By Industry, For Industry

14 November, 2024

First published in the November 2024 issue of Quarry Management

How MPQC represents businesses ranging from sole traders to multinational corporations, enabling it to tackle pressing sector issues, including the setting of appropriate standards and the provision of training and qualifications for competency.

For more than 40 years Mineral Products Qualifications Council (MPQC) has collaborated within the quarrying, mining, and construction sectors. As a company membership organization, MPQC represents businesses ranging from sole traders to multinational corporations, enabling it to tackle pressing sector issues, including the setting of appropriate standards and the provision of training and qualifications for competency.

MPQC reinvests any financial surpluses into sector-orientated priorities, for example, encouraging the next-generation workforce via the succession work of Minerals Matter.

Collaboration with other sector organizations is vital, including the Institute of Quarrying (IQ), Mineral Products Association (MPA), British Aggregates Association (BAA), and Quarries National Joint Advisory Committee (QNJAC). Collectively, MPQC and its partners represent a sector that is the foundation of the economy and one that is critical for growth.

Today, MPQC is building on its legacy and evolving to meet industry change driven by technical advances and the sustainability agenda. At its heart MPQC remains people centric, providing guidance and direction.

‘Working effectively with all sector stakeholders to manage change and address key challenges is important so that the wider portfolio of industry needs can be supported. By utilizing the expertise within MPQC and IQ , we can better support the industry with data and insights critical to helping the sector in making important decisions around future skills needs and workforce development,’ said James Thorne, chief executive officer of MPQC/IQ.

Strategic Safety Forum

MPQC is one of five participants in the Strategic Safety Forum (SSF), a major initiative to improve health and safety in the mineral products industry. With 81,000 people employed nationally, health and safety is a daily and critical responsibility.

Alongside BAA, IQ, MPA, and QNJAC, the Strategic Safety Forum recognizes the critical importance of sharing information, collaboration, and consensus for health and safety in the mineral products sector.

Together they facilitate and encourage collaboration and co-ordination between key sector organizations for the good of the industry and to deliver on a common purpose.

Spanning the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, precast and masonry, dimension stone, lime, mortar, and industrial sand industries across the whole of the United Kingdom, the SSF will help to ensure that the sector achieves the highest possible standards of performance in health and safety as part of its collective and individual, legal, and moral responsibility, so that everyone who engages with the sector is kept safe and well.

Emphasis is being placed on eliminating harm arising from the six key areas identified as being responsible for most fatalities and serious injuries:

Contact with moving machinery and isolation
Workplace transport and pedestrian interface
Work at height
Workplace exposure to respirable crystalline silica
Struck by moving or falling object
Road traffic accidents.

To achieve its objectives, the Forum will co-ordinate its efforts on:

Key health and safety issues
Standards, skills, education, and resources
Consolidated data and the interpretation of data to inform action
Consistent and aligned communication
Engagement with contractors
Such other priorities as the Forum members shall from time to time agree.

Industry-specific training and development

MP Skills, the training division of MPQC, is dedicated to delivering specialized training that caters for the specific needs of the mineral products sector. Its primary focus is on building competency in health, safety, and environmental practices within the industry. MP Skills offers a range of courses, including industry-staple courses such as Mineral Sector Safety Passport and Site Safety Awareness.

In 2024 a new partnership was established between the Heavy Clay Technology Association (HCTa), IQ, and MPQC. IQ will work with HCTa to provide continuing professional development, while MPQC will deliver the new Heavy Clay Technology Level 2 and Level 3 courses. A successful pilot of the Level 2 course – Introduction to the Heavy Clay Industry – has been completed and new course dates set for 2025.

Paula Wardle, HCTa chair, says: ‘The HCTa committee aims to continue providing employees in the heavy clay industry with opportunities to support their professional development, skills, and qualifications. Working with the Institute of Quarrying and Mineral Products Qualifications Council means we will now be able to be part of a network of like-minded professionals where knowledge and experiences can be shared.’

MP Skills Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) trainers are working collaboratively with industry working groups and the MPA Transport Committee to develop a new concrete mixer and tanker course, which will be launched in 2025.

Twenty-three apprentices have worked through their apprenticeship with MP Skills during 2024, and 11 new candidates from both SMEs and major producers, started their apprenticeship journey in October 2024.

MP Skills has also strengthened its mental health offering by becoming a member of the Association of Mental Health First Aiders – the first and only membership body in England dedicated to supporting mental health first aiders.

‘We are constantly working with industry to maintain high training standards that meet the specific needs of companies, delivered in the ways that are most convenient to their workforces. Our effective collaboration with IQ to improve our use of resources to support the sector also maximizes value to our respective members,’ said Neil Peacock, general manager of MP Skills.

Sector-specific qualifications and accreditation

MP Awards is the MPQC awarding body responsible for providing vocational qualifications, industry accreditation, end-point assessments, and the plant operator competency scheme. Tailored to the mineral products, extractive, and related manufacturing sectors, these qualifications are regulated by Ofqual and SQA Accreditation, ensuring that they meet the highest standards.

Throughout 2024, MP Awards has been working with Tarmac and training provider Certora, to develop new Plant Training Standards which are sector specific and appropriate for mobile plant up to 100 tonnes.

‘Standards and qualifications must be rigorous and robust and under continual review, borne out of a deep industry focus. Only then can they be credible and durable. Our work ensures this is true and that the training centres we work with can all deliver to these regulated qualifications and standards,’ said John Clark, general manager of MP Awards.

Safer working on sites – MP Connect

MP Connect represents a landmark innovation in workforce management, particularly within the extractive industries. Born out of a need for enhanced safety and efficiency, it was developed by the Mineral Products Qualifications Council in collaboration with the Mineral Products Association and other industry partners. With more than 21,000 active users spanning more than 440 sites, MP Connect offers a comprehensive solution for recording and managing individual drivers’ and contractors’ achievements, ensuring that on-site personnel meet essential safety and competency standards.

The platform consolidates information about a worker’s qualifications, licenses, site-specific inductions, and professional certifications into a single, easily accessible database. Workers carry this information in a smartcard format or via a mobile app, allowing site managers to quickly verify a worker’s credentials when they enter a site.

By standardizing and digitizing this process, MP Connect reduces risks, enhances operational efficiency, and improves regulatory compliance.

By collaborating with MPA, hauliers, and operators, MP Connect has developed a new standardized Driver Health and Safety Induction which will be a mandatory requirement for drivers to access Aggregate Industries, Cemex, and Breedon sites from January 2025.

David Hart, supply chain director with Cemex and chair of the MPA Transport Committee, said: ‘This new standardized industry driver induction has been produced in collaboration with drivers, hauliers, transport managers, and MPQC. Hosted on the MP Connect platform, it will benefit us all by providing visibility of the driver’s induction status.’

Jon Whiteley, MP Connect project co-ordinator and logistics compliance manager, South West, with Aggregate Industries, said: ‘This important industry collaboration benefits both safety and efficiency. The driver induction improves processes for all parties and demonstrates safety leadership.’

Richard Baldwin, training and compliance co-ordinator and transport manager with Rockley Transport, added: ‘The MP Connect platform helps us to look after the welfare of our drivers working on sites and this new induction is a welcome addition to those efforts.’

Minerals Matter outreach impact 2023-2024

Who’s next? The work of Minerals Matter

A key industry challenge is workforce succession, and the work of Minerals Matter, part of MPQC’s remit, aims to inspire the sector to collectively address the essential work of providing information and opportunities to young people to understand how the sector mirrors many of their career aspirations and help them identify the career pathways available.

Hannah Higley, future careers co-ordinator with Minerals Matter, reporting on the work of the last 12 months, said: ‘I am pleased that the 2023/24 school year has helped establish a greater understanding within industry of what Minerals Matter is trying to achieve. We have grown the number of ambassadors, participated in key industry events, increased our online following by more than 50%, and delivered thousands of hours and inspiration to students, through the activities of our ambassadors. 2025 will build on this work, increasing engagement with and access to sector experiences for our future workforce.’

Minerals Matter explains the mineral products sector to students in terms of individual talents and aligns with their wider expectations of how responsible businesses should be. Research demonstrates that younger generations care about the circular economy, net zero, sustainability, and regeneration.

‘We can clearly show the direct links between all those themes and how the sector drives change in these areas. It is enormously powerful and meaningful to young people,’ added Ms Higley.

Minerals Matter aims to encourage more, engaged ambassadors from the sector who are prepared to volunteer some time and expertise, becoming role models to young people and reflecting the diverse and inclusive workforces that are part of the sector. There are so many powerful stories to tell, simply explaining the work done and its value to society and the economy.

MPQC’s new home

Next year will see MPQC relocate to the National Stone Centre to become part of the centre of excellence being developed for the industry by IQ and other partners at the Centre. This transformative project will provide a focus for skills and professional development for the industry and to engage, educate and inspire the public about the relevance of mineral products in society and for the economy.

The value of collective voices

By listening and working with key partners, MPQC helps to deliver clarity and engage in solutions that work for the benefit of everyone working in the sector.

The quarrying and mineral products industry faces tough challenges in continuing to supply vital products in a sustainable way. MPQC is ready to play its part to identify the future skills and competencies needed and to develop the training and qualifications to support career pathways, all of which is critical to supporting professionals in the industry today and to help attract the next generation.