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A new course that has been specially adapted to give a recognised qualification in multi-skilled building-maintenance has recently awarded its first ‘NVQ Level 2’, to a carpenter who works on Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s Community Housing response maintenance. |
The course, adapted by Lowestoft College and CTS Ltd in Great Yarmouth, in partnership with Norfolk County Services (NCS), has been set up to enable those who work in response maintenance for buildings to gain official recognition across a range of skills.
NCS Commercial Director, Clive Whitaker, said that until now building response-maintenance personnel could only achieve qualifications dedicated to the various specialisations areas, such as bricklaying, carpentry or plumbing.
“For a long time there was no recognised qualification for achievement and ability across the range of skills that is needed for response maintenance operatives, so we decided to work with the College and CTS Ltd to develop a process for our staff,” Whitaker commented. “NCS is committed to personnel training and development and producing this course enables our staff to enhance their existing skill sets,” he added.
The first person to qualify under the new course, Martin Ansty, works for NCS on the company’s contract with Great Yarmouth Borough Council for ‘Response and Voids Maintenance’ on their community housing.
The multi-skill NVQ covers a range of skills comprising 14 different mandatory units chosen from 25 covering various activities from dismantling working platforms, carpentry, tiling, plumbing, fencing, glazing etc and can be adapted to cover the skills which an operative regularly uses within NCS in order to achieve his qualification.
Hilary Hale, Learning and Development Manager at NCS, commented “At long last NCS is able to support recognition of those skills on which we place such high importance”. |
