Here’s why investing in people pays off: Visy builds a stronger workforce with Edvance Workplace Education

At the 2025 Visy graduation ceremony, ten graduates take the stage to share their learnings from Edvance’s Skills for Leaders programme.

Each employee has been selected for professional development after being recognised by their managers for their natural leadership potential. When they present, they refer to their shyness, and a past aversion to public speaking — but now they cruise through their presentations with ease.

This group of learners — employees of Visy, a global leader in packaging, recycling, and logistics — have just completed the seven-week programme led by Edvance trainer Josie Walden. Walden watches each presentation keenly, nodding her head to each point, beaming with pride, and erupting with applause at the end of each session.

“Every group I teach is unique,” says Walden. “From meeting them for the first time to seeing them gel and build camaraderie… it’s something truly special to witness.”

Every second Thursday, from 9am to 3pm, the learners stepped away from their worksites and gathered at Visy’s Penrose office for their professional development sessions. Edvance’s Skills for Leaders programme focuses on developing communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills, while also guiding participants on how to give constructive feedback and manage conflict effectively.

With a diverse cohort representing a range of roles across Visy, Walden focuses on helping each participant understand their personal communication style. She says this self-awareness is key to recognising one’s strengths and weaknesses — and learning how to adapt when communicating with others.

“My communication style is an Eagle,” says Logistics Operations Coordinator Kuini. “An eagle is direct, they don’t like small talk, they don’t muck around.” Kuini learnt from the programme that, to other styles of communicators, Eagles may seem blunt, or rude. “I now adjust how I speak to my team. Sometimes, there are better ways to say things, rather than being so direct.”

Tovia, an Inventory Controller, connected most with Walden’s teaching on Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 Communication Model. “I learnt about active listening — that only 7% of understanding comes from our words, 38% from our tone of voice, and 55% from body language. It’s about being open with our voice and facial expressions to keep people engaged in what we’re saying,” he explains.

Each learner’s takeaway is insightful and immediately applicable to their roles. Their manager, Fep Toa, says he’s already noticed a difference. “Some of our team just weren’t comfortable speaking up — especially during our toolbox meetings,” Toa says, referring to Visy’s daily huddles where employees share new ideas and goals for the day.

“With our toolboxes, it’s really important for everyone to weigh up,” says Toa. “Since completing Edvance’s programme, this group has gained the confidence and skills to structure their discussions in a productive, concise way. It’s great to see them finding their voice.”

Felila Valu — a 2023 graduate of the same programme and now a CSR Site Supervisor — is one such success story. She recalls how her fear of public speaking once made running team meetings a challenge.

Now, a confident leader, Felila watches proudly as her team members graduate the same course, offering thoughtful feedback after each presentation.

“Three of this cohort work at my site, and I’ve seen huge improvements since they started the programme,” says Felila. “They’ve learnt so much and built real confidence over this time.” She laughs as she notes that it will take pressure off her, too. “I’m looking forward to them using these skills to run our meetings!”

Visy’s generations of employees who have been supported through professional development create a strong, layered workforce — where the trained team members are now equipped with the skills to guide and support others. Toa says that investing in Visy’s people, through educators like Edvance, is a core value within the company. “At Visy, we like to promote internal growth, and success for us is to see our people grow in their positions,” says Toa.

At the graduation, Walden shares a story from one of the learners who told her he was out after work one evening and felt proud to tell others that he worked for Visy. “He said, ‘Look, I’m not just proud to work for them because they’re a big global brand. I’m proud because they invest in my personal growth.’”

An engaged, confident team who play to their strengths creates a ripple effect that reaches far beyond the workplace, too. Walden recalls another powerful moment during the programme when a learner asked, “Hey, can I do that at home as a father?” Walden replied, “Of course you can!”.

That’s the beauty of workplace learning — it strengthens not only individuals, but the communities they’re part of. Toa, like all good leaders, recognises that personal growth is just as valuable as professional development.

“We have team members who are part of church communities. We have mothers, and we have fathers. It doesn’t just benefit the workplace, but it holds so much value to New Zealand as a whole.”