It’s been a busy and exciting time for us, with leadership development, competency management, and apprenticeship training all in full swing. From delivering impactful training sessions worldwide to celebrating the achievements of our apprentices and clients, we’ve been making a real difference across multiple industries.
With Scottish Modern Apprenticeship Week around the corner, we’ll be sharing insights into the benefits of apprenticeships, celebrating our successful candidates, and highlighting why structured learning is crucial for businesses looking to build a skilled workforce.
We’ve also been working closely with organisations to refine their competency management systems, delivering tailored leadership programmes, and ensuring teams are set up for success. In our Service Spotlight, we take a closer look at how our CMS Health Check can help businesses future-proof their competency frameworks.
This month’s Testimonial of the Month showcases the flexibility, professionalism, and expertise that set us apart—demonstrating how we work closely with businesses to meet their needs while ensuring real impact.
In Research Insights, we explore the long-term business benefits of investing in employee training—how it boosts productivity, retention, and even profitability.
And finally, if you’re looking to upskill, don’t miss our upcoming courses! We have workshops designed to enhance leadership, communication, and competency management, ensuring businesses and individuals alike continue to grow and develop.
"The Polaris Learning team have been fantastic. They have gone above and beyond, from moving times of meetings, visits and even working with our backshift in evenings. They have been professional and courteous at all times, but also willing to be blunt and crack the whip when needed!"
Site Trainer
Seafood Company
This feedback highlights the core strengths that set us apart:
✅ Flexibility & Commitment: We understand that training and development need to fit around the realities of a working business. That’s why we adapt—whether that means adjusting schedules, working late, or tailoring our approach to suit different shifts and working patterns.
✅ Expert-Led Training & Development: Our team brings deep expertise in competency management, assessor training, leadership development, and sector-specific qualifications. We don’t just deliver training—we ensure it’s practical, relevant, and makes an impact.
✅ A Balance of Professionalism & Realism: While we always maintain a high standard of professionalism, we also know when to push teams to get the best results. Whether it’s ensuring compliance, sharpening leadership skills, or streamlining competency management, we provide honest feedback and actionable solutions.
✅ Client-First Approach: Our customers trust us because we work in partnership with them, aligning training and competency strategies to their business goals. From food & drink to oil & gas, our clients know they can count on us to deliver.
We are incredibly grateful for feedback like this, which reinforces our mission to provide high-quality, practical, and flexible learning solutions. If you’d like to experience our training and development services firsthand, get in touch!
A well-functioning Competency Management System (CMS) is essential for maintaining compliance, efficiency, and workforce development. But is your system truly working as it should? Our CMS Health Check provides a structured review of your assessment processes to help you identify gaps, enhance efficiency, and future-proof your system.
We offer two levels of Health Checks:
🔹 Basic Health Check – Focuses on assessment processes in busy work environments, ensuring they are robust, consistent, and user-friendly. This includes:
✔ Competency identification
✔ Process efficiency evaluation
✔ System sustainability review
✔ Key findings and recom
🔹 Advanced Health Check – A deeper dive into management, verification, and continuous improvement. This includes:
✔ KPI alignment and policy setting
✔ Internal verification processes
✔ Assessment tracking and reporting
✔ Practical examples for improvement
Whether you need a quick review or a comprehensive system overhaul, our CMS Health Check ensures that your competency processes are aligned with best practices.
Get in touch today to schedule a review and keep your system performing at its best!
Supervisors, managers, and safety leaders are responsible for delivering clear, effective communication—but how often do messages get lost, misunderstood, or ignored? Whether it’s toolbox talks, safety briefings, or task delegation, ensuring instructions land well can be a real challenge, especially in high-pressure environments.
This workshop gives leaders the skills to deliver impactful safety messages, delegate tasks effectively, and manage difficult conversations with confidence. Using practical models like the Five P’s framework, real-world scenarios, and feedback sessions, this hands-on training helps participants improve clarity, engagement, and team understanding—ultimately creating a safer, more effective workplace.
We provided a range of consultancy services during a major reorganisation of its operations. This includes the following main changes:
– The in-sourcing of a range of training and competency services affecting onshore and offshore positions which had previously been outsourced to a major service company for 10 years
– The recontracting of its main offshore services including Fabrication and Maintenance, Operations and Production and Asset integrity
• Polaris Learning was contracted to redefine the training and competency requirements for all offshore positions affected by the re-contracting of major services. This included all positions within Fabrication and Maintenance
(including onshore based managers), Operations and Maintenance personal, Deck and Emergency Roles.
• We liaised with a variety of stakeholders to redefine the minimum training, qualification and competence requirements for all positions affected (around 30 roles in total).
• We also liaised with service providers to ensure alignment of revised requirements and processes with their existing arrangements.
• A long-term relationship to assist the organisation development and implement training and competency initiatives across its international operations.
• The recent project focused on training and competency procedures and a cascade model for tool and workshop competency.
• The CMS project was linked to the organisation’s drive to improve downhole reliability with the human element of performance requiring attention, which was addressed by designing the CMS around their organisation’s key processes.
Provision of accredited assessor training to assist with the implementation of its CAMS programme which gained accreditation with OPITO.
This was followed with the provision of accredited internal verifier programme to a number of the organisation’s internal verifiers.
• The company needed to address the issue of competency for its diverse, international fleet.
• Polaris Learning were initially contracted to provide guidance through to the first road testing of the new competence assurance and assessment scheme.
• We used our CMS Health Check service to provide consistent guidance on the process and also our in-depth experience of working with the IMCA Competence Scheme to help TOPAZ get their approach right. Following initial implementation, we were re-contracted to provide assessor training for initial roll out and then to provide remote assessor training using our online blended learning platform PLUS.
• Development and implementation of training and competency systems for the organisation’s dive support vessels including all diving and deck positions.
• Working in partnership with the company to implement an online competence assessment system (CAS) across the organisation’s Dive Support Vessels.
• Additional contracts to implement similar requirements for marine and technical positions. Ongoing support to the training and competency manager.
Revision and roll out of CMSDevelopment and implementation of Training & Competency systems for the organisation’s key offshore teams: Well Ops; SIL; Coiled Tubing & Senior DP.
Review of system for diving operations and development of processes to support implementation.
Provision of Assessor and Verifier training since 2011 to assist with the improvement and energising of company’s offshore competency scheme for Marine and Construction personnel. This has included some independent verification of portfolios.
Detailed consultancy during 2021 to review and update the CMS system in line with industry practice.
Integrated LMS and CMS• Development and hosting of organisation’s integrated LMS and CMS. This included the transition of traditional learning programmes online.
• Competencies developed and implemented online in line with IMCA framework.
• Provision of Assessor, Internal Verifier and Train the Trainer programmes to support learning drive.
• Currently working on Phase 3 of LMS and CMS project to cover new parent organisation’s operations.
Stena Drilling were looking for specialist support as they revised their CMS to streamline and finalise their revised CMS prior to implementation.
Polaris Learning prepared and delivered a detailed review of the revised CMS and execution plan, working very closely with the CMS team.
This included a detailed review and benchmarking of their standards, assessment process, supporting procedures, alignment options and plans to update their online CMS system.
Development of online assessor training to mirror the revised CMS set-up.
Our support for the client involved integrating diverse competency management systems into a singular, global one usable across 20+ rigs, accommodating individual rig variations. This effort was centred on the organisation’s performance standards derived from their barrier management strategy and integrated their on-the-job training framework.
This comprehensive approach was risk-based, aiming to streamline the competency management system for seamless movement between rig types and locations while effectively managing associated risks. We collaborated closely to implement their IT solution efficiently, facilitating the rollout of their revised competency management system.
Our involvement extended to providing verification expertise until the in-house verifiers were trained to take over the process. Additionally, we offered assessor and verifier training globally through our online learning portal, PLUS. This training was tailored to the client’s processes, translated into Scandinavian for the Norwegian market. The client was notably pleased with the substantial cost savings from this training route and its remarkable effectiveness.
Since January 2015, we’ve collaborated with Sapura Kencana Drilling (SKD), initially training 500 assessors online through a program with a knowledge test. Subsequently, we extended this online training to verifiers, also incorporating a knowledge assessment. Recently, we further enhanced our support by offering a custom SCORM-compliant e-learning package designed specifically for assessors and verifiers. This tailored package is accessible through SKD’s learning management system, ensuring convenient and effective learning opportunities for their team.
In 2020, Polaris Learning engaged in a project to develop cloud-based competence solutions for agency contracting in Drilling and Well Services. Their task involved crafting a versatile framework that seamlessly integrates with clients’ CMS, ensuring comprehensive access and visibility to competence records. This CMS was meticulously designed to optimize crew efficiencies, acknowledging the varied competencies required for different rigs. Hosting this system on PLUS, their cloud-based platform, Polaris ensured its accessibility and reliability. Furthermore, they complemented this development by providing online training for assessors and internal verifiers.
Well Operations Audit of Supply Chain• We have worked together on a wide range of projects.
• When the Oil & Gas UK Guidance on Competency for Wells Personnel were issued by the HSE we were asked to conduct a full independent audit across all positions affected by the Wells Competence guidelines.
• This was an extensive piece of work covering onshore and offshore production, operations, engineering, drilling and geology as well as offshore production and key contractors including a number of drilling contractors and well services companies providing critical positions.
• The audit included a full desktop audit of systems and paperwork as well as onshore and offshore visits to drilling contractors identified for audit.
Transition of organisation’s CMS from paper to online format. Extension to cover other roles and services. Provision of SQA assessor training and third-party verification service.