Giant Truck and Automotive Manufacturer Takes Supply Chain Training to a New Level

SWEDEN – WORLDWIDE – Running right through the supply chain is one component that seems to grow in importance every passing year and affects every aspect of both manufacturing and the accompanying logistics, that of increased training levels. Whether it be for better performance figures, health and safety or certification of ability and competence in any other field, training has rapidly developed into a major industry of its own and more and ever more and larger companies are bringing the process in house to ensure themselves of both set costs and certain quality levels.

This week saw one of the largest take the plunge with the opening of the Volvo Group University which is designed to be a centre of further education and competence for the Group’s 110,000 employees worldwide. Every year, half a million training days is allocated to the Volvo Group’s employees and retail organization worldwide. With employees in more than 190 markets working on everything from product development and assembly to finances, marketing and sales, the competency level and further education of all employees is a crucial success factor for the Group.

With the acquisition of other companies, such as Renault Trucks, Mack Trucks and UD Trucks, the Volvo Group merged its HGV components into divisions with distinct areas of responsibility in technology, product development, production and sales and the Volvo Group is now taking the same step with respect to the further education of its employees as Kristina Rejare, Head of the Volvo Group University, explains:

“It is important that the training courses we offer support our strategy ahead and the transformation of the Volvo Group. With the Volvo Group University, we will ensure that training builds the expertise that will help us achieve our long-term target to become the leader in sustainable transport solutions. We know that our employees value the opportunities for further education during their professional lives. Having our own university will increase the quality of the training courses offered within the Volvo Group, while making it clear that we are actually investing long-term in our employees’ competency development.”

The university’s operation will comprise a number of academies, including Project Management, Volvo places high demands on knowledge of project management, company culture and internal processes. The largest projects, such as the launch of a completely new truck series, are investments worth SEK billions involving thousands of individuals within such areas as purchasing, production, aftermarket, logistics and IT.

Other academies include Volvo Group Fundamentals, Engineering and Operations and Leadership and Management. The Volvo Group University openend on April 7 and is located in new premises in Arendal in Gothenburg and in the coming years, local hubs will be developed in the countries in which the group is active.