WORKFORCE PLANNING
Apprenticeships provide a real alternative
to more traditional academic routes to professional engineering roles. Apprentices are normally employed and as such earn and learn as they work. Engineering apprenticeships covering at least two educational levels take around four years to complete. One apprenticeship, under development
through the UK’s Modernising Scientific Careers programme, is linked to the new and emerging roles within the Clinical Biomedical Engineering Career Framework. It will provide for entry at apprentice level with progression through to Clinical Biomedical Engineer status. However, designing and delivering
apprenticeship frameworks is a challenge when the number of participants is relatively low. The sector needs to support the development of suitable frameworks and not shoehorn healthcare apprentices into generic engineering programmes that do not develop the specialist skills and knowledge required.
Recruiting graduates Another source of new talent is to recruit graduates into the healthcare and estates sector. Graduates will bring in-depth technical knowledge and important research skills to the workplace but in some cases may lack the practical application that an apprentice will acquire during training. To overcome this, organisations are looking to supplement academic study with opportunity for hands-on training. An example of this approach to new
entrant training comes from Malaysia. Prior to attending university, many healthcare engineering students undertake the Advanced Diploma in Medical Engineering at a college in order to gain the relevant vocational knowledge and understanding, but in many cases these organisations lack the facilities for students to get ‘hands on’ training with actual medical equipment. To solve this, Eastwood Park was commissioned to bring this ‘hands on’ training, through simulated work related learning environments, to put their theoretical training into practice. Thirty employers were invited to see the students ‘in action’ and were so impressed they offered 12 students immediate employment.
Designing career progression Before exploring training programmes for existing staff it is worth reflecting on the need to align career progression with complex job roles, relevant qualifications, professional bodies and trade organisations. Within this article there is a clear focus on ensuring that new entrants and existing staff
Figure 1: The apprenticeship brand has been extended from educational levels 2 and 3 to include higher apprenticeships at levels 4, 5 and 6 and level 7 (Master’s Degree Level) apprenticeships are in development.
receive the appropriate training and qualifications required to meet the organisation’s needs as well as those of the individual. We need career pathways for internationally recognised roles such as Competent Person, Authorised Person and Authorising Engineer. Within most countries these professional roles are normally linked to memberships of professional and regulatory bodies who have their own professional standards and membership criteria. These bodies may, in turn, relate to National Councils, such as the UK’s Engineering Council which sets the professional standards and requirements for professional registrations leading to Eng Tech, IEng and CEng (for Engineering Technician, Incorporated Engineer, and Chartered Engineer respectively). These statuses are recognised internationally by organisations such as the International Federation of Hospital Engineers (IFHE), which provides a global strategic forum for these disciplines. In order to create and articulate career
‘The sector needs to develop clear strategies to ensure there is a well-equipped workforce that can support advances in technology and the demand for services.’
IFHE DIGEST 2014
development linked to organisational, regulatory requirement and sector needs for all stakeholders including employers, new entrants and the existing workforce, comprehensive career frameworks need to be designed for each role containing as a minimum the following key characteristics.
Developing existing staff Technical updating, familiarity with emerging technologies and developing a wider skill- base are all key areas that need to be addressed within the organisational and people development cycle, along with robust assessment of the application of the associated competences. Much of this training is likely to be undertaken by equipment manufacturers and estates services organisations, as well as through Further and Higher Education development routes. An interesting example of ‘blended’ learning in this context, which mixes Higher Education with a vocational route is the UK’s Foundation Degree in Medical Technologies, where various healthcare engineering pathways are available. This programme enables full-time employees to also become full-time students by undertaking their studies in tandem with their job. They use a mix of work-based activities, on-line learning, work-based projects and weekend residential courses and assessment centres, held in a
15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100