Awarding bodies offer rival qualifications

People working in the parking sector now have two paths to qualifications. The existing City & Guilds qualifications will be provided in partnership with Alpha Parking, while an alternative set has been launched by the British Parking Association (BPA) in partnership with a new awarding body.

 

Alpha Parking is operating alongside City & Guilds to offer a full suite of parking qualifications as part of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and accredited by OfQual. Alpha will be providing both the Level 2 Award for Parking Enforcement Officers and the Level 3 Award for Notice Processors.

 

The BPA is now partnering with WAM ITAB (the Waste Management Industry Training and Advisory Board). Since 1 January, approved training centres have been able to offer two parking qualifications approved by Ofqual. These are a Level 2 Award for Parking Enforcement Officers, a qualification that has a specific focus on conflict management, and a Level 3 Award for Notice Processors, a qualification that provides essential training for office-based, information management and administrative roles.

 

Patrick Troy, chief executive of the BPA, added: ‘WAMITAB has the expertise to be our awarding organisation partner because for many years it has been developing qualifications for sectors that share the same challenges as the parking profession. The BPA, its membership and the parking profession can benefit greatly from WAMITAB’s experience.”

 

Chris James, chief executive of WAMITAB, said: “There is a clear convergence between the content of WAMITAB’s current qualifications and the parking profession in terms of conflict management, customer care, health and safety, management and leadership, together with soft skills such as literacy, numeracy and communication skills. In addition, there is a common requirement to meet the needs of the built environment and facilities management in areas such as pollution control and congestion management.”

 

While the BPA is working with WAMITAB, the partnership between City & Guilds qualifications and Alpha Parking will continue to provide Level 2 for civil enforcement officers and Level 3 for notice processors.Alpha Parking also offers additional accredited courses like Parking Supervisor and Management training, aimed at local authority parking managers and team leaders, as well as Traffic Order Training, NVQs and specialist training in the use of ParkMap software.

 

Penny Winder, director of Alpha Parking, said: “Working with City & Guilds is a best fit for Alpha Parking because it is an internationally recognised brand, which has developed a specialist knowledge of the requirements of the parking sector. That long-term relationship is something that we value and wish to continue and develop.”

 

City  &  Guilds remains committed to the parking sector, said Yolanda Peck, senior business manager at City & Guilds:

 

“Alpha Parking has been a City & Guilds training centre for nearly a decade,” she said, “so we know they are fully committed to providing high quality training and assessment services to all public and private sector parking suppliers. Specifically, City &Guilds has been supporting local authorities’ workforce development strategies for many years, across all occupational sectors, and parking remains high on our agenda.”

 

Turning the Spotlight on Parking

What impact does parking have on the local community? “Spotlight on Parking 2014”, a half day free seminar being hosted at Hounslow Civic Centre in central London this spring, will shine the light on this and other local parking issues.

 

The London Borough of Hounslow Parking Services Department is joining forces with parking consultants Alpha Parking Ltd to host the invitation only half-day event on 4th March.

 

“Spotlight on Parking 2014” will have a number of high profile speakers who will be giving their views on some of the pressing issues facing the parking profession. Explaining their points will be Dr Scott Le Vine from the Centre of Transport Studies, Imperial College, who wrote the RAC “On the Move” report; Patrick Troy, Chief Executive of the British Parking Association; and Caroline Hamilton, London’s Chief Parking Adjudicator. The day’s proceedings will be overseen by Keith Banbury OBE, who is chairing the event.

 

Hounslow’s Mayor, Sachin Gupta – the youngest ever Mayor of Hounslow – will be at the seminar as will Brendon Walsh, Director of Regeneration, Economic Development and the Environment for Hounslow Borough Council. The seminar reflects the wide range of parties impacted by parking issues including parking professionals, stakeholders in the parking profession, such as the Metropolitan Police and the RAC, and community groups.

 

Melanie Gadd is Head of Parking at Hounslow Borough Council. She said:

‘The idea behind the seminar is to acknowledge the impact of parking on every facet of the community. It is also an opportunity for a wide range of people involved in parking issues to share views and to gain understanding and knowledge of current issues from a range of different perspectives.’

 

Penny Winder, Director of Alpha Parking said:

‘We would like the seminar to be seen as an opportunity for those involved in parking – be it as a parking manager, a stakeholder or a community representative – to have a chance to listen to other perspectives and talk through their own issues in a supportive environment.’

 

For further information and to apply for a place on the “Spotlight on Parking 2014” seminar telephone 020 7242 2567 or email  parkingenquiries@aparking.co.uk.