Following a 15-month training period, Dominick Kondej-Matparae, an apprentice employed by Barton Service Group successfully completed the End Point Assessment which consisted of seven practical demonstrations over 5.5 hours, a professional discussion and a technical theory test comprising 50 questions.

The Construction Plant Operative Apprenticeship Standard was introduced in July 2020 to upskill and train the next generation of construction and plant operatives to support skills gaps within these sectors.

Whilst on-programme apprentices learn how to check, prepare and operate four common types of plant machinery including a 360-degree excavator, dumper/dump truck, forklift and ride-on-roller. The ability to operate a core range of plant onsite enables apprentices to work across several projects and provides the basis for upgrading to more specialist plant machinery.

SB Skills Solutions Ltd, a national training provider that specialises in qualifications, training and apprenticeships for the Construction and Engineering sector were the training provider for the first cohort of apprentices on this Apprenticeship Standard.

Neil Beaumont, Director at SB Skills said: “It is a testament to the whole team and the effort put in with our apprentices which paves the way for a fantastic success for Dominic and future apprentices. We wish him well for his future development and are very proud to be the first apprenticeship provider in the North West to get apprentices through this newly formed apprenticeship standard”

Joe Burton, EPA Technical Lead at NOCN commented: “Given our historic past and future projects in this industry, we are glad to be able to support this Apprenticeship Standard. The development of the End Point Assessment, like all our End Point Assessments, comprises a rigorous procedure that draws on a variety of specialised knowledge areas and quality assurance. We also engage with representatives from the sector during this time and work with organisations like SB Skills that have a long history in the sector and a solid reputation in the industry.”

With the construction and infrastructure industry rapidly scaling up to deliver some of the most ambitious schemes in history, CITB estimates that the sector will need to recruit 31,600 workers annually. Apprenticeship programmes like the Construction Plant Operative Standard are going to be key to addressing significant skills shortages and developing the skilled workforce of the future.