LRWA Reaches Training Milestone – 1,000 candidates complete BCP
We’re delighted to announce that 1,000 candidates have completed our Basic Competency Programme (BCP) which means we’ve hit our target a year ahead of schedule.
A first for the industry, the BCP was launched in 2015 as a collaborative approach for the entire roofing industry alongside the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA), the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), Federation of Traditional Metal Roofing Contractors (FTMRC) and the Lead Contractors Association (LCA).
The training was initially run as a trial with LRWA manufacturer members, with Polyroof conducting the first ever course. Following its success, the initiative was quickly adapted by other disciplines in the roofing sector.
David Hanson MP for Delyn, presented the first ever BCP certificates in 2015 to candidates that trained with Polyroof – a company within his Delyn constituency. Today, the 1,000th candidate is from LRWA manufacturer member, Sika Liquid Plastics, who joins successful trainees from 12 LRWA manufacturer members from across the UK, including Darren Runnicles, who was the 750th candidate to complete the training with Polyroof, and Dean Stafford, the 500th BCP trainee with Langley.
David said: “It is fantastic to hear that so many roofers have since benefited from this important initiative, ensuring they have the skills they need to further their careers and raise standards across the sector.” The BCP course covers everything from health and safety to roof design and project planning. Successful candidates receive a red ‘Experienced Worker’ CSCS card which is valid for three years providing them with the time they need to obtain the NVQ and qualify for a blue ‘Skilled Worker’ CSCS card.
Sarah Spink, CEO of the LRWA added: “The fact that our target has been reached 12 months early, reflects the urgent need for roofers to upskill, especially as both public and private sector organisations are starting to insist on the correct CSCS skills card before access to site. “We encourage all those that have completed their BCP training to complete a ‘Profiling Document’ which will advise on the best route to take to obtain NVQ L2 as ultimately it is this qualification that will allow operatives to apply for a blue, ‘Skilled Worker’ CSCS card.”
Next steps
The LRWA would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the BCP and helped to get this important initiative up and running.
The BCP was launched with the help of funding from CITB. From this, we set aside £50,000 for our manufacturer members, enabling us to award them with £50 for each candidate they put through the programme. As 1,000 candidates have completed the training, this funding has now been allocated, so our focus will be on working with manufacturer members to keep the momentum going and ensure that the BCP continues to flourish. We have plans to evolve the initiative, including a follow-on programme which will help manufacturers convert BCP into an NVQ qualification.
In the meantime, if you are interested in setting up a BCP at your company, please contact us for advice and support.
For more information about the BCP and training, click here
