Did you know that the Tywi Centre is able to offer the OSAT route for Heritage Skills to NVQ3?
The OSAT course is specially designed for experienced crafts people who have no formal qualification. It’s a simple, fast and effective route to obtaining a relevant NVQ diploma. With no courses to attend, assessment and any training are carried out on-site, meaning that there is minimal disruption to everyday work activities. Once the NVQ3 has been obtained, workers can apply for the Gold ‘Heritage’ CSCS card.
I.J. Preece and Son Ltd are award winning specialists in Building Conservation and Restoration. They have recently enrolled Nathan, a skilled carpenter, onto the Scheme. This is their feedback so far:
Why did you decide to support Nathan to gain this qualification?
We supported Nathan through a college-based, level 2 apprenticeship when he first started working for us. Nathan did not want to continue to the level 3 apprenticeship at the time, as he felt that on-site learning may be more beneficial. Now that he has several years’ experience under his belt, Nathan has grown in confidence and has become highly skilled and competent in his craft (carpentry). We were happy to support him in gaining a Level 3 NVQ when he suggested it, and started looking for ways that he could achieve this whilst still maintaining his working hours on our sites.
Does the assessment process fit in with your work schedule?
The on-site assessment aspect of this NVQ was an ideal fit for both Nathan and our business. It is a heritage specific course, which we felt would play to the Company’s strengths as building contractors who undertake a multitude of conservation and restoration projects. Nathan is an invaluable part of our team, so the fact that assessments can be done on site and through submitting evidence of work without interrupting his day-to-day work too much is fantastic. We allow Nathan some time to collect evidence of work as required, but this is mostly done as he is working on our projects, so any disruption is minimal.
Would you recommend it to other companies based on your experience so far?
Although COVID-19 has hindered progress slightly, we have found the tutor assigned to Nathan is helpful and easy to contact. We are also a CITB registered company, which means that we can also claim a grant towards the course, which helps significantly towards the overall cost. Coupled with the fact that workers can gain recognition for their skills without impacting too much on their time spent working, I would highly recommend this as an option for encouraging and enhancing skilled workers if that is something that they would like to pursue.
If you are interested in finding out more about the OSAT- please contact a member of our team on CanolfanTywiCentre@Carmarthenshire.gov.uk/ 07929 770743
