ISS Australia has a strong presence in the resources sector in Western Australia and has now initiated a broad training and HR initiative with over 300 members of a team in the Pilbara region.
The training initiative will be delivered by AVANA, a leading workforce planning group and registered training provider. The program represents a significant shift in service thinking for the mining sector, with AVANA customising a ‘Hotel’ style training program via a traineeship pathway using the nationally accredited qualifications, Certificate III and IV in Hospitality to provide superior customer satisfaction and employee engagement for ISS.
Dane Hudson, Country Manager in ISS Australia, proclaimed the training program as the first phase of a national training initiative, stating:
– ISS is a people business. In order for us to deliver high quality, hospitality service to our corporate partners we need to provide training opportunities to advance our employees skills. However, this can be a challenge in the remote communities where living and fly in fly out (FIFO) arrangements are common. Our partnership with AVANA looks to reduce some of the issues surrounding FIFO, by giving people the opportunity to achieve a higher level of education with a nationally recognised qualification. ISS is rapidly growing in Western Australia so our commitment to superior service, staff retention and sustainable operations is paramount. This training program is part of our long term commitment to the resource sector.
The project launched in mid-July with existing ISS team members conducting workshops in the town of Karratha and on site, with new workers commencing inductions in Perth.
Mark Hutchison, AVANA CEO, was thrilled with the development of the program and praised the commitment from ISS Corporate office and on site management:
– For these projects to work, leaders of a business must be focused on the long term outcomes. ISS has worked tirelessly with our Western Australia project team to scope and roll out a two year program. AVANA has over a decade of experience in the Hospitality and Tourism space. This is a great opportunity to now leverage that experience into the resource sector and improve the standards of ‘remote living’. Through this program, ISS will become the region’s most sought after facilities service provider and employer of choice.