Posted By Alan Hoskins Hi Kitty, I would have thought the NEBOSH Construction Certificate would be a good starting point. Some old ground perhaps, but very focused on construction. Only a couple of weeks too. Alan

Posted By mark limon There are some 2 day courses,(CHSS provide one )although whether that would be enough to be competent I wouldnt like to say,perhaps someone could enlighten me. Mark

Posted By mark limon Dave, I was told on a previous course I attended that there was a shortage of Planning supervisors and that there are many opportunities out there.All we had to do was attend a short course(that they could provide :-))and the world was our oyster. Coming from an industrial background I had no reason to disbelieve him. What are the qualifications,qualities and experience needed to be a competent planning supervisor, Mark

Posted By Mart A sound knowledge of Construction/Building techniques would be beneficial and important as you may have to offer advice to designers, clients, etc. It helps if you know what you're talking about!

Posted By MAK Kitty, I would advise you do not do any 2 day courses. A course provider offered me the 2 day course for planning supervision but didn’t get enough candidates so on the day I was the only junior PS there, with clients and designers etc the course became a general CDM awareness course. A waste of time and effort, and to be honest as you are already doing CDM work you probably know what they would teach you anyway. I commenced a junior PS job (pre any stringent competency requirements I needed a relevant degree and the 2 day course) with a degree in Environmental science and no construction background and it’s been incredibly tough, sorry, but I had to say it. I've been in the job going on five years and still feel out of my depth occasionally because I don’t have the construction background. On a lighter note, I’ve seen architects and other designers flounder occasionally too so none of us know everything! Forums like this one are invaluable as this is an excellent site to get advice quickly from knowledgeable practitioners when you’re stuck. My employer has provided a good support network for me to be able to continue to develop so discuss it carefully at any interviews, and I’ve helped myself by continuing on an academic programme which will support my application to become chartered. You should consider financial options now and decide if you want to go on to become a chartered professional, please bear in mind that academic and professional goal posts move all the time so pick your path carefully. A good employer will recognise your weak areas and develop a training programme which should include job shadowing a more senior colleague. This should be incorporated with the NEBOSH construction cert for starters and then you can see how you get on or want to proceed from there. Best of luck Myra