Proskills – making skills work

Skills development is essential for the development of the quarrying and construction materials industry. In 2011, we secured additional funding for training through Proskills' Joint Investment Programme (JIP), bringing real business benefits.

Proskills – the Sector Skills Council for the Process and Manufacturing Industries – helps companies in the sector boost their employees’ work skills. The initiative enables us to train our staff more efficiently, preparing for the future while managing short-term commercial challenges. Through the JIP funding, we have rolled out key health, safety and environmental qualifications to all our management and supervisory staff.

While our training prioritises operational staff working in the quarries, we aim to provide training right across the workforce. Sustainability is a key area, driven by social and corporate responsibility, environmental concerns and legislation.

Dyfed Jones, Tarmac’s NVQ assessor and internal verifier, said: “The technologies that we use to manage our quarries have become increasingly efficient over the last few years. The ways we develop our workforce and the processes in place have also changed, so it’s vital to ensure that our employees continue to have the relevant skills, both to support their development and ensure we continue to offer quality products to our customers.”

The training brings tangible benefits to the company. As many of our employees drive expensive dumpers, shovels and excavators, better training means less need for repairs and maintenance, fuel costs are lower and they drive more efficiently, resulting in improved productivity.