Coporate Responsibility - Rolls Royce

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Learning and development

To strengthen its competitive position, the Group has over many years invested in the training and development of its employees, customers and suppliers.

Training programmes were delivered to support major change programmes. In particular, we have launched the 'Process Excellence' initiative to improve our management and operating processes and we have trained people to undertake specific projects to raise standards of performance and improve customer satisfaction.

Some 2,000 people were trained to support 'Product Lifecycle Management' which enables the Group and its supply chain to deliver products and services at a higher quality and with greater efficiency.

The Company offers employees access to wide-ranging courses on-line and over 5,000 employees have taken an on-line course over the past two years.

The Group continues to work closely with schools, colleges and universities to promote science, technology and enterprise. Our policy is to work with government, local and national bodies and educational institutions to widen pupils' and students' experience of industry and to promote careers in the aerospace, marine and energy sectors.

The Group supports educational projects and initiatives to promote engineering education in schools including Open Industry, Specialist Schools, Education Action Zones and Science and Engineering Ambassadors.

Some of the Group's training facilities are made available to local communities with free places being offered on internal training programmes.

Community investment

The Group community investment committee is responsible for the Group's policy on charitable donations. A list of the principal donations made in the year is available on written request to the Company Secretary.

The Group has made charitable donations of £563,000 in other major regions. In North America, this included support for the work of United Way, Habitat for Humanity, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and Purdue University. In Germany, the Group supported a range of organizations including the Brandenburg Summer Festival, World Youth Day and the International Airport Race. In the Nordic countries, it supported a number of local sports and arts-based projects.

In response to the tsunami disaster in south east Asia, the Group contributed £250,000 in 2004 and an additional £250,000 in 2005 to match employee donations.

Our response to the hurricane Katrina disaster was very visible in the devastated communities affected. The Group provided housing, transportation and medical support, followed by a range of special support services.

In addition to our charitable donations, contributions of £1,700,000 were made by the Group's sponsorship committee and individual business groups, primarily to support arts and educational programmes.

The Company also supports its commitment to being a good corporate citizen by supporting projects in which employees are encouraged to participate. Examples include:

running successful mentoring and literacy programmes for school pupils through education business partnerships;

participating in the UK's Science and Engineering Ambassadors Scheme;

undertaking community projects with trainees as part of their training;

supporting employees who are school governors; and

providing business mentors and advisers through The Prince's Trust and Young Enterprise.

The Group offers support in-kind to local initiatives including providing places on in-house training programmes; donating surplus computer equipment and furniture; and offering the free use of meeting rooms and premises.

Rolls-Royce has a long and successful history of community involvement which it is determined to maintain. We continue to attach particular priority to supporting education, the environment, the arts and economic and social regeneration. Our approach supports our values of reliability, integrity and innovation.