CPA Bulletin

30 CPA Bulletin > August 2024 www.cpa.uk.net TRAINING & CERTIFICATION: 3 Training Durations The working groups for each standard consist of industry representatives, with many groups chaired by CPA members. The new standards, although initially based on existing training criteria, were comprehensively updated to reflect the changes and increasing responsibilities of plant operators. This includes dealing with the new technologies and safety aids, eco-operating principles and increased knowledge on efficiency, safety and health requirements. Naturally, this has increased the training content and to ensure that each trainee is given sufficient time to effectively learn the content of the standard, that each working group made a recommendation as the typical length of course that would be required. It was also to address a common CPA member and industry complaint that on returning from a training course, their operators lacked the required skills and for which the employer had to carry out additional training before their operators could be put to work. In a bid to negate this inefficient situation, each working group adjusted the training durations so that training is ‘done properly and only once’, with the CITB grant there to support the increased durations. However, since the launch of the first tranche of standards, CITB have reported a low take-up of the standards and in discussions with their ATOs and employers, it appears that some employers are reluctant to lose their operators for too long and only seek the minimum basic training before getting their operators back onto site. The low take-up also means that some training providers are not offering the new standards, further limiting national availability. The CPA and PSRO are in discussion with CITB to seek a way of finding a solution but also in promoting the benefits of the industry-devised effective training standards for plant operators, coupled with sufficient grant so that employers are not out of pocket.