Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Building on qualifications

by Personnel Today 1 Jul 2004
by Personnel Today 1 Jul 2004

Bill
Munn, best practice director at Thomas Vale Construction, explains how On Site
Assessment Training (OSAT) is helping to raise standards within the industry

Forum Training Limited
6 Worcester Road, Stourport-on-Severn
Worcestershire DY13 9AR
Phone: 01299 878363
E-mail: [email protected]
Weblink: www.forumtraining.com

Thomas Vale Construction, an award-winning building contractor, is involved
in more than 50 major projects in the Midlands region, spanning the public and
private sectors, new build and refurbishment, specialist piling and rail
divisions.

The challenge

Employing more than 300 staff directly and up to 700 supply chain partners
at any one time, Thomas Vale is one of a number of construction companies
aiming to raise standards within the industry. It recognises the need for
developing a competent and qualified workforce, ensuring that all of its
employees will be CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) qualified.

This is important, as 80 per cent of Thomas Vale’s workload is procured
through partnering. Its workforce, whether employed or contracted by Thomas
Vale, will be required to deliver the project on time, within budget and to the
highest quality, confirming the company’s client focus and meeting the highest
standards in the industry.

Course of action

Thomas Vale set about the task of finding a course that would provide CSCS
qualifications and in turn continually strengthen client confidence in its
organisation, setting it apart from competitors and boosting morale among the
workforce.

After a lengthy selection process, Forum Training was chosen – a specialist
training provider in the construction sector – thanks to its overall package,
reputation to deliver, links with the Learning & Skills Councils (LSCs) and
its partnerships with local colleges. In addition, Thomas Vale felt Forum
Training set itself apart from the competition through its performance as part
of the national On Site Assessment Training (OSAT) pilot programme, achieving
regional targets set by the LSC.

Skills audit

After an initial induction session, Forum Training carried out a skills
audit on the Thomas Vale workforce to find out the level of training required
for each individual. It recommended that all members of staff be included in
the training process to some degree, including management and supply chain
partners.

All employees and visitors required to go on-site must possess a CSCS card,
so Forum advised each person on how one could be obtained. Some qualified
through existing skills and experience, while others needed training in areas
such as health and safety.

From this audit, Forum embarked on tailoring a course for each individual,
establishing which level of entry was required. After an initial assessment at
Forum’s head office, based in Stourport-on-Severn, course participants were
sent off to gather work- based evidence and undergo on-site training.

Whatever their trade, whether they were bricklayers, carpenters or
electricians, each person was required to take photographic evidence of aspects
of their work over eight weeks to verify their competency and level of skill.
Forum then sent an assessor to evaluate the work by practically monitoring and
recognising skills first hand.

This took place over several months, with Forum offering help and advice on
how to improve key skills and raise overall standards in the workplace.

Verdict
A confident workforce

Bill Munn, best practice director of Thomas Vale comments:
"The results have been extremely encouraging since we began this
partnership with Forum Training. OSAT is the industry-approved route for
experienced workers, providing a flexible approach that allows individuals to
achieve recognised qualifications in a wide variety of trades that they can use
in the UK and overseas. We at Thomas Vale feel that the OSAT scheme is helping
to create a workforce who are confident in their skills and up to date with
health and safety issues in the construction sector.

"Forum Training continues to deliver the OSAT training in
a professional and effective manner. We have extended our relationship and
Forum Training now provides Thomas Vale and its supply chain with ongoing
management and business development training."

Ease of use                                      * * * * *

Ability to meet business needs           *
* * * *

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Value for money                              *
* * *

Impact                                            *
* * * *

Personnel Today

Personnel Today articles are written by an expert team of award-winning journalists who have been covering HR and L&D for many years. Some of our content is attributed to "Personnel Today" for a number of reasons, including: when numerous authors are associated with writing or editing a piece; or when the author is unknown (particularly for older articles).

previous post
Tube workers lose claim for unfair dismissal
next post
Summer’s a slog as holidays lose meaning

You may also like

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders receive 400% pay rise

4 Jul 2025

FCA to extend misconduct rules beyond banks

2 Jul 2025

‘Decisive action’ needed to boost workers’ pensions

2 Jul 2025

Business leaders’ drop in confidence impacts headcount

2 Jul 2025

Why we need to rethink soft skills in...

1 Jul 2025

Five misconceptions about hiring refugees

20 Jun 2025

Forward features list 2025 – submitting content to...

23 Nov 2024

Features list 2021 – submitting content to Personnel...

1 Sep 2020

Large firms have no plans to bring all...

26 Aug 2020

A typical work-from-home lunch: crisps

24 Aug 2020

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+