Comments sought on BS apprenticeships
3rd January 2015
UK: English building services contractors are being asked for their views on new proposals for separate craftsperson and Installer apprenticeships.
The new draft standards – which have been drawn up by a group of employers from the sector and supported by the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES) – come in response to Government challenges for industry sectors to rethink training requirements under its Trailblazer scheme. The refrigeration sector is currently going through a similar process to develop apprenticeship standards for air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump engineers.
The group has agreed that there should be apprenticeships for two occupations – craftsperson and installer. The main difference between the occupations is that the installer understands and installs components of systems under fairly close supervision, while the craftsperson would have a much broader and deeper understanding of the systems and can plan, organise and undertake work with minimum supervision.
The draft standards are now out for consultation and participants are being invited to comment on issues such as the appropriate duration of apprenticeships, the competences which apprentices should have achieved on completion of their training and the specific knowledge and skills they must acquire during the apprenticeship programme.
The consultation takes the form of a 10-minute online survey, to be completed following study of the two-page revised standards documents.
“It is essential that employers take a close look at the new standards and learn what they involve,” said Colin Acheson, chairman of the Employer Development Group.
“If building services engineering contractors employ industrial/commercial apprentices – or are thinking about doing so – these new standards will have a very significant impact on their operations,” Mr Acheson insisted.
To view the revised standards – and to provide input on this important issue – employers should visit www.b-es.org/b-es-connections/employment-affairs/apprenticeships-consultation/.
The consultation closes on 23 January 2015.
Related news:
IoR seeks input on new apprenticeships – November 12, 2014
UK: The Institute of Refrigeration is seeking input from UK industry as it starts the process of developing new apprenticeship standards for air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump engineers. Read more…
