BEAR Scotland has partnered with specialist industry provider Sibbald Training to design a tailored Road Building and Maintenance training programme for its road maintenance workforce.

Under the new initiative, employees will undertake the Road Building and Maintenance Modern Apprenticeship through Skills Development Scotland as part of the SCQF Level 5 Civil Engineering framework. The Industry Specific Training element of the Modern Apprenticeship has also been approved by CITB.

In addition to the qualification, BEAR Scotland and Sibbald Training have co-created a bespoke suite of extra training aligned to the day-to-day requirements of BEAR's road maintenance operations.

The programme is intended both to upskill existing staff and to offer a structured entry route for new recruits to the sector.

It has been developed in response to a recognised skills shortage, with local colleges in South East Scotland no longer delivering courses in this field and fewer suitably qualified candidates emerging. The partners have therefore established a defined training pathway tailored to the competencies required across BEAR's operations.

The first intake comprises eight employees drawn from four BEAR depots across South East Scotland. Four participants are new to the company and the industry, while four are existing employees seeking to further develop their capability and competence.

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Jamie Finlayson, BEAR Scotland South East Contract Director, explains: "BEAR is responsible for looking after 506km of strategic routes from central Scotland through to the Borders, including the Edinburgh City Bypass and the M8. To ensure that we keep these key roads and bridges in as safe and reliable a condition as possible for the people of Scotland, we need a skilled and dedicated workforce.

"We're excited about the potential of the partnership with Sibbald that has been developed to address a demand for appropriate skills. The scheme underlines BEAR's commitment to investing in our staff to ensure we deliver the best service and keep the roads in peak condition."

The year-long programme is structured around six separate week-long training blocks held at Sibbald Training's dedicated centre at Sibbald Park, Blackridge, West Lothian, scheduled across the 12 months.

John Sibbald, Managing Director of Sibbald Training, said: "We're delighted to be working alongside BEAR Scotland to develop this programme. Rather than taking an off-the-shelf approach, we've been able to work closely with the BEAR team to understand the skills their roadworkers need and build a training programme around their actual working environment.

"The combination of the Modern Apprenticeship, dedicated practical training at Sibbald Park and assessment within the candidates' own workplaces gives them the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills and then put these into practice in a real working environment.

"We see this first cohort as the beginning of what could become a really valuable training pathway for developing skilled roadworkers, and we're looking forward to seeing the candidates progress over the next 12 months."

Course content spans core road building and maintenance activities, including flexible pavement works, laying and working with road materials, setting out, kerbing, drainage and installing street ironwork. A five-day Street Works training and assessment component will also provide industry-recognised credentials relevant to BEAR's operations.

Between classroom blocks, candidates will continue to develop and apply their learning within their normal roles at BEAR Scotland. Sibbald Training assessors will carry out up to four workplace visits during the year to observe tasks under real conditions and gather evidence of occupational competence towards the candidates' SVQ qualification.