EXECUTIVE REPORT
Search for the Stars
A new CPA initiative is designed to recognise the achievements of plant maintenance apprentices and to encourage new trainees to enter the industry.
In our October issue we reported on training initiatives being developed by one of our industry’s Associations, and another such organisation, CPA, is also maintaining a focus on this important area.
Stars of the Future aims to encourage more young people to pursue a career in plant maintenance.
“Surveys undertaken by CPA show there is a definite skills shortage in
construction,” Haydn Steele, the Association’s Safety and Training Manager told EHN. “The average age of mechanics and fitters is increasing, and employers need to attract new entrants. Hirers need to ensure they have sufficient skilled people to replace those who may leave or retire. Customers expect equipment that is in good condition and reliable, and in the event of a breakdown they need it repaired quickly, or they will ultimately take their business elsewhere. Now, in a period of reduced overall construction activity, is the ideal time to recruit apprentices who, in a year or two when they have completed their training, will be a positive asset to their employers when the recovery really gathers pace.”
CPA has introduced Stars of the Future, an initiative to highlight the achievements of plant maintenance apprentices throughout the country, and to raise the overall profile of training. “As well as the National Construction College in East Anglia, CPA has links with 15 colleges nationwide that offer such training. Many employers do not realise that students can learn at locations near to where they, and their employers, are located, making the whole process much simpler. Every student following Level 2 and 3 plant mechanics courses at these colleges will be entered into Stars of the Future, with their performance in both the classroom and working environments being assessed.
“32 finalists will be nominated, one from each Level, by every college. Each will be presented with a tool set worth £500 from Snap-on Tools, which is one of the sponsors, at a special ceremony to be held at the Plantworx exhibition next May at the NAC, Stoneleigh. They will be
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further judged by a panel of representatives from CPA and CITB-ConstructionSkills (the industry training board for construction, to which in-scope businesses pay a training levy) to find the overall winners, who will receive an extra prize package,” said Haydn Steele.
The importance of training is a message that CPA will promote on its stand at the Executive Hire Show next February. It will also be highlighted in a CPA-organised Training and Education Zone at Plantworx, in which colleges offering plant maintenance programmes will participate. The aim is to emphasise the availability of local training courses and the grant aid available from organisations such as ConstructionSkills to assist employers recruiting apprentices.
Promotional materials being used to bring the Stars of the Future initiative to the attention of trainees include a poster featuring young apprentices they can identify with. These include Chanel Littleton, who recently started the Level 2 Apprenticeship in Construction Plant Maintenance at Reaseheath College in Cheshire. She works at Clee Hill Plant Hire at its Stoke depot, as part of a team that chiefly maintains machinery for road surfacing repairs.
Chanel’s passion for plant began when she and her father, an LGV driver, built a car together. She attends the College for three week blocks, and plans to take a specialist electronics course when she completes her apprenticeship with Clee Hill. “This is a dream job. It’s fascinating seeing how machines run and there is a great feeling of achievement when you’ve fixed a fault,” said Chanel, who is just one of many able young people who could become one of the Stars of the Future.
Haydn Steele says that CPA plans to run the scheme for at least three years, and that the Association hopes its scope can be broadened to include additional disciplines, such as courses for plant operatives and for hire desk managers.
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www.cpa.uk.net
Chanel Littleton says working as a plant hire mechanic is her “dream job”.
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