Own «university»

Technology development and innovation ability are the most important strengths of the maritime cluster on the west coast of Norway. Havyard Group competes internationally having their own ship technology comprising large parts of the value chain from ship design, ship equipment and shipbuilding to support of vessels in operation. – In order to develop competitive technology and products we depend on having the cleverest and most motivated co-workers in our industry, says Senior Vice President HR/QHSE Frank-Levi Kvalsund of Havyard Group ASA.
- Our ability to manage and develop our own competence, including attracting competence from external sources, will become important competitive advantages and success criteria for Havyard in the future. What could possibly be more natural than having our own «university», he asks. – When we set up Havyard Academy, the main reasons were to have good tools for mapping out our competence needs and to run programs to make sure that the qualifications of our employees cover these needs. Havyard Academy works on competence development through recruitment and training of employees and we use a mixture of internal and external sources in order to accomplish our competence programs, says the HR Director.

Own «principal»
In order to further strengthen Havyard Academy, Havyard Group has now appointed their own «principal» who will be responsible for improving the Academy, its programs, and to motivate and follow up competence development of its own employees. – We have learnt that having our own Academy for competence development is something that is of great value. And this also enables us to more precisely define our competence requirements and to develop programs and plans for this type of development, continues Senior Vice President HR/QHSE Kvalsund. – To secure a correct focus for this work, we decided to appoint a Training Manager whose main focus is to run and develop Havyard Academy. We had applicants from all over the country and 13 of these qualified for an interview. During the second round of interviews, we were left with three potential candidates, and in the end Pergunn Gjerdsbakk (40) was offered the job, which she accepted. We are very pleased that Pergunn is joining the Havyard family and we are looking forward to her start working for us after Easter, Kvalsund concludes.

Exciting and motivating
Pergunn Gjerdsbakk is originally from Haugsbygda in the municipality of Sande, but she lives in Fosnavåg in Herøy with her family. Pergunn has a versatile background both in terms of her education and work experience. She is an interior designer but has formal education within economics and marketing. Pergunn has worked as a teacher, in banking, she has run her own business, and she is now leaving her position as Commercial Property Manager for Ulsmo Eiendom (Ulsmo Property), where she has worked since 2006.  
- Since I live in Herøy, I have kept an eye on events in Havyard and I am impressed by the development the group has had, says Pergunn. – Havyard is a company in growth and they come across as innovative and brave. I liked the challenges of the work tasks presented in the job description as Training Manager. I enjoy working with people and look forward to being a motivator in order to implement development processes. I was very pleased when I was offered the position and I had no doubts about taking on the job. Having the opportunity to work with developing people in a dynamic company like Havyard in the midst of this exciting maritime cluster, and on top of that getting a job in my hometown area, is as close to my dream job as I could possibly get, Pergunn says with a characteristically broad smile. This is a smile which Havyard employees will become very familiar with after Easter.

Facts on Havyard Academy
The purpose of establishing Havyard Academy is to organize a structured competence development, as an offer but also as an expectation for the employees. Through identifying, describing and defining key qualifications as well as describing and defining what is needed to maintain and develop such competence, we attain several benefits.
Havyard Academy is focused on resource-planning based on future need for qualifications, development (both on an organisational and individual level), the transfer of competence, maintenance, competence based recruitment activities, and mapping of qualifications. This forms the basis for developing programmes that support the group’s strategy, as well as the organisation’s and the employees’ targets for development. In addition to internal processes and programs there are external ones, for example educational summer programs where youths and students are offered an arena for motivation and learning, specifically directed at the maritime industry.

Havyard Academy offers the following programmes;

  • Management Development programme (target group; managers on a strategic level in the organisation)
  • Trainee programme (target group; newly educated people within different fields of study)
  • Apprenticeship programme
  • Youth introduction course (target group; local / regional youths aged 18 – 19 years)
  • Summer Internships (target group; students, primarily from Maritime Subjects)

The following programmes are currently being developed and implemented;

  • Basis course (target group; all of our own employees)
  • Project school (target group; all employees involved in a project role)

As a tool for strategic planning and operation of the group’s competence development, Havyard Academy uses the Dossier programme. In this programme there are tools for mapping of qualifications, competence development and associate development.

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The future of the cluster: The youths who participated in Havyard Academy’s introduction course last year were very keen on learning more about Havyard and the maritime cluster.