Training company, Watertrain, in partnership with Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) is now playing a pivotal role in training the skilled water engineers of the future. Watertrain was established in 2007 to fill a gap in the training provision being offered in this sector, by offering technical training and qualifications to utility companies to equip the next generation of young employees with relevant skills. Watertrain has expanded its base from the North-West of England and is delivering training throughout the UK including Northern Ireland. An apprenticeship project, funded by the Government’s Department of Employment & Learning, and supported by Energy & Utilities Skills is being delivered for NI Water. Twenty apprentices are the first to benefit from this scheme in Northern Ireland.
Under the programme the apprentices – split evenly between new staff and existing staff who’ve been selected for career advancement – will spend two years developing their skills. On completion of the course the qualification outcomes will be the City & Guilds Diploma in Water Engineering and a Level 3 NVQ relevant to the student’s particular discipline, plus essential skills. Course studies are divided between classroom block-release sessions and on-the-job instruction, and cover all major sector areas, including the clean water pipes network, waste treatment and the sewerage system. Jim Oldroyd of Watertrain, said “The twenty apprentices will gain the skills and knowledge that they need to make a valuable contribution back in the workplace and develop their own career within the sector. We have successfully delivered these courses in England, but this is the first time we have rolled them out in Northern Ireland. It’s very pleasing to us to see young people within the sector being given this opportunity.”
Watertrain has three major partners who collaboratively provide the kind of training that is required. Highly skilled employees at Bolton College, UTL Training Limited and Utilise Training and Development Solutions Ltd act as associates, providing knowledge and personnel where needed, to ensure a high quality of training provision. Watertrain Learning and Development Director, Glenn Jackson, said: “After working in the water industry for more than 30 years, I realised that there was a gap in the training provision on offer so, with my colleagues, we decided to create Watertrain. “We combine the expertise of three well established training organisations, all of whom already offer their own extensive training solutions across the utility sector as a whole. By working together, we provide a complete service in the management and delivery of apprenticeships where the three divisions cover the principal sector needs. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by our work in England and now in Northern Ireland.”
In addition to delivering apprenticeships, Watertrain has a track record in helping clients to secure the necessary funding, a process that can be daunting without the kind of expertise and support offered by Watertrain and its partners. Building on a solid base in the North-West, Watertrain is increasingly working nationally across the UK and developing opportunities further afield in Australia, the Middle East and India. Although the water industry was Watertrain’s primary focus when it was created, the team has further extended its offer to include a much more rounded service – training apprentices working in the electrical field and developing the capacity to deliver gas apprenticeships.
The focus on apprenticeships has not precluded Watertrain from providing the training needed for a host of other qualifications, and so technical certificates, NVQs and other technical training solutions are also available within the portfolio.
Find out more information about Watertrain at www.watertrain.co.uk
