A new training scheme for adult learners in the north of England is helping semi-skilled workers become tradespeople in the engineering construction industry.
Funded by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), the scheme has been developed by the International Assessment Centre (IAC) in response to demand from employers to help workers who have site experience but no formal trade qualification.
The IAC Adult Learner Scheme offers local industry employers the opportunity to upskill these workers by preparing them for a trade-specific vocational qualification. Trades include mechanical fitter, rigger, steel erector, pipefitter and plater.
The scheme is delivered through on-site assessment and mentoring by the IAC, which works alongside company supervisors.
Learners demonstrating recurring knowledge, skills and behaviour consistent with those required by a competent tradesperson working in the industry are then registered on an ECITB regulated qualification.
‘It gave me more confidence’
Kieran Gellatly, who works for Cavendish Northern, recently became the first person to gain an industry qualification after joining the Adult Learner Scheme.
Having worked as a semi-skilled rigger at the ConocoPhillips oil refinery at Seal Sands for two years, the scheme gave Gellatly the opportunity to enrol on the rigging pathway for a level 3 diploma.
Gellatly, who completed the diploma at the end of September, said: “The scheme has really benefited me. From the start, my assessor talked me through the journey and found out my level of knowledge and understanding.
“I put together a logbook to record different technical activities I had done on site that my supervisor witnessed – such as the work I did during a four-week shutdown, which involved special equipment to pull out a bundle.
“The assessments help you get more of an understanding of the job you do and the knowledge side of things, which gave me more confidence when doing everyday tasks.
“The scheme helped me move on to gain the qualification, which means I’m now recognised as one of the level 3s on site, instead of an apprentice.
“It will also help my career if I want to go elsewhere in the future.”
Supporting formal qualifications
Neil Armstrong, IAC’s managing director, explained that the organisation often works with experienced workers who, for whatever reason, have never achieved a formal qualification.
“Maybe they have never needed to move jobs or it has not been a requirement,” Armstrong said. “But now that requirement is elevated and workers are needing this, so there is a big demand for this type of scheme.”
The scheme takes on candidates with a certain level of knowledge and skills, who also have some experience in the industry. It provides a roadmap of actions to get to the gateway of a qualification, helping them become a qualified tradesperson.
“We get people joining the journey from various points,” Armstrong explained. “Some journeys will be shorter – such as Kieran, who took six months – whereas some adult learners we’ve worked with took 18 months to two years because they didn’t have a sufficient level of skills.”
Alan Neale, ECITB’s head of region for the north, added: “We have been delighted to support the [IAC] as it helps upskill workers across the north of England.
“This year, there have been learners enrolled from a number of [engineering construction industry] employers, who receive funding via our discretionary grant framework.
“The Adult Learner Scheme is ideal for SMEs who cannot afford to release workers from site for larger blocks of time.”
