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What is experience worth?
10:12 29 May 2002
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This is a copy of a letter sent to Sir Michael Latham, the chairman
of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) by RD Jolian
Plant Hire in Chichester.
Sir,
I was reading the 15 May edition of Contract Journal and saw the letter on safety so I thought I would have a gripe about my episodes with the CITB. I have written on numerous occasions for renewal of my CTA card, registration number 3150174, only to be told that I would have to pay for another safety awareness course, which incidentally would be my third in recent years.
To be told I would need site assessments for all categories of plant use is no joke. I don't operate all these machines at the same time, so every time I need a different piece of equipment I have to pay for an assessment. I work mostly on my own and this is totally out of order. I attended my first course at Bircham Newton for tracked loaders and dozers for two weeks in December 1970 and have papers to prove this.
Further courses followed in 1992 on 180ûand 360û machines. I went on to college on a plant repairs and maintenance course and worked for companies such as McLaren Plant, AE Symes, and Ewhurst plant, which I can prove.
I must admit the CITB did grant me my skilled plant mechanics CSCS card, but how long before more rules and regulations change this? After the last company went into receivership I struck out on my own and spent several hundreds of pounds on an LGV license for low loader work, then took an RSA exam for an operator's license.
As the CITB seems to think I gained all this through industry accreditation (or grandfather rights) and life experience counts for nothing, am I entitled to my money back from 30 years ago?
I applied for my platinum manager's card three months ago. I suppose I will receive more forms and requests for money. What is going on?
I've turned 50, so I suppose I shall have to do as other one-man-bands and carry on being unqualified with no cards until we all stop operating altogether.
By the way, I wanted to drop some curbs outside my son's new home. I got the necessary paper-work from the council only to find out I need a card for this job. Now I've got the extra cost of paying somebody with a card to sit and watch me do this work.
A disgruntled mechanical operator and civil engineer
Sir,
I was reading the 15 May edition of Contract Journal and saw the letter on safety so I thought I would have a gripe about my episodes with the CITB. I have written on numerous occasions for renewal of my CTA card, registration number 3150174, only to be told that I would have to pay for another safety awareness course, which incidentally would be my third in recent years.
To be told I would need site assessments for all categories of plant use is no joke. I don't operate all these machines at the same time, so every time I need a different piece of equipment I have to pay for an assessment. I work mostly on my own and this is totally out of order. I attended my first course at Bircham Newton for tracked loaders and dozers for two weeks in December 1970 and have papers to prove this.
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Further courses followed in 1992 on 180ûand 360û machines. I went on to college on a plant repairs and maintenance course and worked for companies such as McLaren Plant, AE Symes, and Ewhurst plant, which I can prove.
I must admit the CITB did grant me my skilled plant mechanics CSCS card, but how long before more rules and regulations change this? After the last company went into receivership I struck out on my own and spent several hundreds of pounds on an LGV license for low loader work, then took an RSA exam for an operator's license.
As the CITB seems to think I gained all this through industry accreditation (or grandfather rights) and life experience counts for nothing, am I entitled to my money back from 30 years ago?
I applied for my platinum manager's card three months ago. I suppose I will receive more forms and requests for money. What is going on?
I've turned 50, so I suppose I shall have to do as other one-man-bands and carry on being unqualified with no cards until we all stop operating altogether.
By the way, I wanted to drop some curbs outside my son's new home. I got the necessary paper-work from the council only to find out I need a card for this job. Now I've got the extra cost of paying somebody with a card to sit and watch me do this work.
A disgruntled mechanical operator and civil engineer
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