IdeaLearning Group Case Study: Vestas – Three-Phase Training Program
By Shannon McKenzie on July 24th, 2012Vestas is a leading international wind energy company headquartered in Denmark. For the past 30 years, Vestas has installed more than 46,000 turbines in 66 countries. The company’s mission is to enable energy independence demanded by the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies by building wind energy innovations as a natural alternative for finite fossil fuels.
IdeaLearning Group partnered with Vestas to develop a robust three-phase training program that focused on electrical safety and the control of hazardous energy. More than 20,000 people needed training with a tight timeframe for development. Our “train-the-trainer” program was designed to educate Vestas master instructors, who in turn trained their teams. We also designed an internal Vestas brand logo and templates, which are used throughout the company.
The training program included several goals: address identified behaviors; promote consistency and safety throughout the company internationally; highlight change management tools and strategies; and incorporate hierarchical technical components. Our learning curve was steep and our time was short, but we were determined to deliver a substantial program with measurable positive results.
Phase 1: Master Training Rollout
The purpose of the first phase was to partner with master trainers and subject matter experts during face-to-face work meetings in Germany to finalize content for the electrical safety and lockout tagout training program. IdeaLearning Group staff developed an instructional video and supporting materials that focused on simple, complex, and group lockouts. We also created a three-part energy control coordinator course that included eLearning, pre-work, a teacher’s plan, and support materials with a focus on technical and soft skills development. The role of the energy control coordinator was a new one in Europe, and we worked carefully with Vestas in the US to define best practices and develop the materials outside the Unites States.
Phase 2: Global Rollout of Electrical Safety Training
During this phase, IdeaLearning Group finalized all electrical safety and lockout tagout materials for master trainers for the rollout of the seven-course series, which included a PowerPoints, teacher’s plans, and participant guides. We also travelled to Denmark to facilitate the soft skills course for master trainers.
Phase 3: Global Refresher of Electrical Safety Training
IdeaLearning Group created eLearning modules to refresh technicians’ knowledge on electrical safety and lockout tagout procedures.
As a result of partnering with IdeaLearning Group for the large-scale training program, the program manager for Vestas in Denmark called IdeaLearning Group “my go-to vendor” and continues to collaborate with our company on additional projects. “It’s rare to find a stress-free, no-drama, let’s-get-the-job-done vendor,” he said. “IdeaLearning Group was extremely easy to collaborate with. They quickly got up to speed, and the creative juices started flowing. I knew I was in good hands, and I didn’t need to check in constantly. I felt very confident we were dealing with absolute professionals. It literally went that well.”
