Lets put the cards on the table to improve competency

Can we finally fix the issues around plant operator qualifications, cards and competence to stop the confusion and give the operator community the support they need? 

That's one question Peter Haddock put to Aaron Davis, Head of Skills for Flannery Plant Hire, following the 30th November 2022 official launch of a new Plant Sector Representative Organisation. 

PSRO, for short, is a new employer-led body comprising representatives from construction-focussed employers and their Federations, Associations and other bodies. And Aaron is already playing an active part in representing Flannery within the PSRO, as he explains:

 Aaron: "Having a skilled operator community is absolutely vital if we are going to move forward as an industry. I speak to operators from all backgrounds and skill levels, and they are often confused about what qualifications to go for and pay for.

All that anyone wants is clarity and to know they are investing time and money into learning new skills that can deliver a sustainable career in the sector. So we have to work on minimum standards for operator qualifications, which is what the PSRO is all about. 

"Put in simple terms, the Construction Leadership Council, which has the ear of the Government, has asked our sector to collaboratively work together to put forward clear proposals that will set benchmarks for qualifications and competency. 

These will then form the core for any qualification, levelling the playing field and helping employers like us ensure we have a baseline level of competency that we can build on. 

It's an opportunity we can't afford to miss, and that's why we are already working hard to bring together the entire sector and ensure we use this opportunity to shape our sector into the future. 

The future element is really important, as the machines operators use are increasingly more sophisticated. For example, in our fleet, we now have diesel and electric machines. And in the future, we will invest in other alternative fuelled equipment. 

But the equipment itself is now just one part of the equation, as we also use 3D machine control on excavators and dozers and our operators are supported by the latest safety system technology, not to mention specialist attachments like tiltrotators. 

The biggest challenge for us as an employer is ensuring operators know how to get the best out of each machine configuration, and this is why we have invested in our Operator Skills Hub. This is a joint venture between Flannery and Tier 1 contractor Balfour Beatty. 

More recently, we have also recognised the need to take training to the site and now have mobile training trailer units, complete with classrooms and simulators. 

Another big element of training is the impact on the highest variable cost we face, which is fuel. To ensure we are getting the best value out of every drop, we marry training needs to data from our telemetry partner MachineMax.

This allows us to spot opportunities for upskilling individuals or teams to reduce things like idle times or change site layouts to improve cycle times. And this is information our clients require as they have goals to reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption. 

And because we have a mixed fleet, we are constantly aware of fleet and, therefore, operator matching and the impact training can have on our overall productivity.

This is why the PSRO is so important, as we all need to ensure the operator community is supported, as they are the key to delivering a more sustainable future for our sector.”