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When I first began working on the development of technical training courses at the Veolia Life Sciences Centre of Excellence, my motivation was clear: we wanted to be the best. The most effective way to achieve that is to invest in our greatest asset, our people.
By building structured, consistent training, we ensure that whether an engineer is working in Ireland, France, or beyond, they have the same high-level skills and knowledge to deliver excellent service. That commitment to consistency and excellence inspired the creation of our Purified Water Treatment courses, which, I’m proud to say, now hold City & Guilds assurance at both Level 1 and Level 2.
Building the Foundation: Level 1 Training
The Level 1 course is all about the fundamentals - focusing on water itself and its role in purified systems. It’s designed as an entry point, not only for new Veolia engineers but also for colleagues across functions such as tech support, project teams and even sales. Everyone who completes it gains a stronger appreciation of why we do what we do and how it’s done, too.
Over time, this course has evolved significantly thanks to feedback from our learners. We consistently engage with our people - trainees, instructors, subject matter experts - encouraging open and honest dialogue about what works well and what needs a bit of refinement. We always collect insights at the end of each session and use them to improve the course content, delivery and relevance. This iterative approach has made Level 1 more impactful, aligning it closely with both business needs and engineers’ day-to-day realities.
Progression with Purpose: Level 2 Training
Our Level 2 course builds directly on the foundation of Level 1. Here, trainees dive into routine maintenance and fault finding, developing their diagnostic and problem-solving skills using real equipment they might not have had access to before the Life Science Centre of Excellence was established.
A real note-worthy highlight of the Level 2 course is our purpose-built training skid, which allows learners to practice hands-on tasks such as replacing membranes and UV lamps in a controlled environment. This means that our technicians and engineers can get hands-on, practical experience before even having set foot on-site! Not only that, but the course is led by instructors who are actively working in the field, ensuring that every session is grounded in real-world, up-to-date expertise.
It’s great to see the courses so well received by our engineers with many telling us how they have not only expanded their knowledge but also boosted their confidence in tackling complex challenges on-site.
What City & Guilds Assurance Means
Achieving City & Guilds Assured status for both courses is, I would say, the pièce de résistance. It validates the countless hours of effort poured into designing robust syllabi, building structured training documentation, and crafting policies and procedures that meet both Veolia’s internal quality standards and the City & Guilds global benchmark.
For engineers, it means their training carries weight beyond Veolia as they receive digital credentials recognised worldwide. For Veolia, it demonstrates to our customers that we are serious about investing in people, skills, and service excellence.
We’re reaping the rewards now but the process of securing assurance wasn’t by any means simple... For Level 1, we had to build everything from scratch: training specification documents, resource lists, learning outcomes, assessment mapping, detailed training procedures - the list goes on. But thanks to a strong team effort, we succeeded.
When it came to developing our Level 2 course, we applied the same approach and, remarkably, we again achieved assurance on our very first attempt. That’s not something that happens often. While my background in education management certainly helped in navigating the process, the real success came from systematic planning, teamwork, and a clear vision of what we wanted our trainees to achieve.
A Team Effort and a Milestone Achievement
When we received the confirmation that Level 2 had passed first time, I was absolutely delighted. It was a true team effort and I want to acknowledge colleagues like Miriam Curran (VLCE Administrator), Paul Crotty (Lead Tutor) and Daniel Farrell (a past participant) who played key roles and took part in the City & Guilds interviews.
We faced no unexpected challenges along the way because we were well-prepared, disciplined and confident in our approach. That preparation, combined with Veolia’s high-quality standards, made such an achievement possible - so well done all!
The Impact for Engineers and Veolia
For our engineers, the benefits are clear: enhanced technical skills, stronger career prospects within Veolia, increased confidence in their roles and the satisfaction of achieving recognised professional milestones.
For Veolia, the assurance strengthens our credibility and reputation in the life sciences sector and beyond. Our customers know they are dealing with highly trained professionals who are up to date with best practices and compliance requirements. In short, it reinforces Veolia’s leadership in the industry.
Looking Ahead: The Journey Continues...
But we don’t stop here. Next up is the development of a Level 3 course, focusing on advanced fault finding and commissioning. We’re also planning to introduce micro-courses to address specific skills in a flexible way. The journey is ongoing and our vision for the Centre of Excellence continues to grow.
For others looking to achieve City & Guilds assurance, my advice is simple: build a strong team, have clear learning outcomes and work backwards to design courses that truly deliver. If you do that, the rest will follow.
A Personal Reflection
What drives me is the passion I see in our leadership team and the vision they have for the Centre of Excellence. That passion fuels my own dedication to creating engaging and effective learning experiences.
Personally, I’ve learned so much along the way: from technical knowledge about purified water systems (like the role of membrane filters, something I never thought I’d need to know!) to the privilege of collaborating with subject matter experts like Martin Long, Kate Forster and Jason Dales.
Most importantly, I see my role as helping to shape the next generation of Veolia engineers. Our Level 1 course provides the foundation, and from there, we give people the confidence, skills, and recognition they need to progress. Every day is a school day for me too, and I’m excited to continue building on our successes.
The road to City & Guilds recognition has been both challenging and rewarding, but above all, it has been proof of what we can achieve when we put people at the centre of everything we do.
Curious for more? Visit the website or contact Rosie Brady, Training Partner, today.
