David Boyden on plant training

According to the Construction Skills Network,  the UK will have over 100,000 people working in the plant sector by 2010. This equates to an annual requirement of nearly 4,000 new recruits working as operatives, mechanics and fixers. The National Construction College is committed to training in this specialist area.

Last year, the College joined forces with plant manufacturer JCB to open the first-ever plant training facility borne from a collaboration between a training provider and a manufacturer. Located in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, the site compliments our existing Midlands facility and enables us to deliver more training courses for plant operators.

By joining forces with JCB we can offer first-class specialist plant training on the latest equipment, including: telescopic handlers, rough terrain forklifts, backhoe loaders, excavators and dumptrucks. The courses available range from plant health and safety, through to NVQ level 3.

Since opening in October 2005, the courses have been fully booked. Due to this high demand for training, the college now offers twice as many plant training courses.

Coupled with this, are the unrivalled facilities at the college’s East campus in Bircham Newton, Norfolk. Here, a fleet of plant machinery worth over £10m from a range of manufacturers, and instructors with extensive industry experience, allow us to continue to meet the demands of the industry.

[Contract Journal, 23 August 2006, p 43]