A Way Through The Training Maze
Posted on April 22, 2013 by khuiejknec
Launched in May 2010, the NCCB now enjoys the support of the
Health & Safety Executive, together with 17 trade associations
and training organisations[1]that
represent the interests of employers and employees within a
number of economic sectors. The Construction and Facilities
Management sectors are particularly well represented.
Founded by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
and Human Focus International, the NCCB’s mission is “to ensure
the transparency of health & safety qualifications” by working
to reduce employers’ confusion about which health and safety
qualifications workers need to hold and which training courses
they need to undertake.
The National Core Competence Benchmark (NCCB) is a
collaborative initiative that is open to any training course
provider. Fundamental to the NCCB is its website which lists
courses and qualifications that are accredited by trade, safety
or examination bodies and ranks them against recognised training
frameworks. The NCCB website now includes 559 courses offered by
55 training organisations.
Legally, employers are wholly responsible for judging who is,
or is not, competent. This is an onerous duty that is hampered
by the lack of any clear standards. The NCCB fills this gap by
offering impartial and practical assistance to employers at the
point of them choosing training courses or qualifications for
their staff, as well as helping them establish the level of
health & safety awareness and training associated with the work
activities.
The website includes a tool for establishing development
needs for employees holding specific positions, and it
benchmarks the relative level of courses.
Errol Taylor, deputy chief executive of RoSPA and chairman of
the NCCB steering committee said: “Employers tell us that they
are very confused when trying to decide what training to provide
for their employees – both in terms of identifying reputable
providers and the level of course required. The NCCB now
provides them with an excellent management tool to support them
while they are assessing what training they need to provide for
their employees and also when they are establishing the level of
health & safety awareness and training.”
Rob Vondy, Head of Workforce and Leadership Policy at the
Health & Safety Executive, said: “we welcome the NCCB’s aims to
improve the transparency of health & safety training and
qualifications”.
Click here to
add a new course to the NCCB website.
[1] See over page for full list of NCCB members