CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > November 2023 21 TRAINING: 2 PSROWebinar A webinar was organised by CPA on behalf of the Plant Sector Representative Organisation (PSRO) in mid-2023 with the aim of allowing delegates to get an update on the PSRO and work carried out to-date as well as providing information about the recent update to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) Skills Strategy and its potential impact on the plant sector. The webinar was opened by Kevin Minton, Acting Chair of the PSRO before undertaking a presentation on why the PSRO came into being, how it was formed and by whom, what the current structure is and what the long term aims and objectives are. This was followed by a presentation from Alasdair Reisner, CEO of the Civil Engineers Contractors Association (CECA) and a PSRO Board Member, who gave an update on the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) 2023/2024 skills strategy and covered the topics of culture change, routes into industry, competence, and skills for a modern industry. Alasdair’s session was subsequently followed by a panel discussion with members of the PSRO Technical Review Group and included Aaron Davis of Flannery Plant, Kevin Fairholm of the GGR Group and the CPA Secretariat - Peter Brown and Nick Gooderson. The group answered a series of questions posed by the PSRO Chair before receiving and answering questions from delegates. The webinar lasted for approximately two hours and the slides and a recording of the webinar can be viewed on the PSRO-dedicated website. Eco-operations National Training Delivery Framework The PSRO and the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s (SCSS) Plant Group have worked together to develop a new Eco-operations National Training Delivery Framework. This is in support of the construction plant sector’s initiatives and solutions for the country’s path to Net Zero, with machine usage identified as a contributor to carbon-based emissions. The long-term aim of the sector is to replace all carbon-emitting equipment with zero or low emission-powered versions. However in the short-term, the aim is to reduce as far as practicable, engine-derived emissions through both minimising engine-run time and efficient use of that equipment. This requires an education programme for both owners, operators and users of such equipment and from which eco-operation courses, either in-house with an employer or through externally certified courses from established awarding organisations, are bringing vital learning for this subject. To ensure industry’s approach in meeting its obligations, there is a need for an overarching criteria that promotes consistency and standardisation for eco-operations, therefore the PSRO and the SCSS Plant Group worked collaboratively to develop and launch a training delivery framework. It sets out the parameters for consistent delivery and identifies and provides guidance on areas such as core and optional learning outcomes, delivery content and methodologies, assessment strategies and course durations. As the learning content can vary for a number of occupations, the framework further identifies individual course content and delivery factors for Plant Operatives, Supervisors, Plant and Site Managers, Planners, Plant Procurers, Maintenance Personnel, etc. The aim is that on completion of a course based on the framework, delegates should have attained a required level of understanding on the principles of reducing machine-based carbon emissions, enabling them to recognise and apply learnt reduction techniques, operational processes and emergingmachine technologies with a desired outcome that each delegate takes personal ownership of the need to reduce emissions. The framework is divided into three parts with part 1 outlining the aims and principles of the framework, part 2 identifying the delivery aspects for the relevant occupations and part 3 specifying the learning outcomes and training specification. All PSRO publications can be downloaded free of charge from www.psro.org.uk