In response to new safety requirements due to coronavirus, and following guidance given to all IPAF training centers, IPAF member firm Nationwide Platforms has successfully completed an online instructor-led MEWPs for Managers course for major contractor Skanska.
The course, which would normally be taught in a classroom, was held online using a video conferencing platform. The instructor-led training allows those who supervise or plan work at height to remotely receive the training from the comfort and safety of their home or office.
The instructor-led option is in addition to the individual eLearning MEWPs for Managers course that IPAF training centers can also offer and represents a new mode of remote delivery of IPAF instruction.
The course has the same safety advantages of the eLearning, but allows the instructor to replicate all elements of the face-to-face course that would normally be carried out in the classroom for multiple candidates at the same time.
The instructor is able to interact with the delegates and answer any questions or queries, as well as provide feedback specific to their learning. This new method of training delivery also facilitates group discussions, and can even accommodate smaller breakout sessions.
Paul Roddis, IPAF’s training manager, sat in on one of the first trials of this method of delivery and said, “I was happy with how well the course flowed. Candidates were actively involved with the instructor-led discussions and were encouraged to ask questions whenever they wanted additional clarification. It was clear that the candidates on the course found the interaction useful and enjoyable.”
Roddis added that IPAF knows some people find eLearning challenging because no one is there to answer questions and explain things in different ways. “This instructor-led remote learning offers another appealing solution for training centers and candidates,” he said.
Peter Douglas, CEO and managing director of IPAF, said, “We welcome any initiative that promotes MEWP safety while also safeguarding training candidates. Many of our members delivering training are eager to return to offering courses on the scale they were doing before the pandemic, but equally they are keen to ensure this is done as safely as possible and in line with the best guidance available to minimize risk of candidates or training center staff coming into contact with or spreading the virus.”
Douglas added, “We think this new flexibility will be of benefit to our training providers as they look to reconfigure the way they work going forwards, and to bolster confidence that their staff and training candidates have the best range of options to allow them to undertake IPAF training with maximum confidence.”
For more information about IPAF training, including the range of courses and modules available via eLearning, please visit www.ipaf.org/training, where you can also use the searchable map function to find your nearest IPAF Training Centre.
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