F I D I ACA D E M Y THE EiM SEMINAR ESSENTIAL TRAINING AT YOUR DESK FIDI Focus looks at the success of the recent online FIDI Academy Essentials in Moving (EiM) seminar, speaking to its lead trainer and two of its students and presents two promotions that will allow your company to enjoy the benefits of online training packages W hile the COVID-19 pandemic forced the FIDI Academy to cancel its traditional on-site seminars in 2020 and 2021, training, rewarding and retaining high-qualified staff has never been more important. The Essentials in Moving (EiM) seminar has long been a flagship offer in the Academy catalogue, with companies sending employees involved in international moving to deep-dive into the details and intricacies of an international move. During the intense, hands-on, four-day course, the students make deep and long-lasting business connections with their classmates. However, when travel restrictions and global lockdowns forced the FIDI Academy to adapt its in-person events to the digital world, it acted to deliver its first online EiM at the end of 2020. The full EiM programme was offered to a class of 16 international students, through 16 virtual sessions of 90 minutes each. To make it feel real, the TOP STUDENT ELLA JONES, FOX MOVING & STORAGE UK As a newcomer to the industry, I was thrilled to attend the virtual EiM course and deepen my understanding of the international removals process. I thoroughly enjoyed engaging with a great group of people, from all over the globe, with differing experiences. The Zoom seminars still provided a classroom experience with regular breakout rooms, situational role plays, and group presentations. The seminars were spread out over eight weeks, giving time between sessions to reflect on the content, complete the homework and put the training into practice while still being able to continue my daily tasks. Every trainer had a unique input and teaching style delivering the course content, and their anecdotes from their time in the industry made the sessions engaging and relatable. I found the role plays particularly useful. The EiM has enabled me to be more confident in my sales abilities and in my approach to clients. Having a deeper knowledge and understanding of international removals and what it means to be a FIDI member has empowered me to sell our services with conviction and assurance that we provide a high66 FF305 Mar_May 22 pp66-67 Academy.indd 66 students followed the move of the well-known Colby family. Using case studies, role plays and group exercises, they learnt and discussed the details and potential pitfalls of an international relocation, expertly guided by six industry professionals: Danielle Oaks, Freddy Paxton, Ren van Valen, Simone Percy, Steve Lewis and Payal Singh. Based on the students feedback, this first edition of the virtual EiM was a real success, even without in-person interaction with their peers. quality service. Regardless of your experience in the industry, the course provides a collective learning space encouraging students to ask questions and bring their own perspectives and experiences to the seminars, which allows for a more profound learning experience. DAN FOX, DIRECTOR, FOX GROUP (MOVING & STORAGE) LTD Training and personal development have always been things we have championed as a company, and we are big advocates of the FIDI Academy. The quality and specific industry content of the courses is excellent, and we have always seen a return on the investment in our staff. Our staff return to the business with a better understanding of the industry and enthusiasm to put their newfound knowledge to good use in their day-to-day roles. I would highly recommend the FIDI Academy to any company looking to invest in their staff and better equip them with the expertise and knowledge to set them apart from the competition. We are very proud of Ellas achievements and believe that this is an outstanding start to her growth within our business. WW W. F I DI FO C US .O RG 08/03/2022 08:24