Commercial Academy

The Commercial Academy is a CRH initiative aimed at commercial roles in EMAT. For Tarmac, everyone in a a commercial role is in scope, for example:

• Customer Service Administrator / Advisor, Internal Sales Representative, Sales Administrator / Advisor or equivalent
• Sales / Customer Service Team Leader or equivalent
• Account Manager, Regional Sales Manager, Technical Sales Manager, Territory Manager, Sector Sales Manager or equivalent

Roles that are not in scope:

• Business Administration, Haulage Helpdesk Administrator/Coordinator, Logistics Administrator/Coordinator.

The L&D Team along with the CRH Commercial Excellent Team will work with you to help determine the most appropriate learning pathway. Here is a overview:

Delegates in a sales role (internal or external):

• Completed evaluation process with their Line Manager
• This consists of Tarmac PDP conversations and CRH evaluation forms
• The evaluation results with determine the most suitable pathway, this will be one or a combination of the following:
  • ComEx Know - Self-directed e-learning (self-paced)
  • Sales programme (18 months)
  • Specific instructor-led workshop(s) x 1-day

Delegates in a non-sales role (e.g. customer service):

• Complete evaluation process with Line Manager using Tarmac PDP process
• The evaluation results with determine the most suitable pathway, this will be one or a combination of the following:
  • ComeEx Know - Self-directed e-learning (self-paced)
  • Customer Service programme (18 months)

Delegates in a Team-leader role:

• Complete evaluation process with Line Manager
• The evaluation results with determine the most suitable pathway, this will be one or a combination of the following:
  • ComEx Know - Self-directed e-learning (self-paced)
  • Team-leader Management programme (18 months)
  • Customer Service programme (18 months)
  • Sales programme (18 months)
  • Specific instructor-led workshop(s) x 1-day

The nomination process involves demonstrating full engagement with all existing commercial initiatives in Tarmac. It also involves completion of Tarmac PDP conversations and CRH evaluation forms.

The Line Manager must have quality conversations with their direct report to identify development needs. The L&D and CRH ComEx Teams will support your throughout this process.

There are several pathways within the Commercial Academy, here is a list of programmes and durations:

• Self-directed e-learning (self-paced)
• Customer Service programme (18 months)
• Sales programme (18 months)
• Specific instructor-led workshop(s), 1-day per workshop

• Customer Service programme
  • Upon successful completion, learners will gain a Level 3 Customer Service Specialist apprenticeship qualification. Some of the industries involved in creating this programme/qualification are: Boots UK, Centrica, Institute of Customer Service, Accelerator Solutions, BT, Eon Energy, Capita and Northern Power Grid.
• Sales programme
  • Upon successful completion, learners will gain the following:
  • Association of Sales Professionals (APS) accreditation, and professional membership. Click HERE to learn more.
  • Level 4 Sales Executive apprenticeship qualification.
  • CRH/TACK internal accreditation.
• Specific instructor-led workshop(s)
  • CRH/TACK internal accreditation.

• The offering in Tarmac is part of the wider CRH offering, both L&D and CRH ComEx teams have worked closely to ensure all learning pathways are aligned.
• Tarmac and EMAT will be using the same competency framework and self-assessment forms. All formal learning pathways for both Tarmac and EMAT will be delivered by TACK, this ensures quality of content, and consistency in delivery.

The self-directed pathway is available now and can be accessed at any time. Click HERE to access.

The formal programmes and the instructor-lead workshops will be available in September 2022. You can contact the L&D team or the Commercial Excellence Team in CRH to begin the

Funding will depend on where the employee is based and which programme they are enrolled on:

• ComEx Know - Self-directed learning is free and accessible for everyone in a commercial role. Click HERE to access now.
• Customer Service programme or Sales programme
  • These are funded using Tarmac's apprenticeship levy. We are able to draw down up to £6,000 per person.
  • Delegates working more than 50% of the time in Wales or Scotland will not be eligible for levy funding, therefore the cost will be charged back to the local business unit.
• Specific instructor-led workshop(s)
  • The cost will be charged back to the business. The amount will depend on the number of workshops requested and the number of delegates attending.

In order to be eligible for the apprenticeship pathway and access the e levy funds, the learner must:

• Provide evidence of passing GCSE math's and English to grade C/level 4.

What happens if a learner cannot provide evidence?​

• Learners who cannot provide evidence of their qualifications will complete an online functional skills assessment, followed by a functional skills test to confirm that their Maths and English skills meet the requirement needed to complete the course.
• In fact, it is best practice for training providers to ask all delegates to sit a functional skills assessment, even if they provided GCSE evidence. This will help the training provider identify any gaps and tailor the programme to support the learner accordingly.

Functional skills assessment results will not impact your internal performance rating, bonuses etc. This is strictly a government requirement which training providers must adhere to. This applies to levy-funded programmes at all levels, including MBAs, Degree apprenticeships etc.

The Academy was tailored for Tarmac by working in partnership with TACK. This ensures that the content quality will remain consistent for the Commercial Academy across EMAT.

Click HERE to learn more about TACK.