Tarmac’s National Skills and Safety Park, located at Nether Langwith Quarry, near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, has successfully undergone its first Ofsted inspection, passing all three assessment areas.
Opened by His Royal Highness, Prince William of Wales in 2020, the facility provides first-class practical training for emerging industry talent, including apprentices, graduates and those retraining from other sectors. The Park has welcomed over 7,000 visitors undertaking learning since its opening.
The company’s operative apprenticeship programme, the Professional Operator Development Programme (PODP), was in the spotlight during the Ofsted visit, where it attained one ‘significant’ and two ‘reasonable’ progress ratings over the assessment areas.
PODP is designed around the mineral processing mobile and static plant operator apprenticeship qualification, delivered through a series of workshops, e-learning modules and practical on-the-job training.
Supporting those in their first industry roles, as well as colleagues keen to develop new skills to progress in their careers, the programme covers a range of topics designed to enhance professional understanding of the industry, equipment and safety – including risk assessments and the correct maintenance of plant equipment.
Peter Kay, head of learning and development at Tarmac, said: “The health, safety and well-being of our colleagues is our number one priority. Raising competency allows us to operate more effectively and that’s what The Park is all about: demonstrating best practice and what good looks like – in real life.
“The PODP enables students to use real equipment so they can take their knowledge and understanding into the workplace. This means they spend minimal time in the classroom and more time working on-site, as they would in their typical role as an operative.
“We’re over the moon to have received such a positive report from Ofsted on our progress. We regularly get feedback from line managers and apprentices, so we know we’re making a genuine difference, but to gain such a good result for our first Ofsted visit is a fantastic achievement.”
Tarmac offers a wide range of professional development and training initiatives – irrespective of age and experience – aimed at creating a highly-skilled workforce to support the delivery of the UK’s infrastructure ambitions. Apprenticeships, graduate schemes, and employee development programmes have all played a key part in the company’s ongoing commitment to developing and growing skills within the industry.
For more information on Tarmac, visit www.tarmac.com
