[ Focus: Certsure ]


more business-orientated courses. That is what each has brought to the party. So now we are seeing huge take-up by ECA firms of some of the courses that the NICEIC previously put on. For example, we are having to lay on extra fire alarms courses as a result of the demand. And similarly, some of the ECA’s courses on contract management are proving very beneficial to the smaller contractors, in terms of the clauses to watch out for that can be introduced when you are subcontracting. So, by bringing the two together, we’ve got this huge portfolio that people can tap into. One and one makes more than two. Asad Majid, national training manager, Certsure: That portfolio offering also extends to management systems training, such as ISO 9001 and 14001, where the training that used to be offered from NQA is also now available to ECA members. And the NICEIC has dedicated gas, water and oil training facilities at its Luton and Chesterfield sites that will be of interest to the ECA’s multidisciplinary contractors. Alan Charlton, head of training and consultancy, Certsure: Not only will existing ECA centres now be able to offer a greater variety of training courses, but ECA members will also be able to attend any of the additional NICEIC centres. So the portfolio is broader in two respects.


ET: What other benefits has the new partnership brought? SM: We now have a huge resource and expertise in online training available to ECA members. And that’s not to neglect the ‘chalk-and-talk’ approach with a tutor, but there are certain circumstances where online training can be advantageous – contractors can do it in their own time, for example. AM: This has proved very popular since it was introduced at the end of 2010. We now always look to develop an online proposition for any new courses we devise and it can bring the costs down for contractors in terms of travel and accommodation. We now have some 3,000 online learners and offer 10 products – some purely online and some blended with chalk-and-talk solutions.


ET: Is help available for those contractors that are unsure what might work best for them? AM: Yes. We recognise that it can be expensive to send six to 10 employees on a course that might cost £600 each. So we can assess whether you need that training in the first place; a firm might be able to decide that instead of a four-day course, a two-day module will suffice. We have developed bespoke courses for the likes of Carillion, SES and British Gas.


ET: What other measures can help to bring down the cost of training for firms that are finding it tough out there? AM: We have the capability to run many of our courses at the offices of contractors that, like the online offering, brings down the cost of travel and


Case study: safe working for Shepherd Engineering Services


ECA member Shepherd Engineering Services (SES) is one of the leading independent mechanical and electrical building services companies in the UK, specialising in the design, installation and facilities


management of building and infrastructure services solutions for multi- million-pound projects. SES has recently arranged a series of 15 in-company Safe Systems


of Work and Safe Electrical Isolation courses – an ECA short course, developed and delivered by Certsure – which are being held between July and September this year in seven different locations around the UK. A total of 150 delegates from SES have been signed up for the course. It has been developed to provide delegates with the underpinning


knowledge and skills to work competently to a safe system of work. Delegates learn to isolate and reverse isolate safely and competently low voltage electrical installations components and equipment, in line with company safe working procedures. Participants are made aware of the hazards and risks involved, and of the legislation and regulations that apply, and how to use the safe systems of work and isolation procedures to protect themselves and others. The tutor worked closely with Mark Ford, national electrical quality


and compliance engineer for SES, to ensure that the course met the needs of SES’s staff members, and that integrated documents and forms were relevant to their roles – for example, SES Permit to Work forms and SES Low Voltage Safety Procedures. Certsure also designed and produced a bespoke portable testing rig to undertake practical assessments, as well as a 30-minute written test to make sure the delegates’ understanding of the subject was to a satisfactory level. Stashia Dawson, administration manager at Certsure, attended the


first course to ensure that the client’s needs were met and that any changes required, either to the administration or material, was actioned quickly and efficiently, ready for the next group of courses. Commenting on working with Certsure on the course, Mark Ford


from SES said: ‘From my initial enquiry to course delivery, it was evident that the Certsure team had a real passion to deliver the right training for the delegate, coupled with the appropriate assessments for SES’.


By bringing the two together, we’ve got this huge portfolio that people can tap into


accommodation. We have mobile rigs so we can easily transport kit to offices, or a hotel room, or an ECA regional office. SM: We found with our electric vehicle charging equipment courses that it works really well to be able to transport the equipment around the country. People can see the various plugs and sockets and charging modes, and that’s proved very successful. Most of Certsure’s training courses can be offered on site, with the exception of those that require the specialist centres for gas, water and oil equipment.


September 2013 ECA Today 49


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