TestReach now working with the Compliance and Skills Academy (COSAC), 12th April 2018
Dublin, 12.4.2018: The Compliance and Skills Academy (COSAC), a training institute which delivers courses in a range of construction specialities including the Safe2Site™ online course, have announced that they will be deploying TestReach, an online exam and assessment technology provider, to transform the way that construction courses and assessment will be delivered in the UK.
CSCS cards are used by the majority of the construction industry to provide proof that individuals working on construction sites have the required training and qualifications for the type of work they carry out. Until now, if an individual wanted to acquire a CSCS Green Labourer card they had to take time off work to attend face-to-face training and sit an exam in a test centre.
Now, new technology means they can not only study the Safe2Site course material online via their mobile or laptop, they can also sit their exam assessment of this course online as well. This is done by a technology called remote invigilation, where a supervisor connects to the candidate for the duration of the exam, and monitors them over the web using video, audio and remote screen share.
“We are delighted to be working with CSCS and TestReach to transform how construction safety courses and assessment are delivered in the UK. Safe2Site was approved by CSCS as an alternative to the RQF Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment which enables successful candidates to apply for the CSCS Green Labourer Card,” said Andy Mason, Academy Director at COSAC.
“This is a first in the world of assessment, because never before has a construction related training course met CSCS’s requirements for using the remote invigilation exam delivery method” he added. “With Theresa May’s recent calls to prioritise house building in the UK, to build more homes, more quickly, you need more construction workers to be health and safety compliant. Safe2Site is a small piece of the jigsaw but it is a very important one. By accrediting new ways of running courses and exams for students, and introducing new policy about flexible study and assessment, CSCS have recognised the challenge we face in helping construction workers achieve nationally recognised construction related qualifications.”
“Our Safe2Site course allows learners to gain the CSCS Green Labourer card. It has been designed to allow students to study in short, interactive bursts from their mobile devices, which is more in line with how they work as well as maximises knowledge retention,” said Mason. “They can sit their Safe2Site exam online too, while being monitored in real-time by TestReach supervisors, who fully maintain the integrity and security of the exam process. It doesn’t matter where they live or work, as long as they can access the internet, they can complete this course and achieve this level 1 qualification,” he added.
“We are delighted to be working with COSAC to deliver their Safe2Site course exams and help more construction workers to become health and safety compliant” said Sheena Bailey, CEO at TestReach. “We see every day how the use of remote invigilation maintains the integrity of exams while giving flexibility to students. Candidates prefer to sit exams in a familiar environment, like their home or office, and avoid travelling to a test centre. It also greatly reduces the headache for construction employers, as staff don’t have to take extended time off from building sites for study and sitting exams. Instead, new and innovative technology means you can run all this over the web, and that ultimately means more construction workers having the necessary skills.”
To read more about the CSCS regulatory approval for the new course and TestReach remote invigilation, follow this link: CSCS approves Safe2Site Online Course
If you’d like to read the full story of how COSAC are using TestReach to deliver exams, follow this link here: The Compliance & Skills Academy Customer Story
Follow this link to read more about remote invigilation and online proctoring.