Apprenticeships for the Waste Management Industry
EU Skills has been working closely with employers and stakeholders to understand Apprenticeship requirements for the waste management industry.
Significant demand has been evidenced for an Apprenticeship programme in Sustainable Resource Management. This programme will underpin occupational roles in the collection, transport, treatment and final management of waste and recyclables at both operator and supervisory levels. It is anticipated that this Apprenticeship will be available for first registrations in Autumn 2010.
This bespoke Apprenticeship programme follows a significant consultation process to ensure a high quality, fit for purpose Apprenticeship is developed that benefits learners, employers and the industry as a whole by providing a clear career pathway and addresses workforce development needs.
The Apprenticeship programme in Sustainable Resource Management at Level 2 has been designed to underpin the following occupational roles:
Manual/ Mechanical Street Cleanser
Transfer Station Technician
Compost Technician
Materials Recycling Facility Technician (Picker/ Sorter)
Household Waste Recycling Centre Technician
Recycling Technician (Driver/ Loader)
Refuse Technician (Driver/ Loader)
Environmental Technician (including weighbridge and other activities)
The Apprenticeship programme in Sustainable Resource Management at Level 3 has been designed to underpin the following occupational roles:
Sustainability Officer
Refuse Collection Supervisor (Team Leader)
Recycling Collection Supervisor (Team Leader)
Treatment (Physical/ Chemical or Thermal) Supervisor
Materials Recycling Facility/ Household Waste Recycling Centre Supervisor
Transfer Station Supervisor
Biological Treatment (In vessels composting/ open windrow/ anaerobic digestion) Supervisor
Landfill Supervisor
Interest has also been identified for Apprenticeships as a possible training solution for other occupational roles in the industry - particularly in the area of engineering in a waste context. Industry requirements for an Apprenticeship in waste engineering are primarily focussed on power generation where an existing Apprenticeship is in place. The power generation Apprenticeship is used widely by power generation companies and waste management companies involved in energy from waste for example, Veolia and Coventry and Solihull Waste Disposal Company.
The power generation Apprenticeship is not dedicated to the waste management industry and therefore EU Skills is exploring how this can be better delivered and assessed in context. Feedback from waste companies using the Apprenticeship has identified a small number of waste specific gaps for apprentices involved in plant operation. These include waste as the fuel for combustion and moving grate technologies.
Our next steps are to:
Convene an industry working group
Identify all knowledge missing from the Power Generation (operations) programme that is required by apprentices working in companies involved in Energy from Waste
Quantify demand for development of additional waste specific units
Develop case studies with the waste management companies using this Apprenticeship to demonstrate how the programme operates and the benefits it brings.
Helen White, Apprenticeship Manager and Denise McGlynn, Waste Development Manager at EU Skills are taking forward these actions. Please get in touch with us directly if you have any queries at enquiries@euskills.co.uk
