Mentor Training moves to Extractives

As the UK's leading training provider of all types of materials handling and workplace transport equipment, Mentor Training have continued their expansion and are now offering a wide range of accredited courses for plant within the extractives and minerals processing industries.

Mentor's move into Extractives

Mentor became involved with the quarry industry following requests from existing customers who had been impressed by the training services provided for operators of fork lifts, tele-handlers, access platforms etc. Richard Shore, Managing Director of Mentor says "These same companies urged Mentor to develop equivalent quality training programmes, customer service support and professionalism for the larger items of plant used within the quarrying sector. We conducted extensive research into the requirements of the main operators in the quarrying industry and felt it was a good fit with our other areas of expertise and confirmed that we could provide the level of service that they wanted and needed. A separate ‘Mentor Extractives' division has now been created within the company led by experienced industry professionals and the early results have been hugely encouraging" Heading up the Mentor Extractives division is Product Manager Steve Parfitt, a former Foster Yeoman employee.

EMP Accredited

Following their expansion Mentor became the first training organisation to be successfully accredited by EMP Awarding Body Ltd. to provide plant training in the Extractive and Mineral Processing Industry.

EMP, who are well known in the extractive and mineral processing industries as the awarding body for NVQ and SVQ work-related competence-based qualifications.   Roseanne Hayward, General Manager of EMP says "that we are looking forward to continue working with Mentor to increase the portfolio of industry-recognised accredited training programmes and qualifications in the full knowledge that these will meet the needs of employers and recognise individuals achievements through the new Qualifications & Credit Framework.

The Mentor training courses for Wheeled Loaders, Excavators, Dumpers, Skid Steers and Tele Handler lift trucks are all mapped to EMP-NVQs which means any individual taking the operator training course is automatically contributing to their NVQ at the same time.

A look to the future

Further training courses for their extractives division continue to be developed. Courses for Agricultural Tractor, Dozer, Compactor and 180º Excavator with Backhoe are being mapped to EMP accreditation, with an additional module being tagged onto the excavator courses for the use of Quick Hitches.

Mentors aim is to work with extractives companies to ensure that their operators benefit from fully accredited and quality training courses that are available in other industry sectors with a view to becoming the leading provider of plant operator training.

Their future in the extractives industry relies on the site managers and key decision makers for operator training being able to identify that proper training makes sense; it saves lives, time and money.

Author JVMS Ltd