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Aug 24, 2021
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The Tech Progression Plan Creates a Culture of Continual Learning & Improved Operations
by Invenergy Team
The Invenergy Services Technician Progression Plan (“Tech Progression”) is a program for Invenergy Services Technicians to develop their skills and track their progress and growth. The Tech Progression serves as a continual learning plan for an Invenergy Services technician’s entire career, starting with Invenergy Services’ in-house onboarding program. Technicians use the Tech Progression as a guide for the specific tasks and trainings that will allow them to gain more responsibility and move up in the organization.
The Tech Progression consists of three major levels, each of which are broken into 3-4 sub-levels. Technicians progress from one sub-level to the next by completing all tasks, demonstrating competency in the field, and completing an online-based exam at the end of each progression level. There are “Level” Exams for the sub-levels and “Comprehensive” Exams for moving from Tech 1 to Tech 2 to Tech 3. To start, Technicians come in at a Base Level and go through a 6-month crash course that is designed to bring new employees up to speed as quickly and efficiently as possible. This level includes High Voltage and Rescue at Heights trainings as well as Qualified Electrical Worker (QEW) and first aid certifications.
The Tech Progression is designed to function like building blocks. As a technician progresses through the plan, they continuously build their technical expertise, industry knowledge, and leadership skills. Annual trainings such as Rescue at Heights and Lock-Out Tag-Out procedures reinforce key skills and concepts that technicians learned previously in the program and promote a continuous learning mindset. As technicians progress through the program, expectations of their work quality and responsibilities also increase. Invenergy Services has made a significant investment into developing the Tech Progression, and the time and effort that technicians in turn invest into the program is equally substantial. The return on investment, however, is nearly exponential, as Invenergy Services technicians use the expertise gained throughout this plan to grow their careers and eventually lead our teams to operate our assets in a way that is both optimal and safe. As proof, Invenergy Services has promoted all Regional Directors from within the company and currently has 20 Managers and 21 Lead Technicians who started as Base Technicians.
As a part of the Tech Progression, Invenergy Services technicians become very familiar with the proactive aspect of the safety culture at Invenergy Services. Each month, every technician is required to participate in two safety observations with team members. These safety observations are designed to help build a culture where everyone is looking out for each other while being comfortable receiving feedback from peers. In addition to the observations, each site is responsible for a monthly safety suggestion. The techs take on a leadership role within the submission and implementation process for their site. These suggestions improve our internal safety policies, procedures, and practices. This creates a constant feedback loop between our technicians and safety teams to ensure that we are always working in the safest manner possible each day.
As a technician approaches the end of the progression, they will have completed over 800 hours of training. The program typically takes over 5 years to complete; however, the education never truly ends. Once these technicians complete the progression, they are still required to attend annual training sessions, maintain their QEW status, and participate in online module-based trainings that keep the key topics covered earlier in their progression top of mind. Additionally, technicians who have completed the progression are often selected to lead internal trainings at their sites, further reinforcing the expertise they built over time. These technicians also tend to become mentors to new and younger technicians and continue to serve as a valuable resource to their team.
The Tech Progression creates a straightforward path for technicians to build their knowledge, gain critical experience, and improve their abilities. This plan results in a transparent culture of excellence that promotes continual learning, creates growth opportunities, and ultimately leads to better operating assets.
To learn more about the Tech Progression Plan, please contact Brad Purtell, Director of Business Development for Invenergy Services at bpurtell@invenergy.com.
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