“We are in the people business, and this means putting people – our own employees as well as our customers – at the heart of everything we do,” explains Sanna Hokkanen, senior vice president, learning & development at KONE. “We invest a lot in ongoing competence development for our people so they can continue to improve and evolve.”
KONE has developed a rich and vibrant learning ecosystem for employees, including on-site training, classrooms, solutions and tools for digital learning, blended learning opportunities, and more than 40 KONE Training Centers scattered all over the globe. The purpose is to help our people develop skills and grow as professionals, which in turn allows them to provide the best solutions and services for customers.
“My training philosophy is that well-rounded professionals always need to be learning,” says Laura Lintong, learning and development business partner at KONE Indonesia. “People want leadership and sales skills as well as technical expertise. And they want to sharpen their abilities to solve real-world challenges.”
Home safe every day
In the fast-growing Asia Pacific region, KONE has training centers in Australia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This year, a new training center is opening in the Philippines, and another one in Indonesia was recently renovated and is welcoming learners and visitors again from mid-April.
“Since the training center in Jakarta was first established in 2016, our customer base in Asia has grown significantly, and the demand for training to serve them better has increased,” Lintong says.
When new service technicians step into one of our centers, they can receive training for instance on products and service methods, leadership, as well as the KONE code of conduct. Hokkanen and Lintong emphasize that safety is always the first item on the agenda. KONE technicians often work with heavy, moving machinery at great heights, so keeping everyone safe is always the priority.
“For example, a service technician might use virtual reality (VR) goggles at first, to familiarize themselves with safety procedures and the equipment, before ever actually stepping foot into a training shaft,” Hokkanen says. “Our motto for our employees, subcontractors, and customers is ‘home safe every day’.”
From hands-on learning to mentoring
At KONE, continuous learning and professional development is supported with the 70/20/10 learning approach. Lintong, who manages the KONE Training Center in Jakarta, is also a trainer.
“The majority of our training, 70%, is hands-on or learning on the job. This includes learning how to solve problems or how to perform maintenance properly, for example,” Lintong explains. “About 20% is learning from others, and around 10% of the education is formal, structured training.”
Lintong emphasizes that a lot of effort is put into pairing the right learner with the right coach or mentor. Teaching others is also a valuable learning experience, benefiting the teachers as well.
The formal training is scalable and fit-for-purpose, offered in various formats: instructor-led, face-to-face, self-led, or community-based training. KONE also collaborates with local vocational institutions, so that young graduate apprentices have the opportunity to join KONE and build long-term careers. By participating in programs at the training centers, employees can continuously acquire new and valuable skills.
“Currently, many of our customers need modernization solutions,” says Hokkanen. “That’s why we are developing more modernization competencies, as it is a difficult skill set to master. Recently, we had a successful modernization training program in Great Britain, which we hope to scale up worldwide.”
Training for the next generation of people flow solutions
The renewed KONE Training Center in Indonesia is opening its doors not only for KONE’s current and future employees, but also for potential customers looking to experience KONE solutions first-hand in the showroom.
“We have had excellent collaborations with other departments at KONE and with local authorities,” Lintong says. “I am grateful for our dedicated team who enable the best experiences for our customers and end users.”
KONE has 60,000 employees in 70 countries, and we’re working hard to develop the skills our customers expect from us. The training centers are only one part of KONE’s learning ecosystem, but they remain vital to meet the demands of a changing world.
Learner experiences
“Regular training is essential in my work as a technician. The sessions upgrade my knowledge and give me the opportunity to meet colleagues and share experiences. I enjoy KONE’s training environment and appreciate the up-to-date simulators that make learning easier.”
Andi Muh Rusdi, Yusuf, maintenance technician, KONE Indonesia has worked for KONE for six years.
“Studying at the KONE Training Center was a turning point in my career. From day one, it was hands-on, real-world learning. We explored how elevators and escalators work from the inside out. The trainers were experienced professionals who guided us through real scenarios and helped us build the right mindset. The training gave me a clearer vision of where I wanted to go in my career and gave the tools to get there.”
Sarah Tan, a senior sales executive for New Building Solutions at KONE (on left), got to explore how elevators and escalators work, focusing on technical aspects, safety, efficiency, and customer impact.
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KONE Training Centers
- KONE operates more than 40 training centers all over the globe. The newest training center will open in the Philippines in 2025.
- The training centers are available for all KONE employees and subcontractors, as needed.
- Training includes hard skills, such as installation, service and maintenance, as well as soft skills like communication and leadership.
- Some centers, like the one in Hyvinkää, Finland, are close to factories so R&D experts can also use them for testing new products and innovations.
- The centers often include showrooms so that customers can experience the latest materials, products, and services, as well as see how KONE prioritizes professional development.
- Training centers frequently collaborate with local educational institutions.
