Meet matt nardi, our multilingual trainer, culture club member and the force behind the lapd programThe origins: Matt studied International Business with Italian at Sheffield Hallam University and Universita degli studi di Bergamo in Italy. Upon graduation, he worked in Albenga, Italy on the Ligurian coast and then for a Paris Football Club in… Paris before coming back to London to work for a youth-centric football charity in London that focused on using football to help break down community tensions. These roles were the foundation that led him to the role he carries out at Ikiru People today.

Overall, Matt has been involved in training and mentoring roles for over 20 years including stints as an NVQ Assessor in the RAF, the British Museum, and St Thomas’ Hospital in London.

Since joining Ikiru People nine years ago as a trainer, Matt has also been an active member of the company’s Culture Committee as well as a creator and a manager of the LAPD program (more on this further down). In those nine years, he has helped hundreds of software users get up to speed with VDQ, Mid-Office, evolve, and Voyager Infinity.

THE IDEA BEHIND THE LAPD (LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT) PROGRAM

Learning is a lifelong process. Over time we acquire and master many skills without realising that there are people who may be interested in learning from us. This is how the LAPD program was born.

The whole ethos of LAPD is about creating an accessible internal 360-degree learning environment where employees can learn a new skill or share their expertise to upskill others in the organisation. This is also an opportunity for employees who often work remotely to get to know each other better through shared learning opportunities or interests.

Due to its popularity, the program has grown from a handful of workshops around customer service and team leading to an offering that includes sessions more directed towards gaps in people’s knowledge and skillsets. The project is continually evolving with many new ideas waiting in the wings such as the inclusion of non-work-related workshops.

LAPD also provides opportunities for staff to see how other colleagues and departments work as part of the overall service we provide. The aim of this is to improve teamwork cohesion and create discussion on how internal processes can be improved.

LAPD IN NUMBERS:

  • Over 150 attendees have signed up or registered their interest in future sessions
  • Almost a fifth of our staff have offered their expertise to deliver training
  • 49 different workshops/ qualifications on offer
  • Over 20 workshops have been scheduled to date (with more in the pipeline)
MATT’S CURRENT RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:
  • Conducting training via face-to-face sessions both at the Ikiru People office or on-site, as well as online using specific training software
  • Developing and processing training and learning needs analysis which leads to the design, monitoring, and evaluation of the effectiveness of training activities against set objectives
  • Producing a high standard of effective and relevant educational material to meet varying learning styles and preferences, through videos, webinars and branded documentation
  • Liaising and building strong working collaborations with various department heads to discuss issues, successes, feedback, product development and review paths of improvement, to ensure continuous improvement and evolvement from both individual and team perspective
  • Promoting and solely managing the LAPD service in a self-appointed role within the business, leading to internal talent development, awareness, and improved staff skillsets
THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT MATT:

Elizabeth Hurley’s mum, Angela, was Matt’s primary school teacher. He remembers her reading a letter from Liz to the class about her trip to Africa with a theatre troupe and the whole class being utterly bored. But that event is a story to tell the world!

Matt can speak Italian and French but has also studied Spanish, German and Danish – ikke særlig nyttigt, and loves learning languages.

He is also a culture vulture and loves immersing himself in local cultures. He has travelled to over 40 countries around the world, but Japan, Cambodia, Iceland, Morocco and Denmark left a lasting impressions on him.

Matt loves football and watches it all over the world. He once interrupted a Laos national team training session and asked if he could buy one of the shirts they were wearing. He and his family recently travelled the country to watch six (Women’s) Euros 2022 matches including the epic final and they also regularly watch Tottenham Hotspur Women play.

Matt is also currently studying a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training.

MATT’S FAVOURITE THINGS:

Family, travelling with the family, travel photography, football, Khruangbin (a trio from Texas), and Studio Ghibli.