Category Archives: ICE Training Scheme

CPD IDEAS…..

Over the last month or so our Dr Andy Goodwin has been posting ideas for CPD on LinkedIn.  The suggestions largely come from his experience as a lead reviewer with the ICE and are targeted in particular at graduates.  However, everyone benefits from CPD so don’t be put off the ideas if you are not a graduate. Ideas suggested so far include:
  • The Brundtland report, “Our Common Future”:  this includes the oft-quoted definition of sustainable development “meeting the needs of today without compromising the needs of tomorrow” (see page 16 para 27 of the pdf for the full definition “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”).  Graduates pursuing professional qualification with the ICE should know this, and ought to read the report (or at least look over its 300 pages to get a sense of what it is all about).
  • Research and assessment of the issues that can arise when using pyrite-rich fills below buildings and in earthworks. Two references are provided as starters in this field. The first link takes you to a pdf copy of an expert report on issues found affecting buildings in Ireland – it is 200 pages long so if pushed for time just read the Executive Summary! The second is a paper from 2011 on the implications of the phenomenon for earthworks that explains the science aspects as well as being practical.
  • The subject of ethics and ethical behaviour regularly comes up both at ICE professional reviews and when Andy is mentoring graduates. It is an important topic that merits thought and deserves a perspective from outside the ICE, nut just from within.  It is suggested that it is worth looking at the Royal Academy of Engineering work on this topic.
Happy reading! By the way, if you want to LinkIn with Andy yourself and catch up with his new posts as they are issued then feel free to invite him to join your network!

CONSTRUCTION SKILLS SHORTAGE – MORE TRAINING NEEDED

We would say more training is needed wouldn’t we?  Well we have turned business away and advised people that a particular course is not the best option for them, as we believe in providing good advice and support.  However we wanted to draw your attention to an article today (12 May 2017) in Development Finance Today that reports a growing issue in the construction industry.  The article can be found in full here, with key excerpts reproduced below: “The increases in workload are contrasted with a skills shortage, as 53% of respondents stated that a shortage of skilled labour is a key impediment to growth, up from 50% in the previous quarter….  ….Improved education pathways and training could be the most effective policy response to alleviate labour supply pressures, with 59% agreeing with this idea, while 31% of contributors felt direct government subsidisation of training would be the most effective solution.” We hope this provides you with some food for thought.  If you wish to discuss how we could help you address your skill development needs then just call Andy Goodwin on 01246 807808 on a free no-obligation basis.  Options available include a SWOT analysis of the skills you already have, provision of appropriate training, and / or mentoring and coaching support to staff to help them develop more effectively.  We look forward to hearing from you.

NEW DATE FOR TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING COURSE

We are pleased to announce that we are re-running our technical report writing course on Wednesday 31 May in Chesterfield.  It is ideal for those wishing to develop their reporting skills and / or who are about to start writing their Professional Report for their ICE Professional Review. The course covers a breadth of topics including report styles, writing for impact, planning and sorting content, and structuring reports. In addition several practical sessions on the good use of English to improve clarity and readability will be included.  It will include both pre-course and in-course work for the delegates to practice their learning and receive formative feedback. Please contact us asap if you and / or your colleagues would be interested in joining us for this course.  

TECHNICAL REPORT TIPS

Skilful writing can give you a real business advantage as it allows you to better persuade, influence and communicate often complex ideas to non-specialists.  Knowing how to write a clear and concise report will greatly improve the efficiency of both companies and the individuals they employ. We offer a technical report writing course that is targeted specifically at engineers and based on extensive industry experience at the sharp end.  As a taster, set out below in brief are five key things that you need to consider when writing a technical report. 1.  What is the Purpose of the Report? There are numerous types of report, such as feasibility reports for a Client wanting to make an informed decision and reports on investigations that are required to satisfy statutory bodies. The purpose and level of detail required for each report varies so before you start writing make sure you know the purpose, the information needed and any specific requirements for the report. 2.  Make Sure it is Clear! Any report needs to be structured so that the reader can easily find their way around it.  Not everyone will want to read every word of that long report that took you so long to write, so think first about your audience and their needs. Only then should you set out an easily navigable report structure that presents your findings simply and logically. 3.  Write for Impact What is the aim of the report and what actions / outcomes do you expect? Knowing this will allow you to identify the key messages that you want to emphasise and balance the report to suit.  It will also help you cut out the waffle we can all put in – include only what is needed, not what you find interesting.  Use figures and tables judiciously, and use appendices to present secondary data that does not need to clutter up the main text. 4.  Use Good English A well written report depends on clarity of English, so make sure it is grammatically correct, unambiguous and written in an appropriate tone.  Remember your report needs to be readable too, so write in plain English.  Consider varying the sentence length and phrasing to keep the text fresh.  Avoid jargon and abbreviations where possible. 5.  Check Your Report If you originate a report then take ownership of it and make sure you check it before passing it to others for a formal check.  Allow plenty of time for checking and any amendments that may be needed. We cover a lot more on the course, and applying the lessons taught on it could save you a lot of time and money whilst also improving the perception of yourself and your findings. Our next technical report writing course is running on Wednesday 31 May in Chesterfield.  The course includes both pre-course and in-course work for delegates to practice their learning and receive formative feedback. To book onto the course please call Julie or Andy on 01246 807808, or email us at enquiries@surepathtraining.co.uk.  We look forward to working with you.  

DELAY AND DISRUPTION PROTOCOL

Though we all hope to avoid delays and disruptions on our construction projects, when they do occur it is best to have a clear approach set out to help resolve matters.  That is why we thought it would be useful to bring to our visitors attention that a second edition of the delay and disruption protocol has been issued by the Society of Construction Law in February 2017.  It is intended to be used to determine extensions of time and compensation for delay and disruption, and recognises that transparency of information and methodology is central to both dispute prevention and dispute resolution. If you wish to download a copy of the protocol (for free) follow this link to the Society’s web pages.  Graduates pursuing qualification with the ICE may find this useful to peruse too as part of their general preparation for their professional review.

IPD ONLINE UPGRADE LAUNCHED

The long awaited IPD Online upgrade has been launched this month.  It is used to support ICE members on an ICE Training Scheme or following a mentor-supported training programme.  The ICE has information on the upgrade available using this link if you are registered with them. Having used it already, our Dr Andy Goodwin has prepared a brief summary of the key changes that he has come across:
  • The interface is much improved, simpler and easier to navigate than previously.  This is great news as those who used it previously will know it was anything but quick and easy before!
  • Existing trainees have had all their previous information transferred to the new platform so they do not need to do anything other than log in and continue using the system.  Again, great news.
  • As a mentor it is easier to see how up to date your trainees are, and it is easy to download a summary report on trainee progress (including evidence and feedback, annual appraisals and completions).  This will aid offline reading if required, and allow the trainee to keep a hard copy record too.  Care will need to be taken by the SCE / mentor to avoid breaching confidentiality by sharing the e-report though.
  • No longer do trainees need to record attribute evidence under each of the sub-attributes, which greatly speeds up data entry by the trainee and approval by the SCE / mentor.  It will also make it easier for the SCE / mentor to make a judgement overall on the competence level achieved against each attribute group.  No longer will each trainee have to show achievement of all sub-attributes to the same level notionally – they just have to record evidence and show competence ‘in the round’.
  • All evidence previously submitted against the sub-attributes has been carried over automatically and collated under the attribute group.  It is not easy to see under which sub-attribute the previous evidence related though.
  • The competence level for each attribute group is meant to have been automatically set to the lowest level previously signed off for any one of the sub-attributes.  On the whole this has happened but not always.
  • An important exercise for the SCE / mentor to undertake now is deciding whether the assigned competence level for the attribute group as a whole is reasonable.  Unfortunately having made an assessment the SCE / mentor can’t just go in to amend the automatically allocated sign-off level.  Rather they have to wait until their trainee submits some evidence for review, but it will be easy at that stage to upgrade the assigned competency level.
  • There remain 3 competency levels (Knowledge, Experience and Ability), but to aid differentiation between IEng and CEng candidates Ability can be signed off to Ai and Ac respectively.
  • Improved help support is also available.
Overall the new system seems much improved and more efficient, but the proof will come over time as everyone uses it. If you are in need of mentoring, or need a mentor for your staff, then please contact Andy on 01246 807808 or email him at andy.goodwin@surepathtraining.co.uk.  He will happily talk you through what we could do for you to add value to your existing arrangements and processes, without any obligation.  

TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING COURSE DATE ANNOUNCED

We are pleased to announce that we are re-running our technical report writing course on Wednesday 31 May in Chesterfield.  It is ideal for those wishing to develop their reporting skills and / or who are about to start writing their Professional Report for their ICE Professional Review. The course, which has received excellent feedback previously, covers a breadth of topics including report styles, writing for impact, planning and sorting content, and structuring reports. In addition several practical sessions on the good use of English to improve clarity and readability will be included.  It will include both pre-course and in-course work for the delegates to practice their learning and receive formative feedback. Please contact us asap if you and / or your colleagues would be interested in joining us for this course.  

100% PASS RATE IN AUTUMN REVIEWS!

We are very pleased to be able to offer our congratulations to four mentees of our Dr Andy Goodwin, all of whom successfully navigated their recent chartership reviews.  Two were successful in their Chartered Professional Reviews with the ICE, whilst the other two achieved chartered status with the Geological Society.  Though they are shy to have their names broadcast they know who they are…….. All four have worked with Andy for some time and their success is testament to their professionalism and capability.  We wish you every success with your future careers. If you are in need of mentoring, or need a mentor for your staff, then please contact Andy on 01246 807808 or email him at andy.goodwin@surepathtraining.co.uk.  He will happily talk you through what we could do for you to add value to your existing arrangements and processes, without any obligation.

ICE MOCK INTERVIEW COURSE SUCCESSES

Over the months of August and September we at Surepath Training undertook mock interview sessions over 6 days at venues throughout the UK, from London to Glasgow.  As well as being enjoyable and informative for us, as ever, we received excellent feedback from the courses – 95% rated the various aspects of each course excellent or very good.  Each course was delivered by our Dr Andy Goodwin, who is an experienced ICE reviewer who also mentors numerous graduates.   The focus of each course was on giving constructive personal feedback to each delegate on the draft Professional Review Report they submitted in advance and on their performance during the mock interview.  Our aim is help you prepare as best you can. If have a group of people needing a mock review course for the Spring 2017 session, or you / your staff need mentoring support, then contact us for a free quote on how we could help you.

EXTENDED MENTORING SERVICE AVAILABLE

Do you have graduates wanting to pursue a professional qualification with the ICE but you as an employer don’t have an approved training scheme? If so then we are pleased to announce that we are now able to offer an extended mentoring service to support you. Andy Goodwin of Surepath is now an approved Mentor for this new qualification route, which effectively allows him to act as an SCE to the graduates as if they were on an approved scheme. If this would be interest to you then please contact Andy on 01246 807808 or email him at andy.goodwin@surepathtraining.co.uk.  He will happily talk you through what we could do for you to add value to your existing arrangements and processes, without any obligation.