Irish Safety & Health Trainers Network. Proposal / Discussion Document for the future of CSCS/QSCS and Safepass training.

Transcription

1 Irish Safety & Health Trainers Network Proposal / Discussion Document for the future of CSCS/QSCS and Safepass training. Authors: Paul Lynch Garrath Skerritt Margaret Cullhane

2 Background Safepass Part 1, Section 4 of the Safety Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 provides details on the categories of workers that recognise a Safety Awareness Registration Card. Construction apprentices registered under the Standards Based Apprenticeship Scheme, and trainees undergoing traineeships in the Construction Industry are also required to have a Safety Awareness Registration Card. The FÁS Safe Pass Health and Safety Awareness Training Programme is to ensure that, over the course of time, all workers in construction will have a basic knowledge of health and safety, and be able to work on-site without being a risk to themselves or others who might be affected by their acts or omissions. From a health and safety perspective, construction workers are bound by law to hold a valid Safe Pass card. Construction Skills Certification Scheme The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) provides for the training, assessment, certification and registration of non-craft operatives within the construction sector. CSCS is covered under Schedule 4 of the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations CSCS Programmes are delivered by FÁS and a wide range of approved training organisations. Some of the programmes covered by the CSCS scheme are below: 180 Degree Excavator 360 Degree Excavator Mini Digger Tower Crane Self-Erect Tower Crane Mobile Crane Crawler Crane Telescopic Handler Tractor Dozer Site Dumper Articulated Dumper Slinger Signaller Quarry Skills Certification Scheme The Quarries Skills Certification Scheme (QSCS) provides for the training, assessment, certification and registration of non-craft operatives within the Quarrying sector. QSCS is covered under Schedule 1 of the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (Quarries) Regulations The Aims and Benefits of the QSCS are to provide opportunities for participants to become competent, confident and committed in applying the skills, knowledge and attitude that are associated with their occupations in Quarrying. Some of the programmes covered by the CSCS scheme are below: 180 Degree Excavator 360 Degree Excavator Mini Excavator Mobile Crane Crawler Crane Telescopic Handler Tractor Dozer Site Dumper Articulated Dumper Slinger Signaller Rigid Dump Truck Front End Loader

3 Approved Training Organisations (ATO s) ATO s are approved to provide CSCS or QSCS training in Ireland. To become an ATO, trainers, training providers or companies must apply to Fas and submit details of their background, their trainers and their qualifications to Fas for a rigorous evaluation process. Only after this process will an ATO be approved to provide whichever programme they are competent to teach. Fetac providers can opt to apply directly to Fetac for approval for CSCS/QSCS programmes through their common award system. A similar process exists for approval where the training provider submits an application to Fetac for the award and is then subject to an audit visit from Fetac/Fas for approval. There are presently over 100 ATO s working within the private and public sector in Ireland all approved to provide various numbers of CSCS and QSCS programmes as mentioned above. There is presently just 1 organisation approved directly through Fetac to provide CSCS programmes. CSCS Certification The CSCS programme was included by Further Education Training Awards Council, (FETAC), in its awards framework. FÁS processes applications for certificates under the CSCS scheme on behalf of FETAC which issues the certificates pursuant to its statutory remit. Upon completion of the CSCS training course and the assessment process both approved by FÁS, a FETAC certificate and FÁS registration card are issued on receipt of the appropriate application. The card bears the name and logo of FÁS, the registration number and the name and photograph of the holder. For Fetac approved training providers, they provide the training submit the assessment results through the Fetac Buisness System to Fetac and receive certification. Certification is then forwarded to Fas who will issue CSCS/QSCS cards on foot of the Fetac certificate. H.S.A & DGSA Directive 2008/68/EC as it relates to dangerous goods transport by road, requires that driver training, and other aspects relating to the carriage of dangerous goods by road, be harmonised within the Member States of the Community on the basis of the ADR Agreement. The text of ADR, chapter 8.2 (as amended on a two yearly cycle) will be used as the basis of harmonisation. Current national regulations (S.I. 349 of as may be amended), on the carriage of dangerous goods by road, implements the training and certification requirements for drivers. Under these Regulations, the Health and Safety Authority is appointed as the Competent Authority for the purposes of approving training courses (including refresher courses) and practical exercises for training of drivers and approving a system of examinations and testing of drivers for dangerous goods in packages and tanks, other than explosive substances and articles, and radioactive substances and articles. The Competent Authority for specialisation training courses relating to explosive substances and articles (ADR Class 1) is the Minister for Justice and Equality and for radioactive substances and articles (ADR Class 7) is the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII). The HAS is also the competent authority for the issuing of cards and certificates to truck drivers.

4 Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) In 2001 three bodies were established under the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999 as part of the system of recognition of third-level qualifications. They are: the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) and the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) The Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) is the statutory awarding body for further education and training in Ireland. FETAC makes quality assured awards that are part of the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) from level 1-6. Meeting the learner needs is central to the work of FETAC. Common Awards The Common Awards System is the new way of developing FETAC awards. It is a coherent and structured way of developing awards, which is consistent with the National Framework of Qualifications. It is outcomes based. By 2014 every FETAC award will be part of this system. This means that all awards will share common characteristics including: a common format breadth and balance within the structure so that learners achieve specific expertise alongside general knowledge, skill and competence in line with the National Skills Strategy a focus on outcomes of learning - what learners will be able to do on achievement of the award. Standards of knowledge, skill and competence are expressed as learning outcomes, facilitating flexibility for providers and programmes a credit system, reflecting the typical amount of learning required, which enables learners to accumulate recognition over time and allow them to transfer their award all over Europe accessibility for all registered providers All CSCS/QSCS awards were released as common awards in 2010 with a credit value of 15 per programme. Fetac have announced that from December 12 th 2012 all CSCS/QSCS programmes will be de-activated and so will no longer be available on the NFQ. City & Guilds City & Guilds are an authority in vocational education and training on an international scale. Every year over 2 million learners work towards their qualifications in one of their approved centres located worldwide. They offer over 500 qualifications in 28 industry areas including IT, Business Support, CAD, Sound Engineering, Design & Craft, Hair & Beauty, Retail, Security, Waste Management, Cleaning, Oil & Gas, Land Based Industries, and Health Care Support Services. City & Guilds was founded in London in 1878, by the Corporation of London and 16 Livery Companies and since its foundation has actively promoted the benefits of vocational education and training. They offer qualifications in construction, site maintenance, restoration, construction crafts and more. Some of these qualifications are jointly awarded with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) which are recognised around the world.

5 Proposal 1. The FETAC awards status should be kept for all CSCS/QSCS and Safepass awards and we should allow FETAC transform these awards into full common awards with associated credit value and contact hours. a. Without the status of the FETAC awards the value of the CSCS is removed and access, transfer and progression of awards around Europe can t happen. b. With all Fetac awards being linked to the European Credit System for Vocational Educational Training (ECVET) by default all CSCS/QSCS certificates will be automatically recognised in other European countries and further afield. c. With the programmes being part of the common award system, FETAC s RPL policy and procedures can be implemented to allow existing drivers recognition of prior learning to gain the award over a shorter period of time. d. With the awards being certified, this will ensure the quality, transparency and integrity of the system. 2. Push the ATO s to become FETAC quality assured in their own right, most of them already are. ATO s have been working to the standards of Fetac for years and understand the requirements of the system. a. This will entirely ensure the quality assurance and the integrity of the awards. b. This removes the requirement of the need for the duplicate labour pool to process the paperwork for forwarding to Fetac. c. This will also simplify the paperwork process for ATO s and also enable them to develop their own paperwork providing they meet the criteria. d. It ensures the credibility and integrity of the entire safety industry to deliver these courses as only existing Fetac providers who can demonstrate competence in construction and quarrying can apply to teach the programmes. e. This will lower the cost to the consumer of the courses through price competition. f. Authentication (Peer review) is easier to manage for Fetac providers as opposed to ATO s working through Fas. 3. Give the Health and Safety Authority the responsibility of issuing CSCS/QSCS and Safepass cards. Transfer all of the on-line application system into the control of the HSA. Expand or amalgamate the on line system to include the ADR system. a. The H.S.A already process cards for ADR and DGSA. b. This single action will empower the H.S.A to be able to manage and monitor the number of cards issued, identify trends in the industry and identify non-conformance during an inspection with ease. This will mainly be a verification and monitoring role. c. Minimum staff requirement, because of the on-line system, within the H.S.A. d. Statutory agency still issuing cards. e. Integrity of the cards is not comprised because the industries authority is responsible for the cards. f. There s no real reason why other industry specific cards couldn t be added over time to allow the H.S.A complete control over all competence based cards for the safety industry.

6 Potential Consequences / Outcomes 1. Reduced cost to industry of training as a whole. 2. Allows the CSCS and QSCS programme s become competitive and efficient. 3. Prevents the industry from becoming unregulated and poorly managed. 4. Re-enforces the position of education and its values in the workplace. 5. Increase the responsibility of the centres delivering the courses. 6. Makes the industry more responsive to the requirements of industry. 7. Reduced cost to state of administering and managing the cost of of the system. 8. Smaller FAS Manpower unit to integrate into other Departments. 9. Let Mount Lucas compete in the open market as a Fetac provider. (Mount Lucas would have to become a Fetac provider in its own right) 10. Greater use of on line systems should reduce the need for manpower and administration. 11. Single authority issuing cards not independent contractors. 12. Single authority controlling cards. 13. All training outcomes are quality driven and follow a logical format. 14. Training industry becomes more cohesive and better regulated. 15. All training outcomes are traceable to national standards and therefore transferable across Europe. 16. Reinforce the concept of competency based, skills based standards. 17. FETAC brand is supported in the wider public and gets market penetration. 18. Safety as an industry requirement and as a occupational requirement is reinforced. What s required? 1. FETAC need to retain the CSCS/QSCS awards. 2. The HSA need to agree to manage and issue CSCS/QSCS and Safepass cards. 3. Minister Ciaran Cannon needs to agree to the system and allow in intern period for transition. 4. Current CSCS/QSCS ATO s need to agree to go towards FETAC quality assurance. This document is intended as a discussion document, there are main other options which need to be explored and examined thoroughly before decisions are made. There are also a number of other items to discuss, i.e, how long it could take to transform all CSCS/QSCS programmes into common awards, could ATO s work on a joint QA agreement and therefore a joint common award application?. Mutual recognition between other construction accreditation systems?, also, in regards to other accreditation systems, the cost of these must be considered.