A review of recent developments in construction operative training in the UK

Abstract

Future skill requirements and training initiatives designed to meet them, are highly topical issues in the construction industry. The pace of change affecting the structure of training generally has created considerable confusion among employers in the construction industry. In the mind of the average employer there is still uncertainty about the nature and value of competence-based qualifications (NVQs) which are still at a relatively early stage of implementation. Training provision has been decimated by the effects of the recession. The range of options for training routes has become more complex due to continuing government initiatives and frequent changes in funding policy. This paper traces the prevailing trends in the provision of craft training in the UK construction industry, highlighting the fragmentation of funding arrangements and its effects on the structure of training. First, recent developments in government policy for youth training in the UK in general are reviewed. Second, formalized training procedures and the roles of the different training organizations in the construction industry are discussed. This forms an important backdrop for understanding issues affecting the introduction of new vocational qualifications. Finally, the aims, objectives and key characteristics of these qualifications are presented. Factors that have constrained the implementation and delivery of the new qualifications are identified also.Skills, Training Provision, Vocational Qualifications,

Overview of funding for construction craft skills training in Sub‐Saharan Africa: a case study of Zambia

“…The quality of training is closely linked to the level of investment in education (Clarke and Wall, 1998;Syben, 1998), and many central governments contribute to financing the technical, vocational education and training (TVET) sector from their annual budgets, and regulate the suppliers of other sources of finance such as employers and trainees (Agapiou 1998;Jawardane and Gunardena 1998;Ziderman, 2001;Johansson, 2002).…”

Modelo de controle de perdas aplicado à construção civil: pontos críticos e a contribuição da educação e treinamento.

“…Agapiou (1998) destaca que, há muito tempo, a necessidade de aprendizagem e capacitação na construção civil tem sido evidenciada. educação, capacitação e na conscientização, segundo Lobos (1991), deve ser extensivo a todos os funcionários, não só aos trabalhadores, mas também aos responsáveis pelas ações gerenciais, diminuindo, assim, as perdas na segurança, qualidade e na produtividade.…”

Survival and Decline of the Apprenticeship System in the Australian and UK Construction Industries

“…Effective unions are essential for the development and maintenance of occupational labour markets characteristic of apprenticeships. Such labour markets depend on employer associations and unions balancing firm‐specific and industry‐level training needs (Agapiou 1998: 519). In the United Kingdom, over the last three decades unions, with a few exceptions such as the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU), have not performed this countervailing function (Gospel and Druker 1998; Steedman 2001).…”

“…The NVQ Level 2 became accepted in the construction industry as the standard craft qualification, with the exception of electrical trades (ALI 2005a: 9). Implementation of ‘competency‐based training’ (CBT) with NVQs, in which individuals are assessed on the performance of discrete manual tasks, has reduced the acquisition of underpinning theoretical knowledge which is essential for problem solving and gaining an appreciation of an individual's role in the overall construction process (Agapiou 1998: 511; Clarke and Wall 2000: 695). CBT in the construction industry has acted to further ‘disengage’ employers from the training system.…”