Below is the agreed longer term strategy for members to address skills enhancement initiatives through EPIC.

1. WHY EPIC?

 

EPIC was formed about 25 years ago after relevant trade associations [now subsumed into the QPA] gave an undertaking to government to maintain the same level of training if the then statutory industry training board was disbanded.

EPIC and the products and services it currently offers have evolved under the close direction of its members since that time.

The current mission of EPIC is to spearhead the delivery of a world-class competent workforce for its members. The current vision is that EPIC will be generally recognised as the employer membership based group training association for all employers in the extractive and solid mineral processing industries to improve the skills and knowledge of people employed and to be employed and thereby improve members’ business competitiveness at home and abroad.


2. WHAT SHOULD IT DO IN THE FUTURE?

 
Employer members want EPIC to continue in its role of directly delivering and/or arranging the delivery of EPIC Council agreed skills enhancement initiatives to the membership under the direction and control of the membership. It should at the same time continue to assist Proskills in identifying the strategic needs of the members and influencing or attracting a fair share of public funding to meet those needs.

3. HOW SHOULD IT BE DONE?

An outline rolling strategic and an annual plan will be agreed by the EPIC Training and Education Committee members and be endorsed by the EPIC Council [representing all the members]. The plans will include strategic targets, milestones and accountabilities to ensure effective controls are established and significant achievements are gained.

For full details of strategic issues for members and details of the key processes to address these issues please download the EPIC Story so Far document in the right hand menu

 

The EPIC Council was also recently called upon by the HSE’s Quarries Joint Advisory Committee [QNJAC] to consider relevant strategic indicators in the area of education and training that, if promoted to employers, should contribute to the achievement of the HSE’s Hard Target. The following was recently submitted by the EPIC Council. 

GENERAL

a. Everyone is supportive of the need to have a fully competence assured industry by 2010.
b. Each employer should follow what he/she considers the best appropriate route to achieve a competence assured workforce by 2010.
c. The employers who employ the majority of employees in the extractive and mineral processing industries currently support in the main the N/SVQ route for employees, the EPIC Contractor Safety Passport route for contractors and the EPIC Driver Skills Card Scheme route for hauliers, all of which have started to address competence assurance for key parts of the workforce and will evolve over time to fully address this requirement.

EMPLOYEES [Primarily employed in operations and operations-linked roles]

a. For existing employees the strategic indicator should be 20,000 N/SVQs or equivalent qualifications achieved by 2010.
b. For new entrant employees they should be registered and working towards the relevant N/SVQ or equivalent within 12 months of joining the extractive and mineral processing industries.
c. By 2010 all supervisors and managers should be actively engaged in a CPD scheme.
d. In principle, there will be active support for both the new Derby University distance learning course and the Camborne modular MSc, but more detailed information on the final syllabi is required before any firmer commitment can be given at this stage.

CONTRACTORS

 

a. For contractors currently covered by the EPIC Contractor Safety Passport Scheme, the strategic indicator should be 20,000 valid Passports or equivalent awards held.
b. For new entrant contractors they should achieve a valid Passport or equivalent award within 6 months of working in the extractive and mineral processing industries. Where new entrant contractors do not hold an EPIC Contractor Safety Passport or equivalent they will be given a fully comprehensive health and safety induction as well as a full site induction.

HAULIERS

a. For all drivers used by QPA members, they are required to hold a valid EPIC Drivers Skills Card by certain target dates.
b. The Highways Agency has recognized the EPIC Drivers Skills Card scheme in its current Workforce Registration/Skill Card Requirements for Suppliers pamphlet.


EPIC continues to work with all employers and stakeholders in the extractive and mineral processing industries  to ensure that all its products and services are relevant.