Assured practitioner scheme: Up and running

The CAP Scheme, which is being developed by Composites UK was launched to address the recognised skills shortage in the industry. CAP helps companies balance the skills needed to drive business forward against the current workforce by giving an understanding of in-house competency levels. 

As part of the commercial packages that are being offered, Composites UK works with individual companies to guide them through the accreditation process. From a standard format of more than 300 skill traits and knowledge areas, a finely-tuned list is developed for each company to ensure the relevant competencies are assessed. A training matrix can then be created for any identified skills shortages. An external assessor can be brought in (Composites UK is a BIIAB approved assessment centre) or there are defined steps and options for companies to carry out in-house assessments once their own assessors have been trained and accredited. The training that is needed is not included in CAP. 

Subcontractors can also apply to be evaluated at an external assessment centre. 

The scheme gives the UK industry a supply chain improvement mechanism, helping companies to de-risk and de-cost. Long-term, it will link with the Composite Technician Apprenticeship Scheme and graduate programmes to give a unified approach across the full skill set.

For companies, being part of the CAP Scheme will demonstrate compliance of their work-force within audited schemes such as NADCAP, ISO standards and SC21 as well as showing commitment to maintaining and improving quality for customers. 

To ensure the CAP Scheme will work within a company, it of course requires buy-in from employees. Individuals within the company are assessed against the competencies agreed for its business and marked as performing at a skill level against each relevant entry. They will then gain a competency ‘passport’, which is a record of their level across the range of skills assessed. Each passport is valid for three years and can be renewed for a small fee. 

David Howell, quality assurance manager of Aim Composites said: “AIM has opened a training facility on site and appointed a training officer as direct progression of the CAP scheme and continues to work even closer with another pilot company, Aircelle. All employees, and clean room operators in particular, have fully engaged and are now actively requesting assessment under the scheme.”

Stephen Dyer said of the engagement throughout the pilot scheme at Aircelle: “The CAP Scheme has helped to improve employee engagement. As with a lot of new ideas, this was greeted with some trepidation by a few. However as the assessments have been carried out, participants have had the opportunity to display the many talents they possess – some of which, they didn’t realise they had. This has encouraged many other operators to take part in the scheme and increasingly they are doing so with enthusiasm rather than fear. The operators seem to appreciate that by becoming CAP accredited they help both themselves and the business to advance.

“We’ve used the CAP scheme criteria to identify the correct operators to work on new projects, placing the right team to meet future challenges. New products go into service with zero concessions and as such, we need to have a fully capable workforce striving for ‘Right First Time’.”

Companies working with the pre-preg, wet lay-up and resin infusion processes who want to find out more are encouraged to contact Composites UK, initially signing up to one of the basic packages to enable them to see the value of CAP for themselves – www.compositesuk.co.uk/CAP.