Training, Learning and Development Policy 4.0
Overview/Introduction
NBN Co is committed to building a high-performance culture that encourages staff to enhance skills that not only meet the current needs of their employment at NBN Co but to also develop capability to meet the future needs of their employment.
As a Government Business Enterprise, NBN Co has an obligation to ensure that all training activities undertaken have a direct impact on enabling skills required on the NBN Co project, whilst adopting a cost-effective approach in choosing the most appropriate solution.
On this basis, NBN Co has established a Training, Learning and Development framework that ensures employees have the capability development required for their roles and access to career development opportunities as part of their employment with NBN Co.
Purpose
The purpose of the Training, Learning and Development Policy is to:
Define the Training, Learning and Development approach at NBN Co.
Define the Training, Learning and Development Activities (Learning Activities) that are covered under the Policy.
Outline the eligibility criteria for assessing applications under the Policy.
Outline the support provided by NBN Co in assisting employees undertake approved Learning Activities.
Scope
The Policy outlines and defines the assistance that NBN Co may provide to eligible employees for the
accepted Learning Activities;
Capability training
Professional Memberships
Conferences and Seminars
Accreditations, Certifications & Professional Qualifications.
Educational Assistance Policy
NBN Co – Policy Template <insert Classification/DLM>
Policy
Learning Approach at NBN Co
The NBN Co training, learning and development framework is designed to deliver capability based enablement solutions that are flexible in delivery and cost.
NBN Co has adopted the below approach to Learning Activities;
70% - Learning on the Job
20% - Structured Mentoring Interventions
10% - Formal Learning Interventions
Experience (70%) Exposure (20%) Education (10%)
Experiential learning should make up 70% of learning. This is about growing capability all day, every day, on the job. We learn most of what we know about our jobs informally. Our greatest personal development happens in the workplace; not the classroom.
Examples include,
Participating in stretch assignments or job rotations
Taking on new role responsibilities
Leading or participating in a project
Day to day research, e.g. web browsing, subscribing to information portals
Solving problems
Participating in post-implementation reviews.
Exposure should equate to 20% of learning.
It’s about learning through interactions with others; and gaining insights, validation, and direction.
Learning through others can have a significant impact and help to build a stronger self awareness.
Examples include,
Seeking secondment and relief opportunities
Obtaining coaching and informal feedback
Mentoring and reverse mentoring
Actively participating in a project team, collaboration group, or community of practice
Participating in external networks, professional bodies, alumni.
Formal learning should equate to 10% of your overall development. Education and learning through formal courses should be the platform to gain
knowledge. Examples include,
Structured learning programs
Activity based workshops
External courses
Professional development, qualifications,
accreditations
eLearning modules.
Learning Activities covered under the Policy Capability training
Capability training is training that is crucial for performance within a role, excluding any mandatory requirements that would have been defined in the role description prior to employment at NBN Co. The approach for capability training must be in alignment with NBN Co’s 70/20/10 approach to learning.
Capability training will be an essential part of role development and will consist of the below;
Corporate Induction Training – This must be completed within the first 3 months of employment for an employee to be eligible for successful completion of their probationary period e.g. Values and Security Training
HSE Training – This will be any Health & Safety training that is deemed compulsory for a particular role e.g. White Card training for a Construction Field Supervisor.
Technical Training – This will be training in a particular NBN Co system or required capability, that is crucial for delivering tasks associated with a role e.g. Spatial Net training for a Detailed Designer.
All requests to participate in technical training must be approved in advance by an employee’s Manager. The Training Business Partners for each Business Unit can assist in determining the best training solution to meet the desired outcome.
NBN Co Hub Page -Training Business Partners
All capability based training that an employee undertakes must be recorded in the Learning Management System. This will help Managers determine an employee’s capability development.
NBN Co – Policy Template <insert Classification/DLM> Professional Memberships
Membership and participation in Professional Bodies provides a range of networking and professional development opportunities to employees in the form of industry updates, newsletters and seminars. NBN Co will consider applications to support membership of professional bodies such as:
Australian Institute of System Analysts
Australian Computer Society
Australian School of Business
Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
Other Professional organisations which directly relate to an employee’s position and job requirements at NBN Co
Consideration will be given to the following criteria;
Relevance to Industry Specialisation
Relevance to role
Plans for sharing knowledge gained with other NBN Co Employees Please refer to the eligibility criteria for assessing learning activity applications.
For rules around the reimbursement of training expenses, please refer to the reimbursement section. NBN Co will approve a maximum of $500 towards a Professional Membership.
To apply for support for this learning activity click here; Conferences and Seminars
Conferences and Seminars allow opportunities for industry networking, alignment to industry best practice and continuous improvement.
NBN Co will consider applications to attend Conferences and Seminars under the Policy using the below criteria;
Relevance to Industry Specialisation
Relevance to role
Plans for sharing knowledge gained with other NBN Co Employees
Number of employees attending (no more than 1 should attend) Please refer to the eligibility criteria for assessing learning activity applications.
For rules around the reimbursement of training expenses, please refer the reimbursement section. NBN Co will approve a maximum of $1000 towards attendance at Conferences and Seminars. To apply for support for this learning activity click here;
Accreditations, Certifications & Professional Qualifications
NBN Co will consider applications from employees to support the acquisition and/or maintenance of an accreditation/certification that is relevant to a role e.g. Prince 2 Practitioner, ACMA Open License. If an accreditation is mandatory for a role e.g. Confined Spaces for a Field Supervisor, then it will be included in their capability-based training curriculum.
NBN Co will approve a maximum of $1,000 per towards the accreditation, certification or qualification. Consideration will be given to the following criteria;
Relevance to Industry Specialisation
Relevance to role
Plans for sharing knowledge gained with other NBN Co Employees Please refer to the eligibility criteria for assessing learning activity applications.
For rules around the reimbursement of training expenses, please refer to the reimbursement section. To apply for support for this learning activity click here;
NBN Co – Policy Template <insert Classification/DLM> Educational Assistance
NBN Co will consider applications from employees for assistance with further studies; undergraduate, post graduate or other formal learning activities. The proposed course must have a relevance to the role and an alignment to a functional business objective.
Examples of approved educational assistance may be;
Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Project Management
Masters of Business Administration
NBN Co may approve amounts to a maximum of $5,000 per unit, with a maximum of 2 units approved per year. NBN Co may also contribute a percentage towards approved Educational Assistance applications.
Please refer to the eligibility criteria for assessing applications.
Upon satisfying the eligibility criteria, the performance criteria that will be evaluated will be;
The Employee’s role and position at NBN Co
The alignment of the course to the employees current role
The alignment of the course to business objective
The future role potential of the employee
The last performance rating that the employee achieved
The work/life balance of the proposed study with the current role requirements
Manager/GM comments supporting the application
As a guiding principle, it is expected that Employees would undertake the proposed training regardless of being approved for Educational Assistance – the Policy is aimed at recognising and rewarding talent and past performance at NBN Co as well as supporting developmental
opportunities.
All requests for educational assistance must be discussed with the employee’s Manager before applying and they must have a course and provider in mind, as well as proposed dates for the course.
For rules around the reimbursement of training expenses, please refer to the reimbursement section.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply for one of the above Learning Activities, all of the below criteria must have been satisfied. The Employee must;
Be a permanent employee of NBN Co
Have been a permanent employee of NBN Co for a minimum of 12 months
Have achieved a minimum rating of 3 out of 5 at their last performance review
Have completed all mandatory and capability-based training
Have Manager approval before applying
Have researched the proposed course, provider and costs of the proposed study The decision regarding the application will be communicated by the GM of Enterprise Training. Successful applicants will be sent a Learning Agreement Form, which will include the following;
The amount or percentage that has been approved
The term of the offer
Sign-off from the employee, Manager General Manager of Business Unit, GM Enterprise Training.
Study Leave
For all NBN Co approved educational assistance studies, employees may be provided with the following;
Up to 2 days study leave per semester
Up to 1 days paid study leave to attend examinations conducted during office hours
Flexibility with working hours to attend lectures & tutorials
The Manager and Employee should sit down each Semester and discuss key dates and plan in advance to avoid any impact to an employee’s work/life balance and achieving NBN Co goals.
NBN Co – Policy Template <insert Classification/DLM> Reimbursement of Expenses
An Employee must pay for the course costs initially and seek reimbursement only after they have successfully completed the learning activity.
For a learning activity that covers multiple years, NBN Co will reimburse after the successful completion of each unit.
NBN Co will only reimburse learning expenses in the following circumstances;
The employee has been approved prior to undertaking the learning activity
The employee is still employed by NBN Co at the time of seeking reimbursement
The employee has provided evidence of successful completion of the Units
The employee has provided evidence of course Invoices
The employee has provided written evidence of the Learning Agreement
In the case where an employee fails an exam or assessment, they will be responsible for paying for any additional charges to re-sit the exam/unit.
Once an employee has satisfied the above requirements, they can request reimbursement via I-Expenses, selecting Training – Corporate as the line item.
Books
Books can be included for all successful applications up to $150 per unit per semester, if the above reimbursement criteria are met.
Leaving NBN Co
If an employee leaves NBN Co whilst undertaking a course for which they have been approved for reimbursement, they will not be eligible to claim any expenses for that course. If an employee is terminated by NBN Co for unsatisfactory performance or misconduct, they may be required to repay any monies that have been provided in the form of support of a Learning Activity.
NBN Co may also seek reimbursement from employees that leave within 12 months of completing a funded learning activity.
Record Keeping
A copy of the Learning Agreement Form needs to be kept by an employee. They will receive an electronic copy of the approved form for their records. Records will also be kept by the Enterprise Training Team at NBN Co.
An entry will be made on the Learning Management System once a learning activity has commenced, with the status of ‘registered’. This will be updated to ‘completed’ once all completion paperwork has been cited.
Roles and Responsibilities
Employees are responsible for:
Their career and related development
Seeking opportunities for development and learning
Consulting with their manager to identify learning and development goals that meet both their individual and NBN Co’s needs
Assisting as required with workplace training initiatives which may involve coaching of colleagues
creating and completing their own personal development plan; Completing all mandatory training required by NBN Co; and
Ensuring all training and development activities are appropriately recorded in approved NBN Co Learning Management Systems
More Information
Employees should consult with their manager before undertaking any training activities. For more information on the training that is available, employees should visit the My Learning Hub Page and the Learning Management System for course information. For any specific questions, the Training Business Partner for the appropriate business unit should be contacted.
