For upskilling, there is only one place: the Circet Academy. This applies to both colleagues and the employees of our subcontractors. We recently welcomed a special group of trainees: the back-office employees of our client TotalEnergies. Even though TotalEnergies back-office staff don’t have to install charging stations themselves, they wanted to know more about them. After all, they are in contact with our technicians who carry out the installations. Colleague Chris Bellemans, Technical Trainer at the Circet Academy, guided them through this very informative day.
Understanding each other's tasks
Our technicians install the charging stations, but it is TotalEnergies’ own back-office employees who monitor the installations. They do the scheduling and take care of the administration afterwards, such as the charging station inspections. They are also in contact with our technicians during the installation stage. Clear communication and a good understanding of each other’s tasks ensures smooth cooperation.
“TotalEnergies back office staff were not yet familiar with all the steps involved in installing a charging station,” explains Chris. “That’s why our client requested training to introduce them to the procedure. This allows them to respond to customer questions and explain what to expect when ordering a charging station.”
Put on your safety shoes and roll up your sleeves!
The training lasted a full day and was entirely tailored to the group. It included a theoretical and a practical part. During the practice, the trainees even learnt how to connect and disconnect their own charging station.
“We guided them through the entire process,” continues Chris. “We went down to the details. For example, the trainees also drilled a hole themselves. It may sound simple, but it certainly isn’t. You have to be very careful, because you can easily make a mistake when you drill and hit a cable or a pipe as a result. Working safely was therefore also discussed during the training.”
TotalEnergies employees were very satisfied. Chris: “We received positive feedback from the participants and of course we are very happy about that. The trainees were enthusiastic about stepping into the shoes of the technicians – and you can take that literally, because they even put on safety shoes. Naturally, we are also happy with this initiative, as it strengthens our partnership and collaboration with TotalEnergies.”
Better communication for more efficient work
“Since TotalEnergies back-office staff now have a good understanding of the work of our technicians, communication will be even better,” says Chris. “Take the identification of problems for example. Now that TotalEnergies back-office employees have experienced for themselves how a technician works, they can predict potential hindrances more accurately.”
Regular briefings for our own technicians too
Our own technicians who carry out projects for TotalEnergies have now fully mastered the installation process of a charging station. “They discuss the work procedure for a specific client at the toolbox meeting, which also applies to the procedure for TotalEnergies, of course. This ensures that everyone follows the correct work processes and is briefed on safety measures or the use of new equipment.”