Skills NZ
The Situation:
Skills NZ is NZ’s largest independent training organisation, running training accreditation and apprenticeship programmes for a wider sector of NZ businesses and governmental agencies. In 2018 it was asking itself big questions as to its future direction and wanting to better understand its secret sauce as a pivoting point to establish future strategic direction and better establish its organisational identity, value proposition and brand promise (both externally to clients and internally to staff).
The Work:
In accordance with Design Thinking principles, the work commenced with discovery research. In depth interviews were conducted across a broad range of Skills clients from 18-year-old plumber apprentices to large corporates and government agency clients. Similar interviews were conducted with a cross section of Skills NZ staff. Alongside this research was also conducted of the wider market with competitor and exemplar analysis undertaken.
Research streams were calibrated and distilled into insight. This was then used to inform a facilitated Exec strategy offsite session to develop their WHY (Purpose, Vision and Values) alongside a new strategic direction. Further workshops were conducted with operational staff to work through the insight from the discovery research and commence ideating potential solutions to highlighted problems. This was then presented back to the CEO and Exec team in a summary report including a blueprint for a new organisational identity and strategic direction, as well as recommendations on a way forward to strengthen its value propositions and brand promise.
“Melissa is the real deal. Bundled in an effervescent parcel of infectious optimism, Melissa has a rare ability to cut through rhetoric and business myths to pinpoint the true commercial/strategic/brand problems. Melissa settles for nothing less than excellence. She has an enviable know-how on all aspects of modern business practice to add to her capabilities as a stunning marketer.”
— Helen Carter, Head of Marketing Skills World Vision
