First delegates complete ‘game changing’ jetting competency training
The first operatives have completed the Water Jetting Association’s new Level 2 Water Jetting Technician Certificate training – delivering “multiple benefits” for the delegates and for the contractor that employs them.
Nine operatives working for WJA member RGL Services have completed the course, which is accredited by ABBE and is the first competency qualification for the water jetting industry.
High and ultra-high pressure water jetting specialist RGL plans to ensure all its jetting operatives are put forward for the vocational qualification – with four more having already started the training.
Way forward
RGL’s Contracts Supervisor, Ian Chapman, said: “The Level 2 Water Jetting Technician course is the necessary and natural next step for WJA training. It’s the way forward.”
“It has been a very positive experience for us as a company and for our operatives. We’ve identified multiple benefits that support more effective operational performance and our reputation as a high performance business.”
RGL Services has been the first water jetting contractor to put operatives through the course. It combines directed study, through completing WJA City & Guilds accredited courses, and a period of worksite assessment.
The course is designed to eliminate, reduce and control risks associated with water jetting in all its forms. Operatives who pass it can apply for a Blue CSCS Card to work on construction sites, with a qualification that directly fits their skills and work.
Skilled occupation
WJA Training and Safety Committee Chairman Steve Williams said: “RGL’s experience has confirmed what we had predicted, that the Level 2 Water Jetting Technician course can be a game changer in our industry.
“It has the potential to improve operational performance and supports skills development, retention and succession planning. Through the issuing of Blue CSCS cards, it also raises the profile of water jetting as a skilled occupation in the many sectors it is used in.”
RGL has working in collaboration with WJA member Priestman Associates to incorporate the course into its training program.
Learning organisation
Mark Priestman, of Priestman Associates, said: “It has been a privilege to work with RGL Services and all its operatives. The course has achieved precisely what it was designed for.
“Throughout the work site assessment phase we’ve seen the operatives grow in understanding of what is expected of them. They embraced the learning process and their competence became more evident as time went on.”
“It was impressive to see the impact the course has had and will continue to have. RGL always aims to set high standards. I can see how the WJA Level 2 Certificate is supporting that aspiration, making it even more of a learning organisation.”
Over a period of months, RGL operatives gathered evidence of their work, including written reports, documentation and images. Mark Priestman also attended worksites.
Future leaders
They were supported in this process by Ian Chapman and Julie Kehoe, RGL’s Contracts Administrator, who gathered together assessment material submitted by the operatives.
Ian Chapman said: “The structured nature of the course has opened up lines of communication within the team that will remain as key benefits of the training process.”
“It’s allowed us to work more closely together, so we are all more aware of what good looks like. It’s also given us a clearer sight of some of the future leaders of the business, which is vital as we have ambitions to grow and develop our services.”
Julie Kehoe said: “As the first water jetting contractor to undertake the WJA Level 2 Certificate training, we’ve been learning as we’ve gone along. But it’s been a rewarding experience.”
“We could see the confidence of operatives growing, as they understood what was expected of them and they could demonstrate more effectively what constitutes best practice in our industry.”
“The course is helping us embed the high standards we expect as a team. As more operatives go through the course, they’ll be supported by those who’ve gone before, so it should create a virtuous circle.”
Real achievement
To complete the WJA Level 2 Certificate, delegates must have passed the WJA Safety Awareness course plus at least two out of the five WJA Practical Modules, one of which must be Surface Preparation.
They then complete at least 122 hours of guided learning. It could last longer depending on their capability and work carried out. This should give a total of at least 174 hours of structured and assessed learning time.
At the end of the course, delegates complete a 30-page questionnaire. This, along with the assessment evidence, is reviewed internally by the WJA and externally by ABBE to decide if the candidate has passed the course, which is a qualification for life.
Julie Kehoe said: “Many of the first operatives who went through the course have been water jetting for a long time. Some were a bit skeptical as to why they needed to do the training.”
“However, over time, they came to see its value, with some of them very enthusiastic about the process. They’ve come to see that completing it is a real achievement that they can be proud of.”
Find out more
Talk to the WJA about the advantages of the ABBE accredited Level 2 Water Jetting Technician course and our City & Guilds accredited training program. Telephone: +44 (0)208 320 1090. Email: info@waterjetting.org.uk.