One of Cogent’s key activities is supporting process industry employers to upskill their workforce to world-class standards and in turn to improve productivity.  

In the Cogent science-based and chemistry-using industries, technology continues to advance in sophistication and new product development is crucial for the sector’s continued success. As a result, the workforce continually needs to become better skilled innovative and entrepreneurial.

Indeed demographic research has demonstrated that 70% of the 2020 workforce is already in employment highlighting the imperative for a robust industry upskill programme. To provide the all-important underpinning framework for such a programme Cogent has initiated the development of the “Gold Standard”.

The Gold Standard is an aspirational standard and framework that underpins the upskilling programme. For the key job roles in the process industry, employers, with support of Cogent, are defining the skills and competencies required to perform the particular role to world-class standards around key skills areas:

As part of this we would be delighted to hear back from employers on how they value and apply qualifications. Please consider the questions below, complete any answers you can and email these and any feedback to john.holton@cogent-ssc.com

• What processes take place in your business?
• Do you routinely use the qualifications listed in the draft Gold Standards?
• Do you routinely use other qualifications for Competence, Technical, Productivity or Key skills? Please list them
• There are numerous Engineering qualifications; Cogent values PEO over PMO and would recommend PEO; do you agree or do you use and value PMO?
• Do you use other engineering qualifications? Please list them.
• Do you currently use the NVQs in Business Improvement Techniques?
• Cogent is in the process of developing a HSEQ training programme; what HSEQ qualifications do you use? Please list them (i.e. IOSH, risk assessment, manual handling)
• Any other comments?

 
You can download the consultation sheets for four of the Gold Standard roles below:

Polymer Process Technican Level 3
Chemcial Process Technican Level 3
Polymer Process Operation Level 2
Chemical Process Operator Level 2