The FPS Executive is encouraging its members to help define their training needs now and for the future, as well as engaging to help write these training programmes. The programmes could comprise everything from training of a pumpman to a supervisor to a rig operator to a geotechnical designer, but to start the process the FPS needs to understand what training and development is provided by members at present, and what training we consider is required.

Feedback from members will allow the FPS to undertake the essential gap analysis, enabling a start to be made on the definition of training courses and a coherent matrix of training needs to be built.

The FPS needs to understand possible hurdles, such as lack of facilities for some specific practical training, or a shortage of experienced site assessors for example. However, the participation in this exercise is vital to enable the FPS to move forwards in this time of great opportunity.

The gap analysis work is being led by John Chick – Business Leader of Expanded Geotechnical – on behalf of the FPS, who is establishing a small working group to contact members to gather information. We hope that FPS members will give this their energetic backing as we have not taken this approach before and it is more important now than ever before.