Train to Safety: Our NEBOSH TUV partnership.
Earlier this year we successfully passed through our fourth NEBOSH audit. NEBOSH try and visit their training providers to ensure that their standards and procedures are being met approximately every three years. We scored highly in some areas although we were asked to update our systems in line with the NEBOSH continuous improvement program, such as the way we track the learners’ journey on our courses.
Technically Train to Safety do not hold the licence directly. This is in the ownership of TUV-UK, centre number 670, who are an international compliance company located in the UK in Croydon. TUV’s day to day business in compliance includes conducting routine independent Pressure boiler surveys; Thorough examination for lifting equipment for LOLER accreditation; Welding standards and accreditation; Product inspections and ISO accreditation. They are approved by UKAS, one of the toughest standards for any organisation to achieve. They are an approved notifying body for certain types of equipment. Across the world, TUV are a huge organisation.
Twelve years ago, Train to Safety were recommended to help TUV with one of their training requirements. The temporary partnership worked so well that from there on, Train to Safety have provided Health and safety training in support of TUV including NEBOSH courses jointly, which is subsequently formally agreed. NEBOSH state this is unusual for them to allow such partnerships, but it was swiftly formally recognised and acknowledged as on each successive visit to Train to Safety, with TUV in attendance, NEBOSH can fully see the advantages. For a small Health and Safety training company such as we are (or a large one too), the benefits of having the process of training overseen not just by NEBOSH every 3 years but also at a distance by a compliance company of such magnitude makes total sense to all. We are of the opinion here that NEBOSH are so impressed with the idea that we suspect that just as any Engineering-construction secondary-contracting companies need accreditation to the likes of Achillies before being awarded a contract with a national contractor, that NEBOSH will eventually follow suit and contract out all of their auditing tasks to the like of TUV or a handful of others. We believe we are under the microscope on this one.
For Train to Safety, in practical terms, from 2011 to 2018 we can demonstrate that we had the highest first-time pass rate in the UK. We were so proud that we published our pass rates, something that no one else would ever dare to do at the time. Currently our rate has fallen slightly as we and other organisation (including NEBOSH themselves who have to train all their markers with new skills) struggle to get to grips with the latest standards and open book examinations. However, our standard pass rates are still way above the average. We reckon we are on target to reach the top this year.
How have we done so well over the years? It is easy to say the motivation and enthusiasm of the staff delivering the training or the calibre of the students attending, who generally comprise of highly motivated professionals. However, in reality the training we provide has a tremendous level of backup support through each week in-between lessons with additional coaching and discussion by the tutors. We provide a remarkable amount of exam preparation. We space the courses out, one day per week so that learners can go into their own workplace and find the context of everything they learnt. And most importantly of all, we provide a real experience where to learners talk to each other, share ideas, ask tutors questions, and can be directly engaged with the tutor. The tutor tracks the progress of each learner so that we can intervene if we don’t feel that the learner is having a problem. This is so important and it is a deficiency that other forms of training just can’t fully overcome.
Our next two courses are for a block booking on 12th Feb with exam on 6th March. Then one day per week starting in March for the 5th June exam.
