WJA Free Training Scheme Delivers Jetting Training Boost
The Water Jetting Association is launching an initiative to provide up to 12 free training places for water jetting operatives every month, with a focus on new recruits.
It will help WJA members obtain training for new starters in a timely way, supporting skills development and retention in the water jetting industry.
It will also be open to WJA members who need to put small numbers of established operators through WJA courses.
The initiative, approved by the WJA’s Training and Safety Committee and ratified by the WJA Ruling Council, is due to start in May 2023.
It has been named in honour of David Kennedy, the long-serving WJA director, who died in October 2022.
Click Here to book your free training session today.
Young recruits
WJA Training and Safety Chairman Steve Williams said: “David Kennedy was passionate about training. Our new free training scheme is designed to help ensure new starters receive their training when they need it.
“It will also assist our members who have difficultly booking just one or two operatives on training courses. In both circumstances, it will help ensure get the training they need to join teams on worksites.
“It will help get younger new recruits fully involved in work teams sooner so they see the benefits of a career in water jetting at a time when there are many other opportunities in the jobs market.”
New recruits must pass the WJA Safety Awareness course and at least one of four WJA Practical Modules – both are City & Guilds accredited – before they can join water jetting work teams.
Two-day training
The free water jetting training scheme will offer safety awareness and practical module training for up to 12 new recruits every month, with WJA members able to apply for up to two places on each course.
A Safety Awareness course will be run on day one and a practical module, or modules, on day two.
Registration, codes of practice books, quick reference guides, WJA Medicards, and Dos and Don’ts sheets will be supplied free of charge.
WJA approved training provides that want to provide training centre facilities and equipment, and WJA approved instructors who want to deliver the courses, are invited to contact the WJA office.
WJA members will be able to reserve spaces for their operatives via a booking form on the WJA website.
Ringfenced capacity
If all 12 places not be filled, the WJA approved training instructor taking the session will be able to offer the places to other candidates, including non-member contractors, free of charge.
WJA Technical Committee Chair David Malin said: “The free training scheme will create ringfenced training capacity for new starters and some established operatives.
“It will also assist WJA contractors members in making positive decisions about recruitment, at time when operational costs are rising, which will be good for them and for their clients, and will help underpin safe and high quality service delivery.”
WJA General Manager Leanne Smith said: “This initiative is giving targeted support to the water jetting industry and will help our members take on and progress the most able and keenest recruits.
“The need to develop and retain skills in our industry is just as urgent as in many others. The scheme will help our members plan skills development with renewed confidence.”
Click Here to book your free training session today.