Accreditation for road transport technicians

IRTE IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) was founded in 1944 and is one of the most respected names in UK transport. A Professional Sector of the Society of Operations Engineers. IRTE supports transport engineers throughout their careers and encourages high standards, with an emphasis on safety and best practice. Recognised as the impartial voice of the industry, IRTE believes safety in operation is vital. Recognising the need for those working in the industry to prove their competence, IRTE pioneered the irtec Licensing Scheme for technicians and mechanics.

Industry recognised benchmark of competence Developed by industry for the industry –Consultation with Operators, Vehicle Manufactures, Training Providers - some 15,000 individuals to establish the standards –Expert working groups set the criteria and continue to update this with changes in legislation and technology Raise industry standards and professionalism –Previously no industry standard for vehicle technicians or maintenance/inspection of up to 44,000kgs commercial vehicles Assess competence and technical skills –Assessment centres assessed to provide irtec Recognise quality technicians

Number of licensed vehicles ‘Maintained’ by an estimated 30,000 technicians Vehicle Licensing Statistics 2015 (

‘independent’ accreditation for technicians Renewable voluntary assessment Assesses the competence of technicians in the following sectors: –Large Commercial Vehicle (over 7.5 tonnes) –Bus and Coach –Heavy Vehicle Trailer –Combined (B&C/LCV) Indicates current acceptable standards of technician’s competence Developed and quality assured alongside IMI Licence is valid for 5 years, to ensure current competence.

Delivering irtec IRTE (Professional Sector of SOE) Industry facing Governance Steering Group Marketing The Institute of the Motor Industry Sector Skills Council Develop Assessments & UPK questions Expert Working Group Quality Assurance of Assessment centres irtec assessment centres Delivery of irtec Assessments

Benefits for the employer Increase customer and public confidence in vehicle safety Demonstrates commitment to high quality standards and training Highlight the skills and technical competence of your staff Build up the credibility and commitment of engineering staff Enhance your organisation’s image Audit the skills of staff and identify skills gaps Provide a competitive edge, Return On Investment Confirms O-Licence compliance Sets standard for sub-contractors Sets standard for new starters

What Employers say: Eddie Cross, London Borough of Redbridge “In the transport industry compliance is king, and when the irtec scheme was launched, for me it filled a gap when answering the question how do I show the competence of my technicians. I can now show that not only are their skills reassessed every 5 years, but as an assessment centre in our own right I can afford to have some technicians multi-skilled as both HGV/Coach & Bus/Inspection/Advanced Technicians with the added benefit of increasing revenue.” Mike Fowler, CEMEX “CEMEX as a large organisation felt safer in the knowledge that our service and maintenance provider has irtec licenced technicians throughout the DAF network. This gives CEMEX peace of mind in the produce we utilise every day in our business.”

Benefits for the candidate Prove skills and demonstrate professional competence Improve skills and qualifications Stay up to date with new technology and safety standards through re-assessment every five years Certifies the individual and not the employer Inclusion on national Register of irtec licence holders Free Halfords Trade Card

Licence levels Accreditation includes practical and theoretical assessment of technician’s competence irtec licences are available at four levels Service Maintenance Technician Inspection Technician Advanced Technician Master Technician Currently over 6’500 technicians licensed across the 4 levels and sectors

Level breakdown

Level content

What Assessment Centres say: Steve Gannon, The Manchester College “The Manchester college has been an approved irtec centre since 2006, since the re-launch of the irtec scheme in 2011 we have seen employers and vehicle technicians embrace irtec licensing as it allows them to demonstrate their technical competence and ability, whilst successfully reintroducing employers and technicians into a training and assessment environment. In turn this has allowed The Manchester College to develop and offer bespoke targeted technical training which meets the requirements of operators and allows them to continually develop and reinvest in their vehicle technicians.” Jon Winter, S&B Automotive Academy “The irtec License is a fundamental aspect of a technicians career, it not only benchmarks their skills as being up-to- date but also identifies them as a professional. S&B have been committed to the delivery of irtec since it was first introduced back in 2002, and 2015/16 are looking to be record breaking years. S&B is all about the training and upskilling of present and future commercial vehicle technician engineering professionals, and irtec enables us to present to school leavers that Road Transport Engineering Industry is a whole life career choice.”

New Developments irtec Light (3.5t – 7.5t) –Officially launched at the CV Show 2016 –As a result of discussions during a Stakeholders meeting, it was agreed that irtec should be expanded to include Light Commercial Vehicles –Initial availability at Inspection Technician level –The initial pilot was done at The Manchester College and FTA with UPS and the North East Ambulance Service taking part –Future development will involve looking at expanding to the Service Maintenance, Advanced and Master Technician levels

Return on Investment A Return on Investment Study took place in 2013 to demonstrate the numerical benefits the irtec scheme has produced. The IMI worked with Morrisons Supermarkets, DAF and DSV Commercials to obtain this data. Key Areas covered in the study: –MOT first time pass rates –Productivity and financial benefits –Meeting customer needs e.g. OCRS –Technician confidence, competence and professional recognition

Industry support Alastair Peoples, Chief Executive DVSA “irtec is one of the building blocks required to achieve total performance and compliance.” Beverley Bell, Senior Traffic Commissioner “Accreditation through the irtec scheme will not only enhance the reputation of the commercial vehicle industry and give aspiring technicians a recognised career path, but will also actively improve standards of vehicle maintenance and consequently road safety.”

Assessment Centres NameLocation Arriva the Shires and EssexBedfordshire Bridgwater CollegeSomerset Cardiff & Vale CollegeCardiff City of Bristol CollegeBristol Driver and Vehicle Standards AgencyBristol Fife CollegeFife Freight Transport AssociationTunbridge Wells Gateshead College Skills AcademyGateshead Go-Ahead LondonLondon GTG Training GlasgowGlasgow GTG Training West MidlandsWest Midlands Hull CollegeHull Isuzu Truck (UK) LtdHertfordshire Iveco LtdHertfordshire Lancaster Training ServicesMorecambe London Borough of RedbridgeLondon New College LanarkshireMotherwell North Lindsey CollegeScunthorpe S&B Automotive AcademyBristol Scania (GB) LtdLoughborough Southampton City CollegeSouthampton Stephenson CollegeLeicestershire Texa UK LtdNelson The Manchester CollegeManchester

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