This is the option that you will be most familiar with and is the one chosen by most people. It used to be called an NVQ and you may also hear people referring to it as ‘a COTC’, or even ‘a WAMITAB’.

The actual WAMITAB qualification you complete will depend upon the activity described on your permit. For example, there is a WAMITAB qualification for Anaerobic Digestion and a different one for End of Life Vehicle depollution. It is therefore really important to make sure you are going for the right one and although for most waste operations this is fairly obvious, if you are at all unsure we can give you a bit of guidance, but ultimately we always suggest checking with the EA/NRW first. To help, there is a Risk Tiers table on the WAMITAB website (https://wamitab.org.uk/competence/operator-competence/).

We realize that the whole process can seem very complicated, therefore we are able to take you through each stage from start to finish, providing as much (or little) handholding as is necessary.

We aim to be as flexible as possible, making sure that we only ask you to do what is absolutely necessary, this will help to keep costs down and shorten the time to completion.

It is really important that it is not just a tick box exercise and at the end, you feel that you have learnt something and your company systems have improved. We realise that you are paying good money, so you should be at the centre of the process at every stage and that you actually feel like you are getting real value for that money.

Virtual Portfolio

We realise that different people will prefer to work in different ways. Therefore we have developed a couple of different approaches for presenting your work, reflecting your preference for using technology.

Option 1: Traditional paper-based portfolios- there is nothing wrong with this tried and tested approach, although we do want you to try and avoid ‘photocopy overload. Evidence of your management of the site are copied, explained and cross referenced onto the WAMITAB standards.

Option 2: Virtual portfolios- this is a more ‘techie’ alternative utilising the latest cloud-based systems. This helps to keep photocopying to a minimum and can suit you if you already store a lot of documentation electronically. This approach can also be an excellent way of sharing documents and work immediately with your assessor without needing to wait for visits, or folders to be posted around the country.

Learner Support

There are two parts to the process of gaining your work-based qualification. The first is to demonstrate that you know ‘how to’ manage the site/activity. This is demonstrated by showing your assessor around and showing them the paperwork that you are involved in completing and how this relates to the permit, the site management system and any planning permission. You will then need to work together to match this to the requirements of the WAMITAB standard. Bear in mind that depending upon your work role and also the way your site operates, you may need to carry out new activities, or implement new systems in order to fully satisfy the requirements of the standard. Again, we will work with you on this.

The second part of the process is for you to show that you ‘know why’ various aspects are required on site. To do this you will need to explain different topics to your assessor and also answer a number of written knowledge questions. These are all based around the requirements of the standard. For example, you will be asked to describe features of key legislation, such as the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 and the COSHH Regulations. This may seem quite daunting at the outset, but we have a range of learning support that we can provide to help you with this, with the main being access to our Training Academy. On here you will find written information and links, but more importantly a range (over 40) separate video tutorials on different legislative topics. Each is only 5-10 minutes in length and the take you through what you need to know, highlighting relevant aspects to ensure you have the knowledge and understanding to be able to answer the topic question. An example tutorial can be accessed from the following link:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWQlhm-Y8g4

A Vocationally Related Qualification (‘VRQ’) is an alternative to the work-based route to competence, but as it doesn’t cover all types of waste operation, it is important to check on the Risk Tiers Table (https://wamitab.org.uk/competence/operator-competence/) to make sure that it is right for you.

Another really important consideration is that the VRQ is an academic option, with a big difference being that it is done ‘off site’, without any face-to-face contact with an assessor. In fact, you can complete the VRQ without having a site at all!

Because of the limits on the site activities covered and also the very specific academic requirement, you do need to think very carefully whether this is the best option for you- if not, then you should stick with the work-based pathway.

WEB-BASED LEARNING

Sitting in a classroom is probably something that you hoped had passed a long time ago, so to bring teaching really up to date we have a web-based option for delivery of the VRQ. This enables you to learn at home, or at your desk, saving you time and money.

The questions you need to complete are the same as for a classroom delivery, it is just that you can do it at your own time and pace and even with your slippers on!