In November 2013, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education announced the first apprenticeship Trailblazer projects – putting employers ‘in the driving seat’ to pilot and test the development of new apprenticeships standards and the high-level assessment approaches.
BCAS is actively engaged in the training of sales and service personnel and end users and its new apprenticeship scheme, headed up by the BCAS Training and Development committee, will aim to provide a robust framework to help bring new resource in to the industry.
Urgent priority
This is viewed as an urgent priority, as the UK is facing an ageing and decreasing pool of skill, which is driving up costs. It is also anticipated that a major proportion of current engineers will retire before 2035.
BCAS is therefore working closely with its members to ensure that the industry can attract the new talent required and that the training provided is of the highest level. As a result, the committee will be creating training programmes aimed at raising the standards and skill levels across the UK compressor and vacuum business sector.
Many of these educational materials will be made online; supplemented with practical on-the-job skills, providing a standard-based apprenticeship for Compressed Air and Vacuum Systems’ Electro Mechanics (CAVSEM).
New filtration and drying of compressed air guide due early 2019
BCAS is also working on a new filtration and drying of compressed air guide, which has been developed to provide end users with an understanding of why compressed air purification equipment is required. It includes up-to-date information on the relevant standards that may assist in the specification, installation and maintenance of compressed air treatment systems and is due to be launched in early 2019.
About BCAS
BCAS is the only UK technical trade association representing manufacturers, distributors and users of compressors, vacuum pumps, pneumatic tools and allied products.
The society actively represents the interests of the compressed air industry to the UK government as well as to many European and other overseas institutions. The society and its members have an active input into all proposed compressed air systems’ energy and environmental legislation and standards through its membership of the European body PNEUROP, and by its association with the prime voice of the EU engineering industry, ORGALIME.
The society’s mission is to be the united voice of the UK compressed air industry, serving as the unbiased authority on technical, educational, promotional and other matters that affect the industry and its customers.
