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AVI Worldwide provides cross-cultural training for UGL

05 November 2010
AVI Worldwide provides cross-cultural training for UGL

AVI Worldwide recently had a tremendous opportunity to provide cross cultural training for UGL Limited, an Australian infrastructure, rail and resources company.

UGL is involved in a capacity-building project in South Africa and is sending eight engineers over for short-term contracts to provide training and expertise in building train undercarriages.

Only one of the engineers had travelled out of Australia before, so the group was excited but nervous.

UGL asked our Learning & Development team to prepare eight engineers for a short stay in South Africa, ensuring they were worded up on the challenges and risks in the community.

AVI's Learning & Development team had the opportunity to invite Steven Harrison, a returned volunteer from the AFL in South Africa to accompany their facilitator Sharon Humphries and assist in providing a session in security and the challenges and joys of working in South Africa.

Steve Harrison was an AVI volunteer  in South Africa from 2003 - 2005 as Head Coach and Executive Officer of the Community Participation through Sport Project in conjunction with the AFL.

Steve passionately encouraged and taught young South Africans in townships to play Aussie Rules, and was also successfully involved with the South African team in the AFL International Cup over the last few years.

Steve enjoyed being able to share his experiences to a group of men keenly interested in his two years in South Africa. Participants were positive about Steve's presentation, reporting "Steve brought home some day to day insight about living in Pretoria".

The UGL engineers are now travelling to South Africa in pairs. Once they arrive in South Africa our in-country manager Henry provides a full day country orientation daily program specifically designed for this group.

AVI Worldwide is able to provide effective recruitment, pre-departure briefing and mobilisation for organisations wanting to send staff overseas in any capacity.

Effective pre-departure training reduces risk to staff and increases their effectiveness and ability to conduct business. This is exactly the reason why UGL contacted us and involved AVI in its pre-departure process.

We can provide tailored programs for a pre-departure briefings and in-country programs. Please contact us if AVI Worldwide can assist you.

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