ConstructionSkills announces its 5,000th NVQ on Vocational Qualifications Day

In the week that Vocational Qualifications (VQ) – the often overlooked bedrock of skills development in the UK – are being highlighted by VQ Day, ConstructionSkills celebrated the achievements of  the 5000th person to achieve an NVQ through ConstructionSkills, delivered under the ‘Train to Gain’ programme.

Dale Wiltshire is an employee at Bristol-based Churngold Construction Ltd, which is a professional groundwork and civil engineering company. The company has been undertaking training through the ’Train to Gain’ programme since 2006, with more than 90 employees now having gained an NVQ through this route, enabling them to upgrade their Construction Plant Certification Scheme (CPCS) cards.

The CPCS card is the most widely recognised qualification card for plant operators in the construction industry. It shows that workers have the right skills and qualifications to carry out their jobs safely and to the required standard.

 Since Train To Gain’s inception less than 2 years ago, ConstructionSkills has helped provide employers in East of England, London and South West with fast, easy access to fully funded training resulting in the landmark 5000th NVQ achievement.  The success of these programmes has resulted in ConstructionSkills successfully negotiating a deal with the LSC to manage contracts across all 9 English LSC regions providing fully funded training for employers

Paul Lord, Training Manager, at Churngold Construction Ltd said: “We were really pleased to find out that Dale is the 5000th NVQ achiever through the ‘Train to Gain’ programme. Many of our staff have been undertaking training through the programme so it is great to see one of the team celebrate their success in this way on Vocational Qualifications Day. 

“We put a really big emphasis on training for our employees, it is so important that people receive the right training and qualifications to provide them with the skills they need for a successful career in the industry and to help achieve a fully qualified workforce. The training our employees have gained through the Train to Gain programme has not only benefited our company, but also our sub-contractors and agency workers. We really appreciate the support and help from everyone involved in the programme from ConstructionSkills through to Filton College, Smarter Builder and Wyevern Training.”

Tom McNeill, Contract Manager for ConstructionSkills, said: “In a sector such as our own, which generates almost 9% of UK GDP, we must ensure the industry commits to developing its workers’ skills.  Churngold’s investment in Dale through the ‘Train to Gain’ programme is an excellent example of the value of investing in skills. It has enabled Dale to go from an NVQ Level 2 in form work to a gain an NVQ Level 3, and this year he will now be put forward for a Supervisors / Managers NVQ.

“We are extremely pleased to have been working with the LSC and the other training providers during the past two years to offer companies fully funded training through the ‘Train to Gain’ programme. It is great to see that so many people have benefited from the training and we plan to continue supporting these, and many other companies and provide them with first class training into the future.”

Speaking at the VQ day celebration event, Skills Secretary, John Denham said: "In the coming years we want apprenticeships and other accredited vocational courses to be seen alongside university as a great way to get on and secure the best jobs, the best careers and the best life chances.”

Earlier this year, ConstructionSkills announced that more than 1,000 construction companies – with over 60,000 employees between them – have signed up to the Government’s Skills Pledge, making construction the leading sector in demonstrating its commitment to training. The Pledge is a voluntary commitment to support all employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant, valuable qualifications to at least NVQ Level 2.

To find out further information about ConstructionSkills please visit www.cskills.org and to find out further information about Vocational Qualifications Day please visit www.vqday.org.uk

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For further information please contact Andrew Mabey – 020 7367 9807 andrew.mabey@cskills.org

Notes to Editors

About ConstructionSkills

ConstructionSkills is the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry. It is UK-wide and represents the whole industry from professional consultancies to major contractors and SMEs.

Established as a Sector Skills Council in 2003, ConstructionSkills is working to deliver a safe, professional and fully qualified construction workforce. ConstructionSkills is a partnership between CIC, CITB Northern Ireland and CITB-ConstructionSkills. All 3 partners are committed to working together to deliver industry-led skills and training solutions through the Sector Skills Agreement for construction. We work to negotiate the best partnership and funding deals for the construction industry to help raise standards and we develop the skills products and services employers need.

The construction sector is central to the UK economy, generating almost 9% of UK GDP and with a turnover of more than £203bn a year. It employs 2.5 million people and requires over half a million new entrants between 2008 and 2012, as forecast by our Construction Skills Network.

About Train to Gain

Managed by the Learning and Skills Council, Train to Gain is the government's flagship service to support employers in England, of all sizes and in all sectors, to improve the skills of their employees, unlock talent and drive improved business performance. An important element of Train to Gain is the skills brokerage service which offers free impartial advice, and helps find the best training solution from high quality and responsive training providers to meet business needs.

About VQ day

VQ Day has been launched to raise the profile of vocational qualifications and celebrate vocational success.   23rd July 2008 was the first ever VQ Day.

VQ Day is being led by Edge, the education foundation, with support from many of the leading players in the vocational education community. Edge is committed to raising the status of practical and vocational learning across the UK. It aims to improve educational standards by applying practical experience to learning and providing opportunities to excel through vocational, as well as academic, studies. To find out more about Edge and its other activities visit www.edge.co.uk.