The UK's first dedicated apprenticeship for the waste management and recycling sector is set to be launched at the end of December to help dispel the notion of it being a ‘low-skilled' industry, the sector skills council Energy & Utility Skills has revealed.
The apprenticeship is set to be available for first registrations from December 20 2010 and is intended to complement what Energy & Utility Skills (EU Skills) claims is an “increasingly competitive” waste management market place.
And, EU Skills – which is the sector skills council for the gas, power, waste management and water industries – revealed it is set to be joined in administering the apprenticeship by the accreditation body the Waste Management Industry Training & Advisory Board (WAMITAB) in the new year.
EU Skills said WAMITAB has already formed some of the basis of the apprenticeship with its level two and three certificates in the principles of sustainable resource management, which were launched in September 2010.
Tim Balcon, chief executive of EU Skills, said: “Apprenticeships have a firm place in today's economic climate and the continued investment in apprenticeships will help to ensure that businesses emerge from the current downturn as productively as possible.
“The Apprenticeship in Sustainable Resource Management will enable the waste management industry to challenge the perception that it is ‘low skilled' by providing opportunities to develop occupational competence. For the right individual, the apprenticeship can provide a springboard to an exciting and skilled career in the industry.”
EU Skills is licensed by the government to develop and specify the content of apprenticeships across the sector in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. And, it said it has worked with industry employers and stakeholders to understand apprenticeship requirements.
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