Fabricom GDF Suez
Yorkshire and Humber energy, process and renewable employers have an ambitious plan to offer a new form of authentic, site-based training.
Yorkshire and Humber energy, process and renewable employers have an ambitious plan to offer a new form of authentic, site-based training. The employer-led ‘Skills Enhancement Centre’ creates opportunities for new apprentices, employees and unemployed people in the region. It offers on-site experience ranging from plant build, fit out and commissioning to emergency response training and hazardous plant shutdown – all vital skills where current learning opportunities are highly restricted.
“This funding will enable us to provide real solutions to employer needs in skills, training and competency programmes.”
Sabine Holmes, Skills Manager, Humber Chemical Focus Ltd
The skills challenges
Yorkshire and Humber is the UK’s powerhouse for the process, energy and renewable sectors, with a potential £6bn of new capital projects in the pipeline. However, nationally these sectors face a skills shortfall of 56,000 skilled workers, and need 500 new apprentices every year until 2020. Employers are finding skilled vacancies hard to fill. Many supply chain employers can’t afford to take on apprentices or to offer site-based assessment or training opportunities in high-risk environments.
The solution
More than a dozen regional oil, gas, power, chemical and process industries employers have joined forces to tackle these major skills challenges and leave a legacy of greater productivity and growth. This project aims to help boost apprentice numbers and improve the work-readiness of new recruits and unemployed people by creating a new ‘Skills Enhancement Centre’. The centre will be established within a pre-existing £12m industrial training centre in the Humber, the largest training facility of its kind in the UK.
The centre will provide training and assessment in an environment that mirrors real life engineering tasks on industrial sites. The most innovative element will be the creation of the UK’s first advanced training programme to replicate key elements of a main plant shutdown, re-engineering and start up. All programmes will be designed by employers to meet entry requirements into their organisations, with a high level of employer engagement including site visits and practice with consortium employers. The programme will also create opportunities for unemployed people in the Humber, with programmes that directly address hard-to-fill vacancies in the sector.
Impact
This innovative approach to training will enable 80 advanced apprentices to complete their apprenticeships with enhanced skills and more quickly, potentially leading to the creation of more apprenticeship places. Outcomes will also include 60 pre-apprenticeship work experience opportunities, 160 pre-employment programmes, and 90 candidates undertaking ‘project shutdown’ for assessment at intermediate and advanced levels. The employers aim to improve the current productivity rate of 55% for a newly qualified apprentice to 77% using this new way of delivering training, and believe that the pilot has the potential for wider roll out nationally.
Who’s involved?
The consortium is led by Fabricom Oil, Gas and Power Ltd. Regional employers will contribute more than £1m to the project over two years, leveraging £1m public funding through the Employer Ownership Pilot. Managing agents, Humber Chemical Focus Ltd estimate that, in addition to the consortium members, 15 manufacturing companies and 25 supply chain companies will also benefit.
“This consortium is uniquely placed to address critical barriers to increasing apprentice numbers. We have developed an innovative and purpose built industrial training centre, led by employers and providing a ground-breaking, authentic industrial-scale training and skills environment.”
Nigel Carlton, Chief Executive Officer UK, Fabricom Oil Gas and Power
Investment
Employer investment: £765,424
Employer Ownership Pilot Funding: £1,047,161
Total: £1,812,585
