Parish Council Forum

1
Training for what?
Tracy Aarons Immediate Past Chairman - RICS
Building Control Forum Building Control Manager -
Mendip District Council

2
Present situation
Building Control professionals are a diminishing
breed Across the country organisations
complaining.
3
Historical Context
No private building control before
1984 Training by Local Authorities at good
levels. Staff moved on achieving qualification,
but were replaced by other LA staff Ecological
balance maintained
4
Seeds of change
Collapse of the construction industry in late
1980s Work loads reduced so departments
complements had to reduce Retiring members
were not replaced Local Authorities slowed up
training new recruits NHBC made considerable
inroads into the domestic market.
5
Further drivers
Insurance cover for Approved Inspectors finally
organised, allowing new AIs to be
registered Self financing LA building control
has increased pressure Upturn in construction
meant an increase in work loads that is not
matched with increase in staff numbers.
6
Similar Situation to Planning?

• Planning Departments were in a similar situation
  to this ten years ago
• They lacked sufficient skilled staff to meet the
  needs of the public and the demands of government
• We need to learn from them

7
What To Do About it?

• Many LA now recognise that the only way forward
  is to grow their own
• again!

8
Not as easy as it sounds

• Courses for training to become a building
  control surveyor no longer existing
• It is not as easy to send someone to train over
  a period of years in this specialist field.
• Short courses of a few weeks insufficient

9
Getting people in

• Construction professionals have some experience
  of building control
• Young people are unlikely to have a realistic
  idea
• Stereotyping affects us considerably.

10
Nature of the beast has changed

• Demands on building control have increased
  massively
• Skill level far higher that anticipated in early
  eighties
• Requires highly qualified individuals

11
Training for what?

• Need to decide what we want training for
• Do we want young trainees, older site
  experienced operatives, degree qualified staff?
• What do we want to train them to become?

12
Addressing the short and long term

• A mixed level of qualification and experience
  across a service makes sense
• In private practice companies have a tier of
  qualified staff, a tier of technicians and a tier
  of trainees

13
Tiers of Training

• Building Control survival requires growing our
  own
• Requires acceptance that not everyone will be a
  qualified chartered surveyor
• Does not mean a service is inadequate

14
Tiers of Training

• Many years of endeavour to be accepted on an
  equal par with Planners
• Chartered Status has finally allowed us to
  demand this
• Compare responsibilities

15
Structure

• A layer of qualified surveyors
• A layer of assistants/technicians
• A layer of trainees
• Similar to private sector and similar to Planning

16
Personal experience Mendip
Arrived in June 2005 Staff complement listed
as seven technical Actual was 3
17
Review
Adverts for officers continually failed Moral
in service low Demands from Members to
maintain service
18
Action

• Reviewed how section functioned
• Questioned structure of unit
• Considered service levels required.

19
Training for what?

• Training two assistants and a trainee.
• One assistant training as a technician.
• How do I train them?
• Different levels of knowledge and experience and
  different qualifications

20
RICS- Building Control Forum

• Approximately 4000 professionals in building
  control
• RICS Building Control Forum provides membership
  to 3700 building control professionals
• Responsibility to promote and support the
  profession

21
Training staff

• Recognises that business supports varying levels
  of qualified staff
• Demand is not just for single tier
  qualifications
• Technician level
• Needed to provide structured approach

22
Training for what?

• 2001 review of areas of knowledge necessary to
  create an effective building control
  professional.
• Formed competencies around these areas
• Created achievement levels that ensure a
  foundation of knowledge and understanding on
  which experience and application is then built.

23
Varying Levels

• Created Tech RICS
• Requires same competencies to be achieved as
  MRICS, but to reduced levels.
• Importantly created a bridging route to MRICS

24
Competencies

• Some dissatisfaction from Private Sector
  regarding competency requirements
• Decision based on creating a rounded
  professional
• Advice is to look to second where experience
  cannot be achieved.

25
Process

• Structured Training Plan
• Requires buy in from employer and employee
• Training on the job
• Critical Analysis
• Interview

26
Achievement

• It is not easy!
• Achievement of chartered status
• LA recognition of qualification equality with
  Planners!

27
RICS Approach

• Comprehensive programme for training staff
• Allows tiered approach to qualification
• Recognises need to create varying technical
  levels
• Allows flexibility in business

28
Building Control The Future

• The strain on building control is likely to
  increase
• Private sector AIs are not training extensively
• New legislation such as the Home Buyers Packs is
  likely to draw more surveyors into the private
  sector.

29
Training for what?

• Dual aspect to training
• Create a well rounded and capable surveyor able
  to contribute to the organisation
• Provide them with the vision to see the
  importance of what they are training to become.

30
Thank you