Acceptance of Lantra vs City & Guilds qualification

[Arbo]

Hi,

Ive been looking for chainsaw training courses recently, but have been told by my employer that it must be NPTC assessed. I believe the reasoning is that NPTC use a different person than the trainer to assess, but with Lantra there is no such requirement.

 

In the conservation sector it seems that NPTC (City & Guilds) assessment is the preferred standard, and in many cases Lantra would be rejected despite (probably) no such requirement by their insurance. (RSPB, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts etc)

 

It seems ludicrous, If you have recently been assessed by Lantra, to have to be reassessed on exactly the same QCF criteria, to obtain the same tickets awarded by a different body.

 

Have I missed something? I would love to hear your experience, either as an employer or experience on the job market as to what organizations are requesting or accepting.

 

Many thanks

[Mark Bolam]

I got my LANTRA ticket just by doing the course, the NPTC ticket was by an entirely different assessment.

Years ago mind.

Seems if you go NPTC you've got all the bases covered.

No point doing a ticket if it's not recognised by everyone you're likely to work for.

[stihlmadasever]

Hi,

Ive been looking for chainsaw training courses recently, but have been told by my employer that it must be NPTC assessed. I believe the reasoning is that NPTC use a different person than the trainer to assess, but with Lantra there is no such requirement.

 

In the conservation sector it seems that NPTC (City & Guilds) assessment is the preferred standard, and in many cases Lantra would be rejected despite (probably) no such requirement by their insurance. (RSPB, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts etc)

 

It seems ludicrous, If you have recently been assessed by Lantra, to have to be reassessed on exactly the same QCF criteria, to obtain the same tickets awarded by a different body.

 

Have I missed something? I would love to hear your experience, either as an employer or experience on the job market as to what organizations are requesting or accepting.

 

Many thanks

How many vans have you seen driving around with

"all staff trained to Lantra standard" -few if any.

NPTC is the required industry standard for most arboriculture companies,i think for insurance purposes,although im not 100% sure.NPTC are also recognised in a lot of other countries.

[hamdogg]

I don't see how they can't accept lantra! It's ridiculous!!

[Arbo]

Yeah I think this summarizes the attitude in the industry and I've had a similar conversation with work today. However, historic course organization aside (where Lantra delivered training and then NPTC assessed), the current setup, using the Qualifications and Credits Framework (QCF) which both systems assess to, teaches and assesses for exactly the same things. The only difference is whether it is the same person assessing or not, which only provides assurance that someone can pass the assessment, not that they have received the best possibly quality of training.

 

Id still like to get more feedback on which organizations accept the Lantra vs City & Guilds? I hear the Forestry Commission are happy with Lantra now and actually work closer with them than NPTC/City & Guilds?

 

I had not considered international recognition. Lantra is not I presume?

[stihlmadasever]

Yeah I think this summarizes the attitude in the industry and I've had a similar conversation with work today. However, historic course organization aside (where Lantra delivered training and then NPTC assessed), the current setup, using the Qualifications and Credits Framework (QCF) which both systems assess to, teaches and assesses for exactly the same things. The only difference is whether it is the same person assessing or not, which only provides assurance that someone can pass the assessment, not that they have received the best possibly quality of training.

 

Id still like to get more feedback on which organizations accept the Lantra vs City & Guilds? I hear the Forestry Commission are happy with Lantra now and actually work closer with them than NPTC/City & Guilds?

 

I had not considered international recognition. Lantra is not I presume?

 

You would have to find that one out off people working abroad on these forums.

In my own case for cs30/31, lantra ran the coarse and arranged an NPTC assessor for the assessment.

[Arbo]

Also, as an employer - how would you deal with someone with mixed qualifications, say:

CS30+CS31 Lantra

CS32+CS38 City & Guilds (NPTC)

 

Because the Lantra certification is accepted as a re-requisite for the NPTC CS31 and or CS32.

 

Would this be OK? Or would you still favour someone equally skilled who was NPTC assessed for everything?

[treequip]

Back in the day NPTC used to do ITA. they moved away from it a long time ago

 

With an independent assessor you get independence.

[Stuart Phillips]

The Lantra QUALIFCATIONS (available since 2012) , regulated by Ofqual, are accepted. They have to be as not to do so would be an restrictive trade practice' under the Competition Act 1998.

The issues sits with acceptance of the Lantra ITA (Integrated Training and Assessment) certifications. These are not Ofqual regulated as they are a certificate of training. Ironically, the legal imperative is on the training. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (MHSaWR) , and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) you have to be adequately trained. The assessment is only mentioned in the approved code of practice. The HSE say (http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/sims/ag_food/010402.htm):

 

"Individual Awarding Organisations (AOs), for example, City and Guilds NPTC and Lantra, have-developed Qualifications Credit Framework (QCF) units into awards (qualifications) which are based on industry standards and reflect the knowledge, skills and competence required. Only AOs recognised by the qualifications and examinations regulators can offer these qualifications. (See Appendix 2 for details of the Qualification and Examination regulators in GB) The content will be the same across all AOs offering the qualifications.

These qualifications are identified and approved by the qualifications regulators and:

• Confirm occupational competence and/or licence to practice

• Confirm the ability to meet licence to practice or other legal requirements made by the relevant sector, professional or industry"

 

SO... Lantra qualifications "confirm occupational competence" and "confirm the ability to meet licence to practice... requirements". If you would like any other details, or want to let me know of companies out there who still say that they will only accept NPTC, please drop me a line.

.

[stihlmadasever]

Also, as an employer - how would you deal with someone with mixed qualifications, say:

CS30+CS31 Lantra

CS32+CS38 City & Guilds (NPTC)

 

Because the Lantra certification is accepted as a re-requisite for the NPTC CS31 and or CS32.

 

Would this be OK? Or would you still favour someone equally skilled who was NPTC assessed for everything?

 

This would be up to each individual employer to determine.

Some employers MAY look at the lantra qualification as a certificate of training and request you get NPTC assessed under there own company guidelines.

If i were an employer with two individuals competing for a vacancy, one with lantra,one with NPTC-id take the NPTC trained individual.