Navigating best fit training in the waste and metals recovery industries

The need to provide operators of onsite equipment with suitable and adequate training is no longer a “Big Reveal”. This is now common practice in most organisations from waste materials handlers to pallet trucks and access platforms to abrasive wheels.

In our experience, we have found many sites completely committed to training and safety, and through collaboration with industry employers, training providers, standard-setting organisations, and manufacturers, there are now well-established training courses and qualifications readily available to employers.

The statutory and non-statutory syllabuses for qualifications are evolving to include the new legislation of how material is handled throughout its processing journey and there appears to be a new energy to develop skills and pathways into the industry. Whilst training provides the foundation for all operators, it is important to remember that the journey to competence is an ongoing cycle and the landscape for arranging suitable training and qualifications for the workforce is not always an easy one to navigate.

IDENTIFYING THE CORRECT TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

One of the most frequent questions we receive is around the suitability of a course or qualification for a specific job role. In an ideal world every organisation would measure the skills, knowledge, and behaviours of their workforce with a competency matrix. However, not every company has this resource and even when they do it is never clear cut, especially with the number of multi skilled roles and the amount of training courses available to the industry. So, what is the route to selecting a suitable training course?

Step 1 - Understand “Why” the training is needed? Too many training courses are delivered to tick a box rather than address a specific training requirement.

Step 2 - Identify the key learning outputs and the best method of delivery to suit the learner.

Step 3 – Research if there is a recognised standard of training and testing for the specific training course, such as CIWM, EU Skills or City and Guilds.

Step 4 – Check out the training provider, are they themselves accredited, how do they manage competency and skills in their business and do they have the relevant insurances for delivering training on your site.

Step 5 – Evaluate the training, get honest feedback and understand if the course met all of the learners’ requirements.

Remember that following any training course there should always be some specific job training that will allow learners to apply their new skills and knowledge into practice. No single training course will ever make an individual competent; in their role they may be capable, but competence comes with time and experience.

HELP AND GUIDANCE

Certora has a history of training; not only do we deliver specialist training courses and qualifications directly to our customers but, we have also built a particular set of skills over the years with customer service at the centre. As our business has grown, we now offer a completely managed training service to those customers who work with us. Our team of training experts will support you with the selection of the most suitable training providers. They will also arrange the training and manage any administration for you.

If you are looking for some help and support with training and qualifications get in touch on 01246 386900.