HSS | TTM Apprenticeship Scheme – Update

It has been a little over 7 months since Highway Safety Solutions launched the UK’s first and only apprenticeship scheme for the Temporary Traffic Management Industry.

HighwaysIndustry.com recently spoke with the scheme designer and director at HSS, Steven Archer, to find out how the scheme was progressing.

The scheme is popular and has grown quite quickly in a relatively short space of time, with over 40 apprentices currently on work placements with Traffic Management companies nationwide as it stands with more to follow.

Some changes have been made to the scheme to meet the requirements of work placement providers working in different sectors of the traffic management industry, and it now has three different career paths for potential work placement providers to choose from.

There is a 12 month program based around traffic management works on Motorways and Dual Carriageways, a separate 12 month program for those performing traffic management works on rural and urban roads, and an 18 month program that combines qualifications for working on all road types.

The qualifications gained on each of the three different pathways are outlined in the table below;

This change gives greater flexibility to the scheme (which started out as a 12 month combined scheme only) and opens it up to a wider audience within the industry.

So what do the apprentices themselves think of the scheme?

We managed to speak to one apprentice who is on work placement with Sun Traffic in Oxfordshire to see how he is progressing & get his thoughts on the scheme;

Name:                  Jason Tulloch

Age:                       22

Start Date:          7^th March 2016

“I’d previously trained to be a plumber, but ended up not liking it. The opportunity came up to join the traffic management apprenticeship program and it appealed to me because of the number of nationally recognised qualifications I could potentially gain in such a short period of time.

It’s been good so far, I’ve learned plenty of new skills, gained a number of qualifications, and I feel like I’m learning at a pace that suits me. The staff at Sun Traffic have looked after me and the other apprentices here really well, the guys we’re learning from on a day to day basis know their job inside out, and the assessors from HSS visit regularly to make sure we’re learning the right way to do things so that we pass the qualifications.

So far I’ve completed my M1/M2, and my 2nd M5 assessment is next week which I’m hoping will finish that off. I’ve also done the bolt on courses like 1^st Aid and Manual Handling etc…. which leaves me a couple of 12D modules to complete in the 2^nd half of my 12 month apprenticeship. I’m really enjoying it and I know the other apprentices at our depot and the Tewkesbury depot are enjoying it too.”

Four apprentices at Sun Traffic in Tewkesbury with their appointed mentor from HSS

And what do the work placement providers think about it?

We spoke with the Human Resource Manager at Sun Traffic, Wayne Ellis, to get an employer’s perspective, and Wayne had this to say;

“In total we have 7 apprentices at Sun Traffic through the HSS Scheme, and they are all progressing really well. You can see that they are benefitting from the mentoring and additional time being put into their development, and it is definitely having a positive effect on the business, from a safety perspective, operationally, and financially too. We have been able to incorporate them into our daily business activities with each apprentice gaining valuable experience in a variety of different aspects of Traffic Management and the various types of equipment and systems we use.”

“In previous years the business has spent thousands of pounds per year on external labour with little return other than meeting our labour requirements on any specific day, but through the apprenticeship scheme we are hoping that we will have a number of permanent highly qualified staff at the end of it for our investment which will improve our operating ratios, reduce our training budget, and reduce our reliance on temporary labour going forward. The current crop have a few months to go to the end of their apprenticeship, but so far we’re happy with the service we’ve received from HSS in recruiting, training, and assessing the apprentices and are very pleased to have become a work placement provider for the scheme.”

And finally, scheme designer Steven Archer had this to say….

“We’re delighted with how the scheme has developed so far, and as you can see from the comments you’ve received from the apprentices and work placement providers, the scheme is making a real difference to operatives and businesses alike.

We get calls daily from people wanting to join the scheme, and we’re working hard behind the scenes to find work placement providers with which to place them. What we really need are more work placement providers to get on board.

Even if it’s just one apprentice that an organisation can commit to, it’s making a difference to the industry, it’ll make a difference at the company with which they are placed, and it provides someone with a worthwhile career path from which they can develop further and become a real asset to the business.”

Judging on how it’s progressing and from the feedback we’ve received the apprenticeship scheme certainly looks to be very a worthwhile program for the Traffic Management Industry.

For information on the scheme, or for details about how you can become a work placement provider you can contact Highway Safety Solutions on Freephone 0800 1577010, or by mail at steven.archer@highwaysafetysolutionsltd.com

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