What our judges noticed is that their trainee program has been greatly improved, offering early exposure to operational and staff functions. Trainees share their experiences, promoting cultural understanding and alignment with Enexis’ strategy. Networking and mentorship are emphasized, along with diverse coaching options for personal growth. Selection criteria now includes diversity and inclusion awareness, enhancing the program’s reputation for authenticity. Trainees are encouraged to be authentic and make a meaningful impact, earning recognition and appreciation from company employees.

What is clear is that they take on the feedback from previous years, and have used this to shape their traineeships to a high level.

What is clear is that they take on the feedback from previous years, and have used this to shape their traineeships to a high level.  We sat down with the Young Talent Manager from Enexis, Jeske van Boxtel to talk about what sets their traineeship apart, and what the competition means to them.

For the second time, Enexis has taken out the overall Best Traineeship award! How does it feel?

Amazing. We’re so proud. We’ve won this again – we were very surprised as there was really strong competition this year, and so many excellent competitors.

The judges noticed a strong link between the traineeships and the overall strategy of the Enexis group – can you tell us more about how intertwining the two has strengthened your traineeships?  

We make sure the strategies are aligned with the trainee program. When I started working with Enexis in this role, there was a new strategy. You need to make sure that the program is aligned with this. I met with the Board of Directors and managers and I asked – if you have this strategy, what is needed for the trainees? What can they bring that can make this strategy happen? Do we need the leaders of the future? Do we need strategists?

All these things had to come together – can we make this align with the strategy. Many things were already aligned, but some had to be adapted or changed. It starts with realising that the trainee program is there to make a part of the longer-term strategy.

Challenge yourself to think: Does this work with the strategy? And then you make it work.

How easy was it to link your goals to the traineeship? In what way did this strategy boost your traineeships?

It wasn’t particularly challenging, but I believe it’s crucial to clarify things by asking questions. While many trainee programs might naturally align with our strategy, it’s essential to discuss and understand those connections. This communication needs to reach all levels of management so everyone grasps their role in the bigger picture. Without these conversations, things can easily slip into ambiguity.

We believe it’s crucial for the board to stay connected with the trainees to see the alignment in action. This connection not only shows that we take our trainees seriously but also reinforces their sense of importance within the company. When trainees feel valued, they’re more motivated to contribute meaningfully to the organization.

Personal Branding was your best practice win this year – what have you learned from previous Best Traineeship participation that helped take yours to the next level?  

That’s a great question! Looking back, I don’t think I fully grasped last year that winning that award was our ultimate goal. Having been in this role for two years now, I’ve come to realize the immense potential for growth that our trainees possess.

My focus has been on nurturing the self-confidence of our trainees and emphasizing the importance of networking. Networking is absolutely crucial and plays a significant role in our trainee program. This year, during the competition finals, I observed our trainees actively engaging with others, forging connections right off the bat. They exuded confidence, displayed a genuine eagerness to learn from their peers, and demonstrated curiosity.

This is really satisfying for me because it speaks to their personal brand, and our program encourages the notion that while asking for help is always okay, they should also proactively seek connections throughout the company. It instills a sense of confidence in their ability to tackle challenges independently.

How are you taking away this year’s feedback and benchmark report and using the insights to build the traineeship program? What are the benefits of receiving the benchmark report?

What I find really rewarding is that we identified some areas for improvement last year, and this year, those issues were addressed because we took the feedback from the reports seriously and made improvements accordingly. That’s the beauty of participating in the competition over multiple years—you can clearly see how you’re progressing.

While there weren’t major overhauls needed based on the reports, it was still insightful to review the reports from other traineeships. We noticed that some had assignments with significant responsibility, which is something we can definitely integrate into our competition. It’s about learning from what others are doing, incorporating those insights into our traineeship program, and aiming for success.

Another valuable takeaway from last year was seeing the diversity within Prorail’s program, so we made sure to incorporate that into our approach as well. It’s all about learning from different companies, making necessary changes, and finding inspiration along the way.

I also gained a lot from the peer circle discussions. There are countless aspects from the competition that you can take away and apply to enhance your own traineeships. The competition really prompts you to think critically, and the final event sheds light on both the strengths and weaknesses of various programs, helping us identify what we can learn and implement moving forward.

What brings Enexis back to the competition each year?

It’s a good way to have a critical eye on your own program, – not only your trainees, but on yourself, your stakeholders, your board as well as on other companies. 

Enexis keeps coming back to the Best Traineeship competition every year for a few reasons. Winning the top prize twice fills us with pride, especially when we’re up against tough competition. Linking our trainee program with Enexis’ bigger strategy has really helped us succeed, making sure our program aligns with what the company wants to achieve. Plus, the competition gives us great insights and chances to learn.

 We use the feedback, benchmark reports, and ideas from other participants to keep making our traineeship program even better. Overall, being part of the competition helps us keep improving and being innovative.

Congratulations again to our overall winners, Enexis Groep. To see all this year’s winners, visit our winners page here. Want to showcase your traineeship against the best? Register for next year’s competition here.

The Best Traineeship Peer Circle event will be held again this year. If you’re interested in learning from other Young Talent managers, and sharing your expertise, email info@besttraineeship.com

The post Meet the Winners: Overall Best Traineeship – Enexis Groep appeared first on Best Traineeship.

The ideal program empowers trainees and gives them the skills to help the company move forward with individual needs considered, and the plans are also adaptable. As the trainee progresses in their role and tackles new projects, their training also changes to help them level up their skills. This is for personal and company-driven projects.

Trends

In the 2020 competition, we saw an increase in the importance of learning and development in trainee feedback. 

This reflects a significant trend within the traineeship world – the need for more focus on skills-based training and developing your trainees.

Our L&D winner, NN Group, were particularly noted for their attention to detail – embedding their methodology into their program and supporting their company strategy. Their focus on this topic was also reflected in their trainee feedback, with a clear description of their learning curve and its impact on their performance.

The results were precise – a clear learning and development methodology firmly embedded into the company culture and programs positively impact trainees.

Accelerated Learning

Traineeships are often a fast-tracked learning experience. Trainees enter the workforce and literally hit the ground running. While this gives them an advantage in their work progression, it can impact the trainee mentally and physically.

The fast-paced learning from experience combined with the expertise of peers and mentors creates a pressure cooker situation – they have access to more information and knowledge and need to retain this fast. The close environment, combined with a wealth of experience, is an ideal environment for learning.

Ensuring that your traineeship program has regular check-in times and strong trainee focussed mentors means that the impact of fast-paced learning can be lessened. A strong mentor can help your trainees develop work-life balance and embrace their role within the company.

“Value the differences in your trainees and build the program around helping your young talents to discover themselves, their unique qualities, pitfalls, interests, and drivers, and how they can make the best use of it.”

Vanessa Baker, NN Group – Winners Learning and Development, Best Traineeship Awards 2020

Integrating regular check-ins and mentoring into your company’s learning and development program can elevate your traineeships.

Learning and Development In A Multigenerational Workplace

While traineeships can create the future of the workplace, it’s often the current employees who have difficulty seeing the benefits of traineeships.

There is a problem with the perception that while older generations have had to work longer and under different circumstances to achieve their positions and that trainees are often handed things on the proverbial “silver platter,” this isn’t always the case. Older team members don’t feel connected to the trainees/traineeships – things were different in their day. There’s no connection for them to the traineeship program.

As we previously mentioned, the accelerated learning that trainees undergo creates a fast-paced, pressurized environment for them. They also have exceptionally high expectations to perform due to this fast-tracking. 

Open communication with your whole team about the traineeship program and the expectations placed on the trainees will help break down these misconceptions. Involving the entire team in the creation of new learning and development protocols, as well as the use of effective mentorship, will also help Chip Conley, Author and Hospitality Entrepreneur, speaks about bridging the generational gaps in this TED Talk.

Creating Effective L&D Programs in the Workplace

Learning and Development don’t have to be daunting; it doesn’t have to overwhelm your trainees or isolate the older generations.

Instead, look at a holistic approach to your programs – how can you integrate the needs of all team members and involve them in the process? How can you utilize your team’s existing skills and support your trainees’ growth and development?

Use and adopt different learning methods, and build a solid mentorship program. And, of course, check in regularly with your trainees and your whole team and discuss their needs in training.

It’s about breaking down the barriers between the generations and creating a cohesive and tolerant learning environment that understands the unique challenges and needs of all your employees.

And that’s crucial for developing practical traineeships that make a lasting impact on your company and on your team.

Want to showcase your Learning and Development for traineeships and gain insights into current and future trends? Sign up for this year’s competition here.

If you’re interested in the data but don’t want to participate, you can also gain access to trends, feedback and more and sign up for our Benchmark Report here.

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