A good example of how collaborative working can deliver is the recent Gold Card standard training we have developed, partnering with the MPQC’s Awarding Body, MP Awards. By sharing best practice in operator training, Finning has already helped to upskill operators in five of the major quarry businesses in the UK. We are setting new standards, focused on delivering higher levels of production and safety.


Equally, technology can play a part in identifying whether individuals really want to be a part of the industry. For example, potential future operators at Lynch Plant Hire are now able to try out what it takes to operate a machine on a newly purchased simulator, as Director Rob Lynch explains:


“We need to make sure potential operators really know what the job requires before we look to take them on. By having our own simulator we can give them an opportunity to virtually operate plant in a safe environment.”


Practical yet safe experience is essential in this industry and that is why more places on professional training and apprenticeship schemes are needed across the sector. Having brought the Finning apprenticeship


scheme in-house, we know from experience that learning on the job is essential and that the development of mentoring can make a big impact.


But it is what lies beyond an apprenticeship that is important. The industry needs to recognise that it is our overall responsibility to continue investing in our talent if we are to keep it making a positive contribution to the sector.


Finning also has a key role to play in educating the rest of the construction industry when it comes to the use, maintenance and technological capabilities of modern plant. For example, the HSE is now calling for more skilled plant managers to ensure safer sites. These individuals used to be commonplace on sites, but with these skills lost over time the plant sector needs to support this initiative as part of a wider development of skills throughout the construction industry.


The plant sector has to make an essential contribution to the development of the next generation, so let’s embrace collaborative working and make a difference across the board.


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