As companies adapt to industry advancements, equipping their workforce with the right knowledge and expertise is becoming a priority. Here, Justin Lebel, Technical Training and Development Manager for Renishaw Americas, discusses how he plays a key role in ensuring employees across the USA, Canada, Mexico and Brazil receive the training they need to thrive.
A pathway to Renishaw
From an early age, my passion for engineering and manufacturing was clear. Attending a technical high school, I was introduced to programming machinery, which set me on the path to studying mechanical engineering in college. My early career led me to a calibration service company that used Renishaw products, giving me first-hand experience with the company’s precision equipment.
From there, Renishaw welcomed me into its calibration products division where I spent two and a half years in Chicago before transitioning to a remote role supporting customers. Since 2016, I’ve worked remotely from the East Coast, and two years ago, moved into technical training. Now, I oversee training initiatives across the Americas, ensuring employees have the resources and skills necessary to excel.
Overcoming challenges in knowledge transfer
One of my primary responsibilities is researching and strategising training programs that align with both employee growth and business direction. A significant focus this year has been understanding and enhancing sales staff knowledge, equipping them with a deeper understanding of Renishaw’s product catalogue, customer engagement strategies and data collection techniques. By ensuring that employees receive relevant and practical training, we can create a workforce that is both knowledgeable and adaptable.
A key challenge I have faced in this role is consolidating and documenting vast amounts of technical knowledge. Recognising the value of our experienced employees’ knowledge, we identified an opportunity to enhance knowledge retention and continuity. We are taking proactive steps to structure and formalise training materials, ensuring this expertise remains accessible for future generations, strengthening the company’s long-term success. With the right resources in place, we are building a knowledge-sharing culture, ensuring that employees across all regions disseminate their expertise.
A task I believe was one of my most impactful projects so far, was preparing for the 2024 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) held in Chicago. We produced a training video for the team attending IMTS, capturing nearly 40 different scenes in a single week. This initiative provided employees with a clear understanding of their roles at the Renishaw booth during the exhibition. This included advice on how to present products to visitors and how to engage with potential customers. This project also provided valuable experience in using new digital platforms and expanding our skillsets in creating media content for future training programs.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
As a Training and Development Manager, I collaborate closely with HR, technical divisions and international training teams. My job requires coordinating with employees across different countries, particularly in the UK, Europe, and the Americas, to align training programs and share resources. This cross-border collaboration strengthens Renishaw’s ability to deliver consistent, high-quality training globally.
Renishaw’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion plays a crucial role in its workplace culture. The importance of different perspectives in problem-solving, particularly when working with teams across multiple countries and languages, is essential. By embracing diverse viewpoints, Renishaw fosters a more inclusive and innovative environment, that represents our employees, customers, partners and communities.
Our commitment to skills development and training ensures that employees are not only prepared for today’s challenges, but are also equipped to drive the company’s success into the future.