CAIRO: British American Tobacco (BAT) has announced a new training and development scheme for its North African headquarters in Cairo. Under new Human Resources Manager Zacharia Thomas, BAT will utilize the resources it has freed up by shifting from a "people-soft information system to a regionally and globally integrated HR system. According to Thomas, this will enable BAT's HR professionals to dedicate more time to value added services, in particular its new training and development program; or "the more important aspect of HR, as he refers to it. BAT's new program, says Thomas, will adopt a number of approaches in developing its employees. The company will introduce a Growth Academy, which constitutes an 18-month development program for non-management employees - those at trade executive and supervisor levels for example - that the company deems to have high potential. It is hoped this will prepare them to step up to fill management roles when they become available. "When companies talk about training and development they always focus on their management staff, says Thomas. "We want to extend that to the rest of our employees and develop them further. And from the company's perspective it reduces our need to recruit. Although Eastern Tobacco owns about 86 percent of Egypt's market share, Thomas says that BAT's strategic market review suggests that the markets in Egypt and North Africa offer great potential for growth. BAT's head office is in Cairo for this reason, says Thomas, as well as the pool of talent that exists here. Another aspect to the company's new scheme is the development of the company's existing managers. According to Thomas, each person's development plan is individually customized to accommodate his or her career aspirations and skill requirements, and is worked out on a one-to-one basis with the appropriate line manager. A HR manager who aims to become a HR director for example, can consult with his or her superior to determine what competencies are required to deliver at the next level. The learning process can be undertaken through a variety of means such as a project or being transferred into another market that provides the necessary learning experience. "Let's say I'm weak on reward management. Nigeria is particularly good in this area, so I go for a three month project in Nigeria, get the development requirements and come back. "We like to focus less on theory and more on hands-on experience. Thomas adds that BAT plans to initiate a graduate program, where selected candidates will undergo a 24-month training program, and can expect to be offered a position upon completion. BAT's training and development programs will begin in 2008.
