In collaboration with WithYouWithMe (WYWM), a social impact tech company, Leonardo launched the programme to open pathways for employees to explore new roles within the company. WYWM’s aptitude testing and psychometric assessments are used to identify employees' natural strengths, including their affinity for learning new skills outside of their existing career path or experience. The tests which take around one hour to complete, require no prior experience and are designed to be accessible to anyone with GCSE-level education or above. They focus on identifying natural strengths and learning potential, making them suitable for individuals from all backgrounds and are designed to evaluate cognitive abilities, problem-solving capacity, and the potential to adapt and excel in a number of digital careers. By aligning these assessments with employees’ learning capabilities, the programme ensures those who show the potential for success in engineering can access the training and opportunities needed to thrive in the field.
The pilot was carried out with the Operations team in Luton, offering those with strong aptitudes for digital roles the chance to undergo a year-long engineering secondment. If successful, this secondment could lead to permanent roles within Leonardo's software and firmware engineering departments. The aptitude and psychometric tests are particularly valuable in this context, as they allow for a more objective and inclusive approach to selecting candidates, focusing on potential rather than past experience or qualifications. This approach breaks down barriers for employees who may not have had access to traditional digital education but demonstrate a strong desire and capability to develop new skills.
The initial assessments were followed by culture fit interviews, where resilience, ambition, and personality are prioritised over traditional technical qualifications, creating an inclusive and supportive selection process.
Three individuals, Patrick Duggan, Ricken Patel and Jason Short, were successful at interview and have commenced their training in software and firmware engineering. With plans to expand the programme to reach more employees in different departments in the near future.
Nerys Thomas adds: “This scalable internal mobility model not only advances the career prospects of employees, but also strengthens the company’s diverse talent pipeline, promoting a workforce that is truly reflective of a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.
“With plans to expand the programme to reach more employees in different departments in the near future, we are redefining how career opportunities are created, breaking down barriers and paving the way for long-term, sustainable talent development.”
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