Apprenticeship in Sustainable Resource Management

Launched in Autumn 2010

Level 2 Apprenticeship

The apprenticeship programme in Sustainable Resource Management at level 2 has been designed to underpin the following occupational roles:-

Manual/Mechanical Street Cleanser
Transfer Station Technician
Compost Technician (Biological Treatment)
Materials Recycling Facility Technician (Picker/Sorter)
Household Waste Recycling Centre Technician
Recycling Technician (Driver/Loader)
Refuse Technician (Driver/Loader
Environmental Technician (including Weighbridge and other activities)

Level 3 Apprenticeship

The apprenticeship programme in Sustainable Resource Management at level 3 has been designed to underpin the following occupational roles:-

Sustainability Officer
Refuse Collection Supervisor (Team Leader)
Recycling Collection Supervisor (Team Leader)
Treatment (Physical/Chemical or Thermal) Supervisor
Materials Recycling Facility/Household Waste Recycling Centre Supervisor
Transfer Station Supervisor
Biological Treatment (In-Vessel Composting/Open Windrow/Anaerobic Digestion) Supervisor
Landfill Supervisor

Apprenticeship Framework

The apprenticeship framework comprises elements as follows:-

Vocational Qualification mandatory and optional competence units from the QCF Sustainable Waste Operative or QCF Sustainable Recycling Activities (refs: SWMWC2, SWMO2, SWMCD2, SWMWO2, SWMWB2, SWMTL2, WSUP3, SRAC2, SRAP2, SRARS2, SRAW2, SRASUP3) at either level 2 or level 3 for one of the occupational disciplines as shown above
Personal Learning & Thinking Skills (PLTS) - will be a mandatory component from April 2011
Employment Rights & Responsibilities (ERR)
Key Skills*/Functional Skills
Underpinning Knowledge
*until March 2011

A minimum of 30% of the total framework must be delivered off the job.

Personal Learning & Thinking Skills

There 6 elements as follows:-

Team Working
Reflective Learning
Creative Thinking
Independent Enquiry
Self Management
Effective Management

Employment Rights & Responsibilities

The apprentice will have to evidence knowledge and competence against the following elements:-

Know employer and employee rights, responsibilities and own organisational procedures
Know factors that affect own organisation and occupation

Key Skills/Functional Skills

Literacy/English
Application of Number/Maths

Underpinning Knowledge Units (Principles of Sustainable Waste Management levels 2 or 3) - An apprentice will have to study to attain the occupational knowledge across a variety of subjects as shown below:-

Mandatory

How to work safely within the waste/recycling industry
Understand environmental protection within the waste/recycling industry
How to identify and resolve disagreements
Understand the principles of the waste/recycling industry
Understand the principles of identifying and classifying waste
Understand the 'Duty of Care' within the waste/recycling industry
Plan, allocate and monitor the work of a team*

*Mandatory for advanced apprentices only

Optional Units for Apprentices (Level 2)

Understand the reasons and targets for recycling
Manual Street Cleaning
Mechanical Street Cleaning
Understand operational systems and procedures within the waste/recycling industry
Know the materials arising within the waste/recycling industry
Know how to maintain confidentiality of information within the waste/recycling industry

Optional Units for Advanced Apprentices (Level 3)

Understand policy and legislation in the waste management industry
Understand the requirements for transportation of waste
Understand management systems
Know about waste treatment technologies
Technical aspects of managing waste and resources
Understand planning requirements in the waste/recycling industry
How to identify and record Hazardous waste
understand environmental permitting