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Employee Training & Development

To build a sustainable business we need a competent and experienced workforce. We are committed to the STEM approach to learning and development, supporting career development and continued education throughout our employees’ careers.

Training in action

We develop specific, bespoke targeted training at group level. A key example of this is our Leadership program. This two-stage program is offered through our training partners who provide instructor-led sessions and post-training coaching which is tailored towards upskilling our frontline management.

In 2022, we engaged a third-party facilitator to deliver new training programs in soft skills including ‘Effective Communication’ and ‘Giving and Responding to Feedback’. 26 managers took part from the UK, Belgium, France, Poland and Italy. We have also introduced our new Key Management Skills development program which will be delivered in the Americas and EMEA. Around 120 managers are expected to join the program in 2023. 

Dr Dickson Ojukwu, Talent Development Specialist

‘As a Talent Development Specialist, my role is to develop a learning strategy for the business. 

This is my opportunity to contribute to the growth of our business by supporting development activities across all employee groups, including our next generation of stars. What is really satisfying is that it gives me the opportunity to understand our business better. I can then use this knowledge to unleash the talent and maximize the potential of our people.’

Science ladder

As a company, we drive innovation through investment in research, technology and people. We recognize that attracting, challenging and retaining scientists and technical personnel of the highest caliber is essential to our existing and future business.

Our Science Ladder is a research associate program designed to provide employees in technical roles with the opportunity to advance their careers in science and technology. Through the program, exceptional scientists are encouraged to continue their scientific work, enabling both the employee and the company to benefit from the development of technology. The program provides opportunities for personal development, recognition and status for those who participate in it, providing technical guidance to their colleagues and taking a key role in projects requiring a high level of technical expertise.

Regulatory progression ladder

Our Regulatory Progression Ladder is designed to recognize employees working in our Regulatory Toxicology team. Employees are rewarded for their experience and academic achievements. There are five levels of progression.

‘The Regulatory Progression ladder provides us all with an incentive to further develop our careers with Innospec in the knowledge that we will be rewarded in terms of salary and position. The ladder provides a clearly defined path forward. Studying for my Master’s in Toxicology took me two years. The modules were interesting and covered a wide range of topics such as Regulatory, Forensic, Clinical and Occupational Toxicology. After passing the Master’s I was promoted which certainly made all the hard work worth it.’

Lauren Kavanagh Regulatory Toxicologist

Dr. Jim Barker, Senior Research Fellow

The most senior level on our Science Ladder is that of Senior Research Fellow. In 2021, Dr. Jim Barker was promoted to Senior Research Fellow, only the second person in our company’s history to achieve this prestigious level. Achieving this level takes significant time and requires continued personal commitment from individuals. Jim’s scientific achievements mark him out as one of the best industrial chemists in the world and this reflects positively on Innospec and our technical credibility with our customers.

Succession planning

Preparing our future leaders to take our organization to the next level is key to building a sustainable business. Our succession planning program for strategic roles ensures our business continues to thrive even when the individuals change positions. Our focus is on finding the right people to fulfil key functions within the organization. We look for potential within our existing workforce and continue to educate and support individuals, so they develop and excel within our structure.

Higher level qualifications

We believe it is important to help all our employees reach their true potential, which is why we support people studying for higher level qualifications across a wide variety of functions. These professional qualifications help employees to further develop as individuals and enables us to maintain a competent workforce. Some examples of the employees we have supported in their learning and development journeys are provided below.

Catherine Orange, our Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Manager based at our Vernon, France site, to successfully complete her Quality & SHE Master degree at CESI (Campus d’enseignement supérieur et de formation professionnelle).

Lauren Kavanagh, Regulatory Toxicologist based at our Ellesmere Port, UK site, to complete her M.Sc. (Taught) Toxicology at the University of Birmingham, gaining a Distinction.

Constantin Holtkamp, a buyer in the procurement team based at our Herne site in Germany, was supported to complete his ‘Bachelor Professional in Procurement’ at the IHK Nord Westfalen (Chamber of Commerce and Industry).