BPCA is excited to announce that we have been successful in securing funding from the Ufi VocTech Trust, to support the development of an interactive 3D competency simulator for pest technicians.
The funding is for a pilot programme that will pave the way for integrating competency demonstrations, alongside the knowledge and skills requirement, for pest management professionals.
How will it work?
Currently it is recommended that pest management professionals take the Level 2 Award in Pest Management in order to be able to safely carry out pest control in the UK.
This project aims to offer those new to the industry the opportunity to demonstrate their competency in a simulated 3D environment, putting theoretical knowledge into practice in a safe and controlled way, before moving on to carrying out pest control in live situations.
The competency assessment will be easily accessed, users will only need an internet connection and a desktop computer, laptop or tablet.
Karen Dawes, Training and Development Manager at BPCA says:
"This is a really exciting project for us and for the industry as a whole, truly bringing pest management into the 21st century.
"Being able to simulate environments that are instantly recognisable and having the flexibility to include a range of contexts that the pest management technician may come across within those environments is something that we haven’t been able to do before.
"This project will ensure that pest technicians have a safe place to put what they have learned in the classroom into practice, and will bring a new level of confidence both to them and those they work for."
This is a really exciting project for us and for the industry as a whole, truly bringing pest management into the 21st century.
Karen Dawes, BPCA Training and Development Manager
Who is Ufi VocTech?
Ufi VocTech Trust is a grant-funding body focussed on delivering an increase in the scale of vocational learning.
They support the delivery of adult vocational skills by championing the power of technology. They act as a funding partner and essential friend to innovators in skills development looking to help people progress in the workplace.
The support of Ufi VocTech will help BPCA reach new levels of digital innovation in championing professionalism.
BPCA Chief Executive Ian Andrew commented:
“We are delighted to have been successful in securing Ufi VocTech funding for this project. The pest technician role is a practical, hands-on role which requires significant problem-solving skills.
“These skills cannot be taught using theory-based assessments alone. We believe this project is necessary in order to demonstrate the professionalism of those working in pest management through formal training, qualifications, and continued professional development and demonstrable competency.”
The development of the competency assessment is in its early stages and will be steered by a sub-working group of the Professional Standards Committee which includes Martin Rose-King of Bounty Pest Control, Paul Blackhurst of Rentokil, Simon Taylor of Ecolab and Alex Wade of Wade Environmental.
The steering group met for the first time on 9 June to discuss the types of environments, pest species and contexts that will be of best benefit for the simulation.
The funding period is for 12 months and it is expected that the competency assessment will be launched early in 2022.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
A more in-depth article about the project will be available in PPC104, coming soon. Make sure to sign up for your copy.
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Source: Online