It’s been a real challenge to improve the performance of Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC) brick manufacturing factories when some of the plant is ailing in age and the skill levels of workers are far lower than needed. But that’s exactly what our building products/ construction materials team of experts have been doing over the last 10 months.
Working in partnership with the United National Development Programme, Proskills Global Limited, the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction and relevant Vietnamese universities, Global Skills Ledger’s buildings materials industry specialists have succesfully completed a detailed review and analysis of Vietnamese Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC) block manufacturing plants and helped managers and staff implement a wide range of improvement recommendations and performance enhancing techniques.
With traditional brick-building methods being preferred, the use of AAC blocks in Vietnam is not common place. Many of the AAC plants were established some years back and have never operated in the way they were intended. Key operation and production workers have not received the training that they need to effectively operate the plants. Even more problematic is the fluctuating quality of the raw materials and the resulting low quality production of the end product. Employers in the industry have found it very difficult to encourage construction companies to make use of AAC blocks and so the lack of demand has had a detrimental impact on the industry.
Global Skills Ledger’s AAC experts have worked in close partnership with AAC factory owners and managers in Vietnam enabling the Vietnamese team to develop a better understanding of all technical and operational aspects of AAC production and then to use this to develop a comprehensive technical training programme for all – whether they be sales staff, supply chain users, or factory management and workers. Working in collaboration with the AAC factories and universities, our team were able to develop a comprehensive approach to technical education and workplace training that delivers the much needed skills and knowledge right into the heart of the factories and industry.
Our specialists provided:
- Training Needs Analysis: Our specialist carried out a full training needs assessment identifying best practice and those technical areas needing more attention. The assessment also reviewed the current technical and operation skill level of worker cohorts and used this key information as a framework in developing the training modules. As part of this, our team reviewed the university’s current training curriculum and any training programmes used by AAC factories and provided an upgrade mechanism to ensure the revised curriculum met employer needs.
- Training Programme Development: Developed a range of modular technical education training programmes for delivery in both universities and in the workplace.
- Capability and Capacity Building: Once the modular training programmes has been redeveloped, the teaching and training staff of the universities and AAC factories undertook a continuous development programme whereby they were not only taught AAC technical and production skills and knowledge, but also the latest education techniques and workplace skills assessment processes.
- Competence Assessment and Performance Measurement: Global Skills Ledger’s experts developed a robust competent and performance measurement process that could be implemented by the AAC factories. It was vital that all involved understood the impact of the resulting skills and education training programme on the individual and the AAC factories.
Our TVET experts piloted the comprehensive Aerated Autoclaved Concrete training programmes in a range of training sessions held in both the north and south of Vietnam. Participants included ministers and officials from the Ministry of Construction, professionals from AAC manufacturing industry, lecturers from construction universities and other educational establishments.
The resulting Aerated Autoclaved Concrete factory improvement plan includes a comprehensive range of practical quality, cost and delivery measures, techniques and methodologies that managers and their workers can use to really ramp up the effectiveness of AAC production and to increase the use of AAC blocks throughout the country. The framework of performance measures that have been implemented will support their unwavering ambition to build a sustainable AAC industry and provide much needed jobs to communities across Vietnam.
Contact us for more information about how Global Skills Ledger can support your skills development needs.
Proskills Global Limited is an independent expert that provides robust, comprehensive quality assured certification and licencing for a wide variety of industries.