Enabling our clients to build a better future for everyone

At RPC, we have a very clear mission statement: to create and deliver Oracle project controls solutions that empower project teams. And we strive to fulfil this mission in order to meet our purpose to: enable our clients to build a better future for everyone. We see this rippling out from the work we do in many different ways. Whether it is through Government defence projects that protect the security of our nation, supporting the construction of small modular reactors or other energy programmes that will help to ensure energy security countrywide, enabling construction projects, infrastructure projects and manufacturing activity that provide employment opportunities, and more, we’re proud that everything we do contributes to helping our clients to build a better future for everyone. 
 
Our training delivery sits at the heart of all this. Equipping delegates with the skills they need to go back into their organisations and get the most out of their Primavera planning and scheduling tool to deliver their projects efficiently, cost-effectively, and successfully on time – whatever those projects might be.  
 
Last week, the delegates on our sold-out Primavera P6 Fundamentals course at our Leeds training facility included Sister Lilian, a member of the Daughters of Divine Love Congregation – an international Catholic order of religious women founded in Nigeria in 1969. We caught up with Lilian at the end of her first day of training to find out more about what brought her to RPC and to learn about P6. 
 
‘I am teaching at Leeds Trinity University,’ Lilian explained, ‘and in the next session I will be teaching students construction planning and control. I have previous knowledge of Microsoft Project, but that isn’t the current industry best practice tool and we need to be up to speed with what is currently used in industry, so I decided to enrol on some P6 training to equip myself with this skill so that when I’m teaching the students I will be giving them the latest information.’ 
 
Lilian’s students at Leeds Trinity include undergraduate and post-graduate degree students in Construction Project Management, as well as an apprenticeship route for professional Chartered Quantity Surveyors, which also includes an element of construction project planning. Lilian herself came to the UK from Nigeria to study for her PhD in Nottingham, before taking up her teaching job at Leeds Trinity. 
 
We asked her how she was finding the training after the first day. Many of our delegates come to the Fundamentals course with limited industry experience, but Lilian had a head start with a wealth of construction planning knowledge and practical hands-on use of Microsoft Project to perform the tasks we cover in Primavera. ‘I made a silly mistake today,’ she told us ‘but that’s how we learn and it was good I did that so that next time, I have that in mind – “don’t do it this way, do this first before you do the other one!”. Perhaps when I’ll be teaching my students, they may make similar mistakes and now I’ll be in a better position to help them.’ 
 
Through our training courses, we meet so many interesting people working in so many different organisations and industry areas, it’s extraordinary to see how far and wide the influence of Primavera spreads. RPC’s Head of Training Services, Damian Ransome, enjoys the mix of people who come through our doors to the welcoming aroma of a pot of coffee and the kettle on the go! ‘I always look forward to meeting the delegates who make the effort to come to RPC Towers,’ he says. ‘I find the wide variety of backgrounds and industries fascinating – I'm sure it adds massive value to the courses for everyone. Lilian’s work really stands out and I'm looking forward to finding out how else we can support her students at Leeds Trinity University.’ 
 
Lilian’s P6 training is not only going to help her university students. As a member of a religious order, Lilian’s wages are paid to the Daughters of Divine Love, where they support the living expenses of her community in Huddersfield and then the wider work of the congregation. This is where we really started to see a resonance with our own purpose of making the world a better place.  
 
In Nigeria, the Daughters of Divine Love run a Charity Home for street children and the less privileged, providing accommodation and also food for those in need. With only 8 rooms, the Charity Home houses 32 children and 18 adults, but the sisters have secured a new site and are fundraising to contribute to the £180,000 required to build a new home to provide children in need with facilities and a good school within reach. 
 
We were pleased to be able to offer Lilian a special rate on her training in recognition of the charitable work she is supporting. RPC’s Training Consultant Emmanuel Dashit delivered the course and reflects that ‘It was a genuine pleasure to have Sister Lilian on the course. Her curiosity, openness, and willingness to share her experiences helped create an engaging and collaborative learning environment. She consistently asked insightful questions and drew meaningful connections between the course content and her professional experience, enriching discussions for everyone involved. At all times, Sister Lilian had her students at the forefront of all questions she asked, relating everything back to them and how they could benefit from using P6. Her commitment to learning was evident throughout, and there is no doubt that she is a massive bonus to her order, her students, and the wider university community.’ 
 
Just like with Sister Lilian, we are always keen to support emerging professionals and charitable organisations with preferential rates for our courses where we can. If you are a student, starting out as a freelance planner or scheduler, or working for a charity, please get in touch to talk about how we might be able to help you to fund your Primavera training with us. Look out for details of our new bursary scheme coming soon, or email Damian Ransome today at learn@rpc.uk.com for a no-obligation chat.