Columnist

Could this be the shake-up that is needed to the Health and Safety sector?

On 29th March 2018 the new Safety, Health and Environmental Technician Apprenticeship Standard (SHE Technician) was officially launched.

This is the first time that an apprenticeship has existed for safety, health and environment qualifications and will allow employers to claim public funding – pooled via the government’s apprenticeship levy.

The level 3 apprenticeship aims to develop skills, behaviours and knowledge required to undertake a SHE Technician role for new or existing employees. Furthermore, the apprenticeship has been designed and developed by industry leading employers including Balfour Beatty, Costain, High Speed 2, Mitie, Morrison Utilities, Persimmon Homes, Sapa Group, Sisk, Skanska and Thames Water.

The apprenticeship has been launched at a time when health and safety level 3 qualifications are dominated within the sector by heavy classroom delivery and intensive exams. The apprenticeship is a new and fresh approach to the sector and gives employers and employees an extended choice on the routes to joining the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) at TechIOSH level.

The apprenticeship is a new and unique way of learning and developing within health and safety. The training is delivered within the workplace allowing learners to apply skills, knowledge and behaviours on a daily basis within their current roles. The apprenticeship offers immediate impact to any business with employers reaping the rewards of investing in their staff. Historically, no funding has been available for accredited health and safety training and the apprenticeship is a great route for employers to claim public funding or for Levy paying employers to utilise their Levy.

Global corporation manufacturing organisation Unipres (UK) have recently introduced the SHE Technician Apprenticeship to their workforce. They recognised how their employees will benefit from a market leading new fresh innovative approach to health and safety.

Maureen Askew (Senior Controller - UTA) promotes apprenticeships throughout the business and states “The Apprenticeship Levy has worked for Unipres (UK). The requirement to ensure the Levy contribution is fully utilised has driven all departments to review if it is possible to recruit new vacancies via the apprenticeship route and apprenticeship frameworks and standards are being reviewed to drive existing staff development.  In Richard’s Knowles’ case (HR - H&S), the new Safety Technician Level Apprenticeship Standard offered by Penshaw View Training is a perfect way for Richard to develop his skills to progress his career and offer more to the company.

Colin Thompson  (HR Controller - H&S) confirms “Unipres safety culture is an important part of who we are, ensuring employees go home safe and well is an absolute requirement. To ensure this philosophy continues it is important to train and mentor our staff. This apprenticeship fits ideally with this ethos enabling the trainer to actively contribute to the safe development of the business whilst continuing to learn”.

More and more employers are enrolling their employees on to the new SHE Technician Apprenticeship and choosing Penshaw View Training as their preferred training provider. As the only registered apprenticeship training provider currently delivering to Levy and Non Levy paying employers, we have been delighted with the response from industry as a whole and the commitment that UK has already shown to this market challenging apprenticeship.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Penshaw View .