EAL launches further Higher Apprenticeship to leverage on Green Deal

A new qualification designed and awarded by training provider EAL has just been launched under the government’s Higher Apprenticeship scheme.

A Diploma in Project Management at Level 4 is now available through funding earmarked for vocational courses.

The new qualification will benefit from the £18.7 million fund announced by Business Secretary Vince Cable last year to produce 19,000 Higher Level Apprenticeships, and also from the government’s multi-billion pound Green Deal.

EAL’s Project Management Apprenticeship aims to combine technical and competency based units with an exploration of the principles of project management, stakeholder management and communication skills, catering to the requirements of a number of employment sectors.

In addition, EAL has also launched a Level 2 qualification in Understanding Sustainable Refurbishment (QCF) which, despite just 35 hours of training, appears to outline the efficacy of the units a little more clearly, with classes concerning the principal need for energy efficient buildings, the energy relationship between materials, systems and occupancy, and their onsite role in improving the energy efficiency of a building. This course, however, is designed to further educate existing professionals, rather than those looking to gain more general business skills.

Overall these new qualifications will improve the skills and hopefully the potential employability of individuals in such a competitive job market. Their aim to also provide those working within their chosen sector with further skills could be hugely beneficial in maintaining a job, when reduced government funding and strained resources put even more pressure on those already in employment. It is no secret though that continuing education while in employment, whether through apprenticeships or other qualifications, plays an important role in maintaining and improving standards of work, even if total job security is not obtainable at present.

The apprenticeships could also help the versatility of an employee, providing workers with the skills they need not only to cover a wider range of responsibilities, made far more important by the aforementioned strain on resources not least of employees, but these new qualifications could also provide individuals with a way to branch upwards and outwards in their careers should the opportunity present itself.

Ann Watson, managing director of EAL, said: “Getting qualified will put them ahead of the competition, as well as improve their level of service and support. It will also create new business opportunities and help employees looking to progress in their careers by becoming Green Deal advisors, Green Deal remote advisors or domestic energy assessors, among other roles.”

Another potential advantage of producing qualifications in these sectors is that they are currently receiving large amounts of publicity and support from the government, making the recent push for Green Energy jobs worth looking into.

Daisy Atkinson