Cambridge construction company masters GPS Technology, thanks to CITB fund.

A partnership with CITB is being praised by the National Training Manager of Cambridge -based, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage Ltd.

Gez Bonner, spoke to CITB about funding the GPS technology training the company wanted to offer to their Plant Operators on construction sites. The CITB engagement team were able to support him in securing £15,000 of training money.Utilising plant GPS technology is not only a great tool to help businesses be more productive and efficient, but also a requirement for large scale infrastructure projects to accurately position earthworks machinery. GPS tracking devices interact with satellites, which allow them to mark locations on construction sites more accurately.
Although this saves time and reduces expenses, not all businesses have Plant Operators with the right skills to use GPS technology.

CITB Engagement Advisor for Buckinghamshire, Sarah Peace said: “Over recent years, CITB has developed an effective and productive working relationship supporting the Lynch team locally matching our products and services to their training requirements.

“CITB’s Medium Skills and Training Fund was ideal for the new initiative of GPS training which has become a necessary requirement and the fund has helped the company get up to speed in the new technologies that it needs to work smartly.”
Gez added: “Colleagues used to say this technology is the future, but in reality, it’s now! GPS technology has become a requirement across the construction industry in the UK. For instance, the A14 from Cambridge to Huntingdon – a £1.5bn project that is Highways England’s biggest scheme, or the High Speed 2 development requires operators skilled in GPS Machine Control technology.”

Back in February 2018, Lynch Training Division decided to open a bespoke training centre in Cambridge, to train their operators in the use of GPS technology. The centre started small, with only one machine. Today, the centre has two machines, two classrooms, lounge area, revision area, and a canteen. It has come a long way: over hundred operators have now received training at the centre.

In August 2021, Lynch received £15,000 via CITB’s Medium Company Skills and Training Fund, to expand the centre and its training capacity. Gez says the application process was simple and straightforward, and they will be submitting a new application for the Skills and Training Fund in August 2022.

He said: “The partnership with CITB made it possible. We received so much support from Sarah Peace ,CITB Engagement Advisor Buckinghamshire and Elizabeth Steel, CITB Customer Engagement Manager South East Central Region. CITB made the process very simple, and communication is always flowing between us. Some businesses across the industry might put a barrier between them and CITB but I always say, it’s not us and them, it’s us together. Training is not a profit, but value to the whole construction industry.”

A total of 38 participants have taken part in the training programme. With the new skills they were able to nearly halve their time on projects and used over 30% less fuel and spent 34% fewer hours running equipment.
You can find more information on CITB’s Skills and Training Fund here.