“Going for the White Belt accreditation pushed me out of my comfort zone – I’m delighted to have achieved it”

Empower and Go is about empowering people in Tirlán to perform at their best, creating an environment where we all have a voice, where we feel safe to contribute and are inspired to make a positive impact, whether that be for colleagues, customers, our suppliers or in our everyday lives.

David Leigh embodies all that is great about Empower and Go in action at Tirlán. The Baltinglass native and avid Liverpool supporter has been awarded the Lean Sigma Quality White Belt through Atlantic Technological University Sligo, which is ranked third in the world for content and presentation. He said the productivity-boosting programme was challenging and very tough in places. But with the support of his work colleagues in the Tirlán plant in Ballitore, he never gave up. He excelled!

“I had to push myself out of my comfort zone to achieve this. Even going for the White Belt accreditation was a bit of a challenge. There was so much to do. But I’m delighted to have achieved it,” David said.

“There were loads of slides and presentations to go through. As part of my presentation, I had to talk about the Academy in Tirlán. It was a challenge. But with support from my mentor, Richie, I got through it and I got the accreditation. There was also great support from IT Sligo in terms of explanations, videos and more. I’m delighted.”

Greater confidence

“It has given me greater confidence and I’m now ready for my next challenge and plan to progress to a Yellow Belt next year. I think it’s important to try new things, learn new things. All these new learnings help me in my work which involves everything from managing PPE for the teams to stock control and sorting wage slips to ensuring we have adequate office supplies on the site. It’s also helped me in my life outside of work. I enjoy bowling and horse riding and am even heading to Rome in October for my niece’s wedding.”

David is believed to be the first person in Ireland with Down’s Syndrome to achieve the White Belt and says he has blossomed and has had tremendous support on the job for over two decades.

Bumps in the Road

“I’m here 24 years now. There’s been lots of change over that time. The buildings have changed. The layout has changed. Lots of people have come and gone. There were some bumps in the road. Some of my old friends here have retired and I really miss those people. They were a huge part of my life. That has been tough. But there are always new characters coming in.

“I absolutely love working here. I love my work. I have very good friends here and when I need help, there are plenty of people willing to help me, support me. There are some things I can’t do. But with the support of other people, there’s lots I can do.

“The banter is very good, particularly when Liverpool are playing well. The craic between different supporters is great. The food in the canteen here is very good and the ladies there really look after me, they know what I like and what I don’t like. It’s great to be somewhere you love, with great people around you to support and encourage you – and to be getting paid for it.”

David’s passion, determination and generosity have rubbed off on his colleagues around him. As well as being heavily involved in the plant’s social events which include race days, the Christmas party and more, David recently raised over €2,000 for Daffodil Day with the support of his colleagues in Ballitore, who were only too happy to rally round and dig deep.

Yellow Belt Accreditation

David’s Yellow Belt programme will see him complete five modules, supported by the Business Excellence team within Tirlán. Site Manager, Paddy Cotter, has helped David choose his project for his next accreditation. It will focus on inventory management and stock rotation. This accreditation will support David even further in his role, as well as life outside of Tirlán.

“You couldn’t find a better crew than we have here. I wouldn’t have got the White Belt without them.  Some of the questions on the programme were tough. We had to do a bit of research and digging, look at footnotes and videos to work out exactly what they wanted from me.

“They’ve been equally helpful guiding me for my Yellow Belt. My advice to anyone taking on a new challenge like this accreditation is to accept first off that it will be difficult but to understand that with support from people around you, you will get through it.”

Tirlán – living by its values

“I’m delighted I did the accreditation and it was great to be recognised by Mick O’Leary when the ELT roadshow came to town recently. It was a great occasion. That recognition and what I experience here every day when I come in to work shows that Tirlán is really living by its values here in Ballitore when it comes to ‘Empower and Go.’”