Branch
Reports 2011/12
21st September
2011
The first Branch technical meeting of the
year was held on Wednesday 21st September 2011 in Bridgend.
A well-attended session welcomed Mike
Phillips, the General Manager of the IOQ to South Wales to talk about
‘Competence, the NVQ and CPC.’
Often seen as a ‘dry’ subject, Mike
delivered an enthusiastic insight into the progress the industry has made
in achieving a significant sign up and completion of the NVQ for managers
and supervisors at Level 3, 4 and 5.
Whilst pass rates at NVQ level 2 have
been steadily rising as the industry has embraced the need to affirm the
competence of its operational workforce, Mike expressed concern that at
the supervisory level, the industry needs to kick on and achieve more at
NVQ level 3 and above. Mike was especially concerned that the NVQ Level 5
uptake and pass rate is not in line with what is required by HSE for
senior managers and we could be in danger of falling behind.
Mike made the point well, that the HSE
require a formal demonstration of competence in line with the National
Occupational Standards and any knowledge gaps have to be filled. The NVQ
helps provide a large part of this and any knowledge gaps can be
identified through the use an individuals Continuing Professional
Development file (CPD).
The registration of an individual for CPD
can only be good for a person in the industry. Mike laboured the point
that CPD is about the individual. It is transferable and does not belong
to any person’s employer. He implored the room to register if not already
registered and to keep the records for audit by the Institute on a
periodic basis. The achievement of 100 hour, 500 hr and 1000 hr
certificates for CPD will also help the individual demonstrate competence
to the industries regulators.
To round up his talk, Mike introduced
the IOQ’s Corporate Professional Competence (CPC) to the room. The CPC
scheme has been signed up to by a number of the large operators and
suppliers to the industry and there is a list of others on the verge of
joining it. The scheme is a demonstration of commitment by organisations
that they will support their employees in achieving competence through the
NVQ and CPD routes. This approach can only improve the professional
standing and competence of the whole industry and is to be applauded.
The meeting was brought to a close with
the usual vote of thanks given by Anthony Morgan, Chairman of the
Institute of Quarrying and South Wales Branch Member.
