About Forrest

Forrest Futures – This programme is aimed at their blue collar workforce and provides a pathway to management for them. Following a formal application process a number of individuals each year are chosen to take part in a structured management development programme which includes formal training and also work shadowing and secondment opportunities. They have promoted 5 individuals in the last 2 years in to management from this programme. Elevate – This programme is very similar but aimed at senior management and includes profiling and mentoring from an external organisation plus the opportunity to undertake an ILM Level 7 qualification New Leaf – their own Leadership & Management programme validated by CMI. This has been delivered to over 200 people within the business already and will continue to be used to facilitate learning in this area. Customer Connect – A bespoke Customer Service excellence delivery programme. This has been accredited by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) and delivered to over 150 people so far. Now a mandatory piece of training that all need to attend, it forms part of the corporate company induction.

Grapevine is an internal employee forum. It is all about 2 way communication and sharing best practice across the business. As they want to be the best, they want everyone's feedback to get there. There are nominated employee's who act as representatives from various different areas of the business who meet quarterly to bring key questions to the table. A representative will pick up the question and look for an answer within a specified time to feedback at the next meeting.

As part of their work for the Footprints Foundation they have sent 2 teams of their employees to go out to South Africa and help build an Orphanage for a period of 2 weeks. The company also did the same last year and it has been a great success.