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| Hard Landscape Training Group |
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IntroductionThe Hard Landscape Training Group (HLTG) is a national Training Group drawing its membership from both the landscape and the construction industries. Members of the group include manufacturers, academics, contractors, designers, training specialists and other interested parties, including the Pavingexpert website.The stated aim of the Training Group is to develop and deliver accredited training and qualifications for hard-landscaping operatives and associated staff working within the landscape and the civil engineering industries. |
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| To that end, the HLTG provides short training courses which are usually 1 or 2 day duration and focused on one or more particular skills within the industry, such as laying block pavers, fixing flags, or installing kerbs, along with specialist paving courses and other hard-landscape related training sessions. These courses are offered to companies and contractors within the industry who wish to improve the skills of their workforce, but they are also open to anyone looking to develop their skills or to explore hard-landscaping as a career option. The group will continue to offer these courses, and more, as its remit expands to consider the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ or SVQ in Scotland) standards and other qualifications within the sector. |
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NVQs, SVQs and Beyond... |
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The HLTG will be working to update, improve and expand the NVQ Units to make them more accessible to the industry as a whole. The current Landscaping NVQ has recently been reviewed and this offered the ideal opportunity for the provision of dedicated hard-landscape training to be re-assessed with a view to creating a stand-alone qualification that is more keenly focussed on the skills used within the hard-landscape and groundworks trades. At a later date, it is hoped the HLTG will be able to review the Modern Apprentice Schemes. |
| The Hard Landscape Training Group aims to work with as many businesses as possible, both on a national and a regional level, encouraging them to take advantage of the benefits of the practical training provided by the Hard Landscape Training Group. All HLTG courses are keenly priced with course fees covering only immediate costs and overheads. This is done to encourage a greater number of businesses to put forward their staff for quality training. CITB Levy payers are eligible for grants towards many of the courses. | |
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Benefits enjoyed by members of the Group |
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Employers have a single point of contact to organise all their training requirements |
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Training is provided by instructors from the National Construction College |
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Training Needs Assessments (TNAs) are available to identify the requirements of individual businesses |
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Courses are practical based and focus on 'hands on' training wherever possible |
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Limited numbers of trainees on courses ensures individual attention |
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Courses are usually of one or two days duration |
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Certificates of Attendance are issued to those attending the courses |
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Pavingexpert and the HLTG |
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Originally, the Pavingexpert website fully supported the HLTG and was actively involved in both developing and presenting many of the courses available. However, the decision to hand over all training to the National Construction College and to rely on instructors with little or no experience of the paving and had-landscaping trades has forced a reconsideration of that support, and despite being an active committee member, it is felt that we can no longer offer unconditional recommendation for the training provided by the group.
The ethos of the Pavingexpert website was perfectly matched by that of the HLTG prior to September 2007, but subsequent events, including a regrettable lack of discretion, mis-representation, and petty politicking by a small number of people within the group, along with a refusal to provide a truly national training service and compounded by the use of incompetent trainers has caused disappointment and dissatisfaction with the actual training provided. The myopic focus on providing training mainly in SE England, combined with a ridiculous preference for providing courses on weedkiller application and chainsaw maintenance rather than actual training in paving and landscaping skills, has resulted in an ineffective body that exists primarily to provide an attractive salary for its administrator. Pavingexpert.com remains an active committee member of the group and will continue to push for genuine, relevant training, throughout Britain and Ireland, by experienced paving and hard-landscaping professionals. The need for quality training within our industry is too important to be left to pen-pushers, bureaucrats and those interested solely in bringing benefit to themselves. |
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Contact Details:If you would like details of membership and courses contact... |
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Kath Walker Group Training Officer Hard Landscape Training Group 12, Keeling Road, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent, England ST10 1HB |
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Upcoming courses from HLTGWe have not been informed of any forthcoming pavement construction training courses. The schedule of paving installation courses was suspended in September 2007 and no new schedule has been issued. The group does provide a number of other courses dealing with subjects as diverse as HAVS, CAT detection of utilities, managing people, and manual handling. Fuller details can be found on the HLTG website.Please contact Kath Walker (see above) to find out more or book places on these courses. |
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Course schedule for 2007 |
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To book places please contact: HLTG, 12 Keeling Road, Cheadle, Stoke-on-Trent, ST10 1HB Tel/Fax: 01538 756195 E: Use link above
HLTG reserve the right to change any date/content of courses if necessary. All the above prices are subject to VAT at 17.5% |
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