The construction industry as a whole is fraught with inherent dangers just by its very nature. Building materials, heavy plant, fragile surfaces – a building site is a place ripe for accidents to happen. Training employees to avoid unnecessary risk is something which Matthew will broker no shortcuts.

“I spend a lot of time and money on training, both to make sure I am up to speed and also to make sure anyone who works with me is qualified for the job they are doing,” says the businessman.

While investing in employees’ training is not an obvious money making initiative, it is invaluable to the sector. At least, accidents at work will slow proceedings; at worse, they can lead to injury, death and high costing negligence or legal cases. Employing un-trained or under-trained staff is a risk not worth taking.

While the people who work with MB Plant and Civils are capable and experienced workers, it is still in his interests to make sure they are up to speed on areas such as First Aid training, Manual Handling and Asbestos training. Matthew himself has taken a number of courses in Site Management and other supervisory courses.

The training is worked out on a matrix and there is a six monthly audit on the company to ensure everyone is qualified to do the work. As an example of how seriously Matthew takes training, the Health and Safety course that his team undergo is of a standard higher than that of much larger companies.

However, it is not just to avoid costly legal proceedings that drives Matthew to invest in staff training. There is the fact that it makes for a more motivated workforce as well. For Matthew, there are three key benefits to offering regular opportunities to undergo training.

• It improves staff performance

By receiving the necessary training, staff will understand the process better and will be able to perform tasks more efficiently and effectively as a result. In turn, this will lead to less mistakes occurring on site. And the bottom line: a more efficient workforce equals increased company turnover.

• Enhanced staff satisfaction and retention

Team members who are given the opportunity to develop and enhance their skills will feel appreciated. This will lead to greater job satisfaction and motivation to do the job well. By raising staff morale in this way, you are more likely to retain the services of the best workers and attract others who have high skill levels.

• A more qualified workforce

Training courses offer a form of evidence which shows that the work force is competent and skilled within their role in construction. For a company such as MB Plant and Civils, this puts them in a stronger position when it comes to tendering for work contracts.

And underpinning this whole approach is a desire to put MB Plant and Civils at the top of the tree when it comes to offering a good service. Matthew’s aim is to stand out from other companies and investing in the workforce is one powerful way to achieve this.

It’s back to that man Branson again: “You are only as good as the team around you,” he says and it is a principle to which Matthew always adheres.