Welcome to the Plant Sector Representative Organisation Website

What is the Plant Sector Representative Organisation?

The Plant Sector Representative Organisation (PSRO) is an employer-led partnership, through a Board, that comprises of representatives from construction-focussed employers and their federations, associations and other bodies, including from allied sectors, who have a valid interest in setting standards and delivery requirements for plant-based certificating bodies and card schemes in construction and which fall within the scope of the Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) requirements for certification schemes.

News: Joint PSRO and CITB Industry Meetings

Plant Training and Competency – Ensuring Skills and Safety for the Plant Sector

In order to promote the training and competency for plant occupations, the Plant Sector Representative Organisation (PSRO) and the CITB are to jointly holding a series of interactive forums with employers to openly discuss how proper and effective training supports industry competency requirements for ensuring a safe and efficient sector.

The PSRO was set up by a partnership of seven of the leading construction-based federations who have involvement with plant operations in order to act as the voice of industry for skills-based standards and certification requirements.

The PSRO has been working closely with CITB, the industry’s Standard Setting Body to introduce short-course training standards for plant categories that reflect the increased requirements and responsibilities for plant operators and will be the main discussion topic.

A series of events specifically for CITB registered employers, we want to hear from and openly discuss with them, training and competency requirements in the plant sector, including the benefits and particularly the barriers to attaining a fully-trained and competent workforce.

Additional topics will include the Super Sector Competency Framework programme and Apprenticeships development.

The Forums will take place in early 2025 within the following dates and areas of the UK:

Wednesday 22th January – South (Reading Football Club)
Tuesday 28th January – Midlands (Heart of England Conference Centre)
Tuesday 11th February – North (Leeds – Headingley)
Tuesday 18th February – Scotland (Stirling).

Each forum will commence from 10am until 1pm. A buffet lunch will be provided at the end providing a chance to network with other attendees.

For employers based in Wales, we will hold a webinar-based forum on Thursday 6th March 2025.

Registration is free and can be made using one of the links below. Due to limited space in order to ensure full debate, registration will regretfully need to be on a first-come basis and limited to CITB registered employers.

Register here (click on the relevant title):

Feature: PSRO/SCSS Eco-operations National Training Delivery Framework

The PSRO and the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s (SCSS) Plant Group have worked together in order to develop a training-delivery framework for courses on plant-based eco-operations to encourage low-carbon based operations

The framework sets out the parameters for consistent delivery and identifies and provides guidance on areas such as core and optional learning outcomes, delivery content and methodologies, assessment strategies and course durations. As the learning content can vary for a number of occupations, the framework further identifies individual course content and delivery factors for plant operatives, supervisors, plant and site managers, planners, plant procurers, maintenance personnel etc.

The aim is that on completion of a course based on this framework, delegates should have attained a required level of understanding on the principles of reducing machine-based carbon emissions, enabling them to recognise and apply learnt reduction techniques, operational processes and emerging machine technologies with a desired outcome that each delegate takes personal ownership of the need to reduce emissions.

The framework can be downloaded free of charge from the ‘Updates, Downloads and Links’ page.

Feature: CITB Plant Operations Training Standards Launched

CITB has introduced a first set of new standards for the training of plant operators and allied occupations and have been developed in collaboration with industry working groups, made up of employers, providers and federations. The PSRO Technical Review Group have further provided technical and delivery guidance and support the implementation of the new standards and forms an integral part of the PSRO Competency Framework to ensure high and consistent standards for plant card scheme issue.

The new standards are made up of learning outcomes that encompass the technical content and assessment criteria as well as specifying training durations for both novice operators and those with some experience. These new standards are intended to provide consistency to plant training and testing requirements across the construction industry and alongside the new standards, the grant rates for plant training and tests will also be changed, where a single grant will be available for all CITB registered employers.

For employers to be able to claim grant, training will need to meet the technical and assessment content of the standard, be delivered by a CITB-Approved Training Organisations (ATO) and leads to a plant card that carries the CSCS logo.

More information on the new training standards can be viewed at https://www.citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/grants-and-funding/plant-standards-and-grants/

Feature: PSRO Webinar – Keeping the Construction Sector informed about Plant-based Skills and Carding

The PSRO hosted a webinar in May 2023 in order to provide an update on its formation, function, work undertaken and future activities in supporting the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) in achieving their objectives set out within their Skills Strategy. This included consideration of the implications of the strategy on the construction plant sector.

More information on the webinar and a link to the recording as well as the slides from the webinar are available for viewing and downloading from the ‘Updates, Downloads and Links’ page.