Cadets receive reward for efforts
Waiting to receive their Cadet Management Scheme certificates are (left to right) Leilani Oakley, Elizabeth Maki, Leone Baleinasucu and Sharvind Kumar
Source: WILLIAMS AND GOSSLING
Williams and Gossling is proud of its all-local work force and its staff development programmes.
It says no other company can boast a total local workforce of 325 from its top management to its cleaners.
With the recent graduation of eleven of its employees through an in-house 18 month senior cadet management scheme, this has ensured that the company continues to solve all of its manpower requirements locally, and where possible, from those already employed.
“It is important to understand that 90 per cent of what we do must be learned through ‘on the job’ experience and training is essential to satisfy these diverse requirements.
“The management cadet scheme is just the latest in a long list of training programmes to satisfy our manpower needs from within our ranks. When we employ people we focus on those with the right attitude who are willing to learn and get hands on,” WG Managing Director Dave Aidney said.
WG services include ship agency, air and sea freight forwarding, customs clearance, household removals, transport, container yards, record management and cargo fumigation.
The cadets graduated at a special ceremony held in Nadi recently and were presented their certificates by WG Chairman Laurie Mellsop. with board members looking on.
“ The people who were chosen for the course have already demonstrated an ambition to expand their future, to grow within the company. We advertised the opportunity – internally, outlined the criteria and encouraged those with our ‘Can Do’ attitude to apply.”
He said that those who graduate from the programme receive no special privileges or promises, not of promotion, nor salary increases, nor any type of benefits.
“But what they do earn is the knowledge through what we have termed “accelerated training” that has positioned them well to apply for any senior management positions, as and when these may become available.
“It is really up to them to take full advantage of this opportunity. This programme includes working in all of our operational areas so the cadets have the chance to experience all aspects of the company. It also includes Corporate topics like Company Law, Finance and Accounting plus our involvement with Charities and our social responsibilities.
“It also enables executive and senior management to better see potential in the management cadets that they may not have been so obvious previously,” Mr Aidney said.
This has paid off, he said, with several of the cadets having already been promoted during the programme to senior management positions. It also is an integral part of our Companies’ Succession Plan which is designed to help develop a Team to take W&G forwards for the next 25 years.
Those who completed the management cadet scheme are: Ashita Lin (Assistant Branch Manager Nadi Airport); Elizabeth Maki (Sales and Marketing Manager, Nadi Airport); Gina Pickering (Removals Consultant, Wailekutu); Bill Lockwood (Credit Controller, Suva); Kamal Kumar (Senior Customs Agent Lautoka); Sharvind Kumar (Manager Import Airfreight, Nadi); Shyam Reddy (Ships Agency Manager Head Office); Romana Andrews (Packing & Removals Manager, Lautoka); Donald Prasad (Financial Accountant); Leone Baleinasucu (Transport Manager, Suva), and Tim Fong (Branch Manager -Wailekutu Depot).
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