As part of our Teams Behind Thurston series, we’re introducing the new Talent, Learning & Development team, a function established to help strengthen skills, support career development and build leadership capability across the business. The team has been created to provide a more joined-up approach to learning, onboarding, apprenticeships, leadership development and progression, helping ensure colleagues have the skills and support they need to succeed both now and in the future.
Leading the function is Amy Joiner, Head of Talent & Development, who is responsible for shaping Thurston’s overall learning and development strategy, supporting leadership development and helping create clear career pathways across the business. Working alongside Amy is Kane Ford, Learning & Development Manager, who focuses on the practical delivery of training and development activities, particularly within production environments.
A key area of focus for the team is creating a more structured and consistent approach to skills development. This includes redesigning skills matrices, enhancing onboarding and induction processes, supporting apprenticeship development and introducing clearer progression routes for colleagues. The aim is to help people better understand what skills are required in their role, what opportunities are available to them and how they can continue to grow their careers at Thurston.
The team will also work closely with managers across the business to identify capability needs, support leadership development and help ensure training and development activities are aligned to operational priorities. By building stronger foundations in learning and development, the team will contribute to improving performance, developing future leaders and supporting long-term business success.
“We want every colleague to feel they have the opportunity to learn, develop and progress during their career at Thurston. Whether that’s gaining new skills, taking on greater responsibility, completing an apprenticeship or developing as a leader, we’re focused on creating clear pathways and practical support that help people achieve their potential.”
– Amy Joiner, Head of Talent & Development
The success of the team will rely on collaboration across the business. Managers and colleagues can support by engaging with skills assessments, sharing feedback on development needs, supporting apprentices and new starters, and helping embed new learning and development initiatives.
Together, Amy and Kane are helping create a culture where learning is part of everyday work, careers are easier to navigate and colleagues have greater opportunities to develop, progress and contribute to Thurston’s continued success.