Levelling up job skills

Oct 24 2007 by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

WORK is under way to help address the skills shortage in the Tees Valley.

And a new qualification for a key industrial sector will be launched in the region later this month.

On October 31, the Project Control Support Standards and the Level 2 NVQs in Project Control will be launched at Darlington Football Club.

Project control engineers include estimators, planning engineers and cost engineers who work in process and associated industries.

A National Apprenticeship for Project Control Engineers is now also under way in the Tees Valley - the first of its kind in the country.

Shane Forth, project control manager for project management and services company, Amec, based in Darlington, has been a driving force behind establishing the new career training.

He said development of existing and new entrants into the profession is needed to replace a workforce which has significantly aged and declined in recent years due to a lack of new people entering the industry.

Two years ago, in a series of national regional seminars including the Tees Valley, the Association of Cost Engineers launched new National Occupational Standards and associated Project Control NVQs at Levels 3 and 4 as part of a revamp of training and accreditation systems.

“There has been tremendous progress since 2005, with well over 200 project controllers nationwide, including many in the Tees Valley, currently undertaking the Level 3 and 4 qualifications,” said Mr Forth, who has also recently completed a three-year stint as vice president of the Association of Cost Engineers.

“However, at the 2005 launch seminars, the call from industry was loud and clear, that in addition to the Level 3 and 4 NVQs, a Level 2 qualification was urgently needed to attract people into the industry, together with the development of a recognised nationwide Modern Apprenticeship for project controls similar to the well-established scheme which has been in place over many years for Design Engineering Technicians.”

Project managed by the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), the Level 2 Qualification has now been put together along with the new Project Control Apprenticeship.

ECITB initially looked to start the apprenticeship in London and the South-east, but a number of issues have delayed this until 2008. However, the training scheme is now under way in the Tees Valley.

Amec has recruited seven apprentices. Other companies taking part in the scheme include Aker Kvaerner and Siemens Vai, both based in Stockton, K Home International based in Thornaby, and Alpha Plus of Sheffield.

Amec is sponsoring the venue for the Association of Cost Engineers launch seminar for the Level 2 National Occupational Standards which apprentices will complete along with Level 3 and BTEC in Construction.

Speakers at the October 31 launch event will include Stan Higgins, chief executive of the North East Process Industry Cluster - NEPIC.

For more information contact enquiries@acoste.org.uk