Plant Training Built Around Your Workforce
Need several plant operators trained, tested or upgraded without unnecessarily sending your workforce away from site?
Vally Plant Training works directly with construction companies, groundworks contractors, civil engineering businesses, utilities, plant hire companies, agricultural businesses and other employers that need practical, reliable plant operator training.
Whether you have one experienced excavator operator who needs testing, several new starters requiring novice training, existing operators needing refresher training or experienced employees progressing through Plant Operations NVQs, we can help organise the appropriate route for your workforce.
Where you have suitable machinery and facilities, our instructors can bring the training directly to your workplace. This can reduce travelling time, minimise unnecessary disruption and allow employees to train using machinery relevant to their normal working environment.
For employers without suitable facilities, selected courses can also be delivered at our dedicated plant training centre in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.
One provider. Multiple operators. Multiple plant categories. Training built around your workforce.
Got Several Operators to Train? Bring the Training to Your Workforce
Reduce unnecessary travel and workforce downtime by arranging plant operator training at your own workplace. We can discuss your operators, experience levels, machinery and required qualifications and help organise the most appropriate training, testing and NVQ assessment programme for your business.
Plant Training That Works Around Your Business
Training employees is essential, but taking several operators away from a working site can create its own problems.
There is travel to organise, machines standing without operators, accommodation in some cases and productive time lost while employees attend a distant training venue.
That is why a large part of our work is providing on-site plant training for businesses.
Where your workplace has the correct machine, documentation and a suitable practical training area, Vally Plant Training can send an instructor to you.
Your employees can complete practical plant operator training and assessment using suitable machinery relevant to the work they normally carry out.
For companies with several candidates, this can be a particularly practical way of organising workforce training.
It also means we can discuss your complete requirement rather than treating every employee as though they need exactly the same course.
One employee might be completely new to an excavator.
Another might have operated one every day for five years but never gained recognised certification.
A third might already hold an operator card but require refresher training.
And an experienced operator may now need a workplace NVQ to progress from a trained operator card towards the relevant competent operator card.
Those employees do not necessarily need the same training route.
Who Do We Provide Plant Training For?
Our business plant training is suitable for employers across construction and other industries where employees operate plant, lifting equipment or workplace machinery.
This includes:
- Construction companies
- Groundworks contractors
- Civil engineering contractors
- Housebuilders and developers
- Utilities contractors
- Highways and infrastructure businesses
- Plant hire companies
- Agricultural and farming businesses
- Landscaping contractors
- Demolition businesses
- Builders’ merchants
- Warehousing and logistics businesses
- Manufacturing and engineering companies
- Industrial sites
- Local authorities
- Facilities and estates teams
- Businesses operating their own plant and machinery
You do not need to be a large national contractor.
We work with businesses requiring training for one employee through to multiple-operator workforce bookings.
Construction & Groundworks
Practical operator training for excavators, dumpers, rollers, telehandlers and other plant used across construction, groundworks and civil engineering.
Workforce Training
Train novice, experienced and previously certificated employees through the appropriate route rather than putting every operator onto the same course.
Nationwide On-Site
Where suitable machinery, documentation and facilities are available, our instructors can deliver training at customer workplaces throughout the UK.
On-Site Plant Training at Your Workplace
For many employers, the most practical place to train operators is where the machinery is already located.
On-site delivery means there may be no need to transport employees and machinery to a separate training venue.
It can be particularly useful for companies requiring:
- Several operators trained
- Multiple Experienced Worker Tests
- Refresher training for existing operators
- Different plant categories
- Specialist machinery training
- Training on machinery that cannot easily be transported
- Workplace NVQ assessment
- Training across several company locations
On-Site Plant Training can take place on construction sites, depots, industrial premises, commercial yards, farms, engineering facilities and other suitable workplaces.
There are requirements that need to be met before an instructor arrives. These include suitable machinery, an appropriate practical area and relevant documentation.
Our full On-Site Plant Training Requirements explains exactly what employers should prepare.
What Are the Benefits of Training Employees On-Site?
Less Unnecessary Workforce Travel
Instead of sending several employees to another part of the country, the instructor travels to your suitable workplace.
Train Using Your Own Machinery
Where appropriate, employees can train on the machines and configurations relevant to their normal work.
This can make practical training particularly relevant to their working environment.
Multiple Candidates
Depending on the course and training route, several suitable candidates may be trained or assessed during the booking.
Reduced Disruption
On-site delivery can make it easier to organise training around your workforce, machinery and operational requirements.
Different Training Requirements
Not every employee needs to start from the beginning.
We can discuss each candidate’s previous experience and help identify whether they are more suited to novice training, an Experienced Worker Test or refresher training.
One Plant Training Provider for Multiple Categories
Many businesses operate more than one type of plant.
A groundworks contractor, for example, might employ excavator operators, dumper operators and roller operators while also requiring employees trained in locating underground services and controlling plant movements.
Rather than arranging each requirement with a different company, Vally Plant Training provides a wide range of practical plant, lifting and workplace training.
Popular workforce courses include:
360 Excavator Training
NPORS excavator operator training for novice and experienced operators across relevant excavator categories, with refresher training also available.
Forward Tipping Dumper Training
Practical dumper operator training covering safe machine preparation, travelling, loading, tipping and operating on typical construction and groundworks sites.
Telehandler Training
NPORS telescopic handler training for employees using telehandlers for material handling, loading, unloading and placing loads.
Ride On Road Roller Training
NPORS N214 training and assessment for employees operating ride-on rollers during construction, highways, groundworks and compaction operations.
Plant Banksman Training
Practical training for personnel responsible for assisting with plant movements and helping manage plant and pedestrian interfaces around the workplace.
CAT & Genny Training
Cable avoidance and service-location training for employees involved in excavation, groundworks, utilities and work where underground services may be present.
Slinger Signaller Training
Training for personnel involved in attaching loads and communicating with crane and lifting-equipment operators during lifting operations.
Excavator as a Crane Training
Additional operator training for suitable excavators being used to handle suspended loads.
Employers can also view our complete range of plant training courses when several different categories are required.
Several Employees – But Different Experience Levels?
This is one of the most important things to tell us when requesting company plant training.
The number of employees is only half of the information we need.
We also need to understand what they can already do.
Novice Plant Operator Training
Novice training is for employees who are completely new to the machine or do not yet have sufficient experience to undertake an experienced operator assessment.
The purpose is to teach, not simply test.
Training develops the candidate’s knowledge and practical ability progressively before assessment.
This is the appropriate route for a new employee who genuinely needs to learn how to operate the machine.
Experienced Worker Test
An Experienced Worker Test (EWT) is for operators who already possess sufficient practical ability and underpinning knowledge.
It is an assessment of existing competence.
It should not be used as a cheaper substitute for novice training where an employee still needs to learn the machine.
For businesses with experienced operators who have used machinery professionally but have never obtained the required recognised certification, an EWT may provide the appropriate route.
Refresher Training
Refresher plant training is for suitable previously trained operators who need to update or reinforce their existing knowledge and practical skills.
This might be appropriate after time away from the machine, where an employer has identified a training need or where existing skills require updating.
In-House Plant Training
Not every business requires an NPORS Operator Card for every employee.
In-house plant training and certification may be appropriate where employees operate company machinery within the employer’s own working environment and the certification is acceptable to the employer, client, site and insurer.
An in-house certificate is not the same as an NPORS Operator Card.
The appropriate option depends on where your employees work and what evidence of training or competence your clients and sites require.
Not Every Operator Needs the Same Course
Tell us honestly about each employee's experience and we'll help identify the appropriate route before the booking is arranged.
Need Several Plant Operators Trained?
If you are responsible for a workforce, it is worth giving us the complete requirement rather than booking employees individually without discussing the bigger picture.
For example, you might have:
- 2 experienced 360 excavator operators
- 3 dumper operators requiring assessment
- 1 new telehandler operator
- 4 employees requiring CAT & Genny training
- 2 trained operators needing NVQs
- Existing employees requiring refresher training
Tell us about all of them.
We can then look at the experience levels, categories, site location and machinery available and discuss the most practical way to organise the training.
This is particularly useful for:
site managers, contracts managers, training managers, health and safety managers, operations managers, HR departments and company directors who are responsible for keeping workforce training and competence up to date.
Plant Operations NVQs for Experienced Employees
Training the operator is only part of the journey for some construction businesses.
Experienced employees following the relevant card scheme may also require an occupational NVQ to demonstrate workplace competence and progress towards the applicable Blue Competent Operator Card.
Vally Plant Training provides Plant Operations NVQ assessments for experienced operators across relevant categories.
Unlike a traditional classroom course, an NVQ assesses what an experienced employee can demonstrate in the workplace.
Evidence can include practical observation, professional discussion, workplace evidence and knowledge assessment.
This can make workplace assessment particularly useful for employers with several experienced plant operators.
Instead of unnecessarily taking an experienced operator away from their normal occupation to teach them work they already perform, the NVQ is built around demonstrating occupational competence.
Relevant categories include excavators, telehandlers, dumpers, ride-on rollers and other plant occupations.
Red Card to Blue Card Progression for Your Workforce
If you employ operators holding relevant trained operator cards, it is worth keeping an eye on their progression requirements rather than waiting until cards approach expiry.
The general progression route for applicable construction plant categories can involve:
Operator Training → Assessment → Trained Operator Card → Workplace Experience → Relevant NVQ → Competent Operator Card
Vally Plant Training can provide both the operator training and workplace NVQ assessment elements for relevant categories.
This gives employers a straightforward point of contact when developing employees from initial training through to occupational competence.
CITB Funding for Employer Plant Training
Vally Plant Training is a CITB Training Provider Network Member.
Eligible CITB-registered employers may be able to access funding towards qualifying training and qualifications, subject to the current CITB scheme, course eligibility and employer requirements.
Funding should never be assumed automatically.
The amount available and the rules that apply can depend on the training or qualification being completed and the employer’s eligibility.
If your business is CITB registered, tell us when requesting your quotation so the training requirement can be considered alongside the current funding arrangements.
Visit our CITB Funding information for further details.
What Do You Need for Plant Training at Your Site?
On-site training needs to take place in a suitable environment.
Before confirming workplace delivery, we will need to establish that the necessary machinery, documents and facilities are available.
Depending on the course, this can include:
Suitable Machine
The machine must be appropriate for the category being trained or assessed, safe to operate and available for the required course duration.
Operator’s Manual
The manufacturer’s operator manual must be available for machinery being used during on-site training.
Inspection and Examination Documentation
Relevant inspection records and, where applicable, current thorough examination documentation should be available.
Suitable Practical Area
There must be enough space to complete the required exercises safely without unnecessary interference from normal workplace operations.
Loads, Materials or Excavation Area
Some courses require additional facilities.
Telehandler training may require suitable loads and stacking areas.
Dumper training needs an appropriate loading, travelling and tipping area.
Excavator training requires a suitable area for the practical excavation exercises.
Lifting Documentation and Equipment
Where the training involves lifting operations, suitable lifting accessories, examination documentation, lift planning information and other relevant equipment may be required.
Risk Assessments and Safe Systems of Work
Relevant workplace arrangements need to be in place.
Candidate Identification
Candidates should have suitable photo identification and any previous cards or certificates relevant to the training route.
PPE
Candidates need appropriate PPE including safety footwear, high-visibility clothing, hard hat and other PPE required by the course or workplace.
Before arranging a course at your premises, read our complete Customer On-Site Plant Training Requirements.
What If We Don’t Have the Right Machine or Training Area?
On-site training is not always the best option.
Your business may not have enough space to complete the practical exercises safely.
The machine might be committed to production.
You may have several individual employees who require training but no suitable equipment available.
For selected categories, employees can instead attend our dedicated training centre at:
Vally Plant Training
Newton Farm Business Park
Ashchurch
Tewkesbury
Gloucestershire
GL20 7BE
Our centre is conveniently located close to M5 Junction 9, providing straightforward access from Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, the West Midlands, Bristol, Wiltshire and surrounding areas.
Ashchurch for Tewkesbury railway station is approximately a five-minute walk from the training centre, giving employees another travel option.
Tell us what training you require and we can discuss whether on-site or centre-based delivery is more suitable.
Plant Training and Employer Responsibilities
Operator training forms part of a much wider responsibility for safe plant operation.
Employers need to consider the machinery being used, the people operating it and the environment in which the work takes place.
The Health and Safety Executive explains that under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, people using work equipment should receive adequate training, including the methods of using the equipment, the risks involved and the precautions that need to be taken.
Training should therefore sit alongside appropriate:
- Risk assessment
- Safe systems of work
- Machine selection
- Inspection and maintenance
- Defect reporting
- Operator supervision
- Site rules
- Plant and pedestrian segregation
- Ground-condition assessment
- Manufacturer instructions
- Lifting arrangements where applicable
A plant operator card does not remove these employer responsibilities.
The objective is not simply to obtain another certificate for the training file.
It is to make sure the employee has received training appropriate to the machine and work they are expected to undertake.
For official guidance, employers can refer to the Health and Safety Executive’s work equipment training and competence guidance.
Training Employees Who Operate More Than One Machine
It is common for experienced plant operators to use several machine types.
A groundworker might operate an excavator and dumper.
An experienced material-handling operator might use both a telehandler and counterbalance forklift.
An excavator operator may also use the machine for lifting operations.
But competence on one category should not simply be assumed to prove competence on another.
Each machine has different controls, stability characteristics, limitations, inspection requirements and operating hazards.
Tell us the actual machinery your employees operate rather than simply asking for a generic plant ticket.
That allows training to be matched to the work.
Excavation, Underground Services and Workforce Training
For companies involved in groundworks, utilities, drainage, highways and civil engineering, operator competence extends beyond simply moving the machine.
Excavation work can involve underground electricity cables, gas pipes, telecommunications, water services and other buried infrastructure.
Employees involved in locating underground services can undertake our CAT & Genny Training, while those operating excavators can complete the appropriate 360 Excavator Training.
Where plant movements need to be controlled around workers, vehicles and restricted areas, Plant Banksman Training may also form part of the workforce training requirement.
This is why it can make sense to discuss the whole job, rather than looking at one plant ticket in isolation.
Lifting Operations Training for Businesses
Many companies using plant also carry out lifting operations.
Your workforce may include machine operators, Slinger Signallers, Lift Supervisors and Appointed Persons with different responsibilities.
Vally Plant Training provides training across lifting-related roles including Slinger Signaller Training, Lift Supervisor Training and Excavator as a Crane Training.
Where an excavator or telehandler is used for suspended-load operations, employers should not automatically assume that standard machine operator training covers every lifting activity.
Tell us what your operators actually do with the machine so we can discuss the relevant training requirement.
Don't Just Send Us a Course Name
Tell us what your employees actually do. Excavation, loading, lifting, material handling, compaction, underground-service location or plant movement – understanding the work helps us discuss the training your workforce genuinely requires.
Why Businesses Choose Vally Plant Training
Vally Plant Training is a family-run specialist plant training provider established in 2014.
We are not simply a website taking training enquiries and passing them around a network of unrelated providers.
Businesses can speak directly to us about their workforce, machinery, locations and training requirements.
We provide practical training and assessment for individual operators and company workforces from our Tewkesbury training centre and at suitable customer workplaces throughout the UK.
As an NPORS Accredited Training Provider and CITB Training Provider Network Member, we provide training routes for new operators, experienced workers and existing employees who need to refresh or develop their competence.
For employers, that means you can speak to one provider about:
- NPORS plant operator training
- Novice operator training
- Experienced Worker Tests
- Refresher training
- In-house certification where appropriate
- Workforce training
- Multiple operator bookings
- Multiple plant categories
- On-site training
- Plant Operations NVQs
- Red-to-Blue card progression
- Lifting operations training
- CITB funding where applicable
Established 2014
Specialist plant operator training for individuals, contractors and company workforces.
NPORS Accredited
Recognised NPORS plant operator training and assessment across a wide range of categories.
CITB TPN Member
Eligible employers may be able to access funding towards qualifying training subject to current rules.
UK-Wide On-Site
Practical workforce training at suitable customer sites throughout the UK.
What Information Do We Need for a Company Training Quote?
You don’t need to know the exact course title before contacting us.
The most useful information is:
1. How many employees need training?
Tell us the total number rather than submitting separate enquiries where possible.
2. What machines do they operate?
For example: excavator, dumper, telehandler, roller, loading shovel or forklift.
3. What experience does each person have?
Are they complete beginners, regular experienced operators or previously trained employees?
4. Do they currently hold any cards or certificates?
Let us know about existing NPORS, CPCS or other relevant certification.
5. Where do you need the training?
Provide your workplace postcode and tell us whether you have a suitable practical area.
6. What machines are available?
Include machine type, approximate size and attachments where relevant.
7. What does the employee actually do with the machine?
This is particularly important where excavators or telehandlers are used for lifting or specialist attachments.
8. When do you need the training?
Give us preferred dates or the timeframe you are working towards.
With that information, we can discuss the most appropriate way to organise the booking.
Arrange Plant Training for Your Workforce
Need to train one employee, several operators or an entire plant workforce?
Tell Vally Plant Training what your business needs.
Send us the number of operators, plant categories, experience levels, existing certification, workplace postcode and preferred dates and we can discuss the most practical training and assessment options.
Whether you need one Experienced Worker Test or a combination of NPORS plant training, refresher courses, workforce training and Plant Operations NVQs, speak directly to our team.
Tell Us What Your Workforce Needs
One operator or a complete workforce – speak directly to Vally Plant Training about your plant training, testing and NVQ requirements.
Number of Operators • Machine Categories • Experience Levels • Site Postcode • Preferred Dates
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from employers arranging NPORS plant training, operator testing, workforce training and NVQ assessments.
