What s that all about? Information you ll need to protect your future in the construction industry

Transcription

1 TRAINING What s that all about? Information you ll need to protect your future in the construction industry

2 The building industry is constantly changing so the skills needed by the people working in the industry are changing too. With the introduction of new technologies, new ways of working and improved environmental standards the need for new recruits and the re-skilling of the existing workforce is growing which means training is now more important than ever before. The Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians (UCATT), is working in partnership with CITB-ConstructionSkills and other partners, to make sure the construction industry has the right people, with the right skills, in the right place to meet the needs of the construction industry in the future. A series of pioneering programmes has resulted in workers within the industry becoming some of the safest and most skilled and qualified within the UK workforce. Reading this booklet could open doors to meaningful employment and result in new career opportunities. Jeff Hopewell National Education and Training Coordinator

3 The world is changing. Even very experienced construction workers need training There are lots of reasons to train, even if you ve been in the industry for many years. Here are just some of them: Health and safety training provides you with practical skills to reduce risk of injuries in the construction industry and you could literally save lives. Training provides you with evidence of your competence and skills and is useful when employers and those responsible for awarding contracts need proof that you can do the job. With the right qualifications, you stand a better chance of getting a job. Without relevant qualifications, you may soon not be able to get a job at all. Make sure you have the necessary skills cards prior to setting foot on site. We, at UCATT and CITB-ConstructionSkills, are proud of our industry and we want to ensure that construction workers are the most skilled and qualified within the British workforce.we need you to help us achieve our goal. With qualifications you widen your job options Nowadays, employers have to supply evidence of the qualifications held by their workforce and sub-contractors to win contracts. They will ask you to show: Documentation proving you can actually do what you claim. Proof that you understand health and safety. Evidence of your ability to use basic skills, such as writing, reading and numerical skills, to help you in your job. UCATT and CITB-ConstructionSkills offer you the support and help you need to make sure you are expanding your job options in the construction industry.

4 Keeping your qualifications up-to-date is the safest option Here are some of the reasons why you should consider updating your qualifications or getting new ones: Ways of working and skills you learned years ago may no longer be suitable. By keeping your qualifications up-todate, you re choosing the best way to stay on the right track. Regular re-training and updating of skills is common in other industries such as computing, where it is imperative to stay one step ahead at all times.this is as true in the building trade too. With your previous experience and skills, you may find it easier and quicker to complete training. If you have the skills, you should get the proof. Don t let any reason hold you back More and more employers insist that you carry a skills card demonstrating your competences, including the UK Contractors Group (UKCG), Major Home Builders Group (MHBG) and Office of Government Commerce (OGC), who set the procurement guidelines for Government departments. Without the right card, you will find it increasingly difficult to access a construction site. Don t let anything hold you back, even if you: Feel you lack adequate reading, writing or numerical skills, as almost one in four of the British working population lack these essential skills. Luckily, there are loads of initiatives across the country to help you. Have not studied since you left school, like thousands of people. Training is adapted for adult learners who wish to further their education and, with a little bit of determination, you will be able to develop your potential.

5 Make sure you prove you know how to work safely on site The CITB-ConstructionSkills Health and Safety test ensures everyone in construction has a minimum level of health and safety awareness. You also need it as an entry requirement for most card schemes. Card schemes help prove you are qualified to do the job You can help prove that you are qualified, competent and safe by carrying a skills card. Different schemes exist for different trades and professions for example: Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) covers most of the core occupations. Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS). Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS). Most schemes are based on similar standards, requiring you to: Get a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) or a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ). Successfully complete the CITB-ConstructionSkills Health and Safety test. Schemes may also require you to meet other criteria, such as undertaking specific training or assessments.

6 Your guide to NVQ and SVQ: proof that you can do your job NVQs and SVQs are work-based qualifications and they reflect your ability in a working situation. NVQs and SVQs also indicate the responsibilities of an occupation identified by the level of the qualification. For NVQs, a learning value (credit) indicates the likely time someone would need to become competent in that occupation. The learning value determines whether the qualification is an award, certificate or diploma, which is decided by industry-led working groups. Achieving an NVQ or SVQ means proving your skills, knowledge and understanding in the workplace. In other words, proving you can do your job to the recognised standards. To achieve NVQs and SVQs, there are no formal written exams and there is no need to attend a classroom or write essays. As the assessment of your skills and knowledge takes place in your own workplace, you do not have to travel, to use your own time or to lose pay to demonstrate your abilities. The Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) CPCS is a card scheme that recognises both skills and competency on a large range of plant and is important for safe and efficient working. You ll need to be tested on both operating skills and knowledge, and then achieve an NVQ or SVQ to gain the full card, but there are important reasons why it makes sense to gain one: With a full CPCS card, you are recognised as a skilled and competent operator of construction plant. A CPCS card is accepted on any construction site in the country and it will allow you to do your job. CPCS is the only scheme in the plant sector recognised as part of the construction industry s drive for a fully qualified workforce. Impress your employers by having one! CPCS ensures that it assists employers in meeting the Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations for competent workers. It s the only plant card that can achieve that. CPCS is the only grant supported scheme. This means funding may be available for your employer through CITB- ConstructionSkills.

7 On Site Assessment Training: get qualified whilst you are at work There are a range of options open to workers who want to get an NVQ/SVQ. The most popular of which is On Site Assessment Training (OSAT). About OSAT: It takes account of your existing skills and focuses on the elements of your particular trade that you need to develop. You will fortify your knowledge, develop your skills, learn more about your own trade, and gain proof of your competence. You will be assigned an assessor to help you gather evidence for the qualification. Your assessor will visit you at work, about four or five times, every few weeks, over a period of three to six months and he will observe you doing your job. Your assessor will ask you to gather documents related to your work, such as certificates or written testimonies from colleagues and/or employers, which will then be used as evidence towards your NVQ/ SVQ. At the end of the evaluation, you will submit your portfolio of evidence for your NVQ/SVQ. If you would like to, you could then update this skill bank portfolio and expand it for the rest of your working life. Remember, the more you learn, the better asset you become, for your current employer and future ones.

8 Take advantage of the support available Take advantage of the host of training initiatives which UCATT, in conjunction with employers and colleges, is offering. There is training to suit every need: There are job specific qualifications to aim for, such as NVQs and SQVs, available for all the main trades and at a number of different levels, depending on what level you work at on site. You can qualify for a skills card. You might want to carry out training to learn new skills and improve your existing ones. Training can be the first step to become a supervisor or manager. Whatever it is you d like to do, you may be able to get help from your UCATT learning representative or your employer may be able to get help from CITB-ConstructionSkills. It s easy to take the next step in a successful future Here are a few easy options to make sure your future in the industry is safe: Find out if there is a learning representative on your site or workplace. Learning representatives are colleagues who have been trained to answer and deal with, in the strictest of confidence, any questions you might have about any aspects of a course. If you do not have an identifiable individual on site, then you can contact us. All contact details are provided in this booklet. Your enquiry will be dealt with in the strictest confidence. Don t be scared to share your thoughts with workmates about training. Maybe they will be interested to tackle a course with you. Get your employer to call CITB-ConstructionSkills. They will be happy to provide free advice, support and potentially grants for training.

9 Useful Information Skills to be proven Training needed Whom to contact Health and safety Knowledge, skills, experience and competence on plant Evidence of competence in the construction industry Qualifications in specific areas in the construction industry Specific trade skills Supervisory and/or management skills Health & Safety Test or Site Management Training Scheme (SMSTS) CPCS card CSCS card NVQ or SVQ A range of trade-specific qualifications Site Supervisor s Training Scheme or Site Manager s Award or Construction Manager s Award or Construction Supervisor Award CITB-ConstructionSkills CPCS CSCS UCATT UCATT The National Construction College

10 Questions we often get asked What will my boss say about learning on the job? Employers have been won round to the benefits of a qualified workforce. Most of Britain s major contractors and clients (including the UKCG and MHBG) are supporting it and smaller firms will soon find themselves excluded from competing for various types of work if they do not have registered qualified workers. They ll be grateful you re helping them fulfil their requirements. Will I lose my job if I fail a course? Absolutely not. Remember this is about improving skills and giving the workforce qualifications. If there is an aspect you struggle to get to grips with, you will be supervised and taught how to put it right. Is the Health and Safety test difficult? The test is straight forward to take. It is computer based, using a mouse or touch screen technology and the questions are multiple choice.the test consists of a maximum of 50 questions to be answered in 45 minutes. All the questions are taken from an approved selection covering topics such as; site hazards, working at heights, using dangerous substances, understanding warning signs, etc. All you need to do is identify the right answer based on your existing knowledge. Revision guides containing theory, questions and answers may be purchased either online at or when you book a test on the phone by calling CITB-ConstructionSkills on Is it difficult to pass the test to get a CPCS card? Not at all if you have been properly trained and/or are experienced. The training syllabus, test specifications and questions you may be asked, can be viewed at The average pass rate for the operating test is high meaning that, with the right training, it should be easy for people working in plant to prove their skill.the NVQ or SVQ, as previously mentioned, are achieved within the workplace with no need to take external exams. What other learning opportunities are there? Lots.You could stick to learning new skills or developing others within your particular trade.you may also prefer to develop a whole new skill such as learn a language or develop some computer expertise. Where can I learn? You could learn at an on-site or college-based learning centre. These have been set up on some large sites and are also available in some colleges. More and more workers are finding them useful for a particular course they are undertaking.

11 Find out more UCATT Training UCATT House, 177 Abbeville Road London SW4 9RL Tel: Fax: Or contact one of the regional offices shown on the back cover. Contact key training standards providers The National Construction College Find information on health and safety training Tel: CSCS The main card scheme of the construction industry Tel: CPCS The card scheme for plant Tel: Other card schemes and list of the most commonly accepted cards on site Health and Safety test Tel: Grants funding Free training advice and grants to registered employers Tel:

12 NOVEMBER 2011 Regional Offices London South East UCATT House 177 Abbeville Road, London SW4 9RL Tel: Fax: Northern UCATT Office Seymour House, 10 Brenkley Way Blezard Business Park, Seaton Burn Newcastle Upon Tyne NE13 6DS Tel: Fax: Yorkshire UCATT Office Winwaed House, 64/66 Cross Gates Road Leeds LS15 7NN Tel: Fax: North West UCATT Office 56 Derwent Road East, Stoneycroft Liverpool L13 6QR Tel: Fax: Midlands UCATT Office 2 Wentworth House, Vernon Gate Derby DE1 1UR Tel: Fax: Eastern UCATT Office Goodwin House, Goodwin Business Park Willie Snaith Road Newmarket CB8 7SQ Tel: Fax: Scotland UCATT Office 53, Morrison Street Glasgow G5 8LB Tel: Fax: