Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Communication to Customers
Date
11/03/2020
Categories
Enginuity news, Industry news
Updated: 26/05/2020
The Enginuity Group is working alongside businesses, government and regulatory bodies to support employers and learners in managing the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). We want to reassure you that the Enginuity Group is committed to supporting customers and those working in the Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing sector, during these unprecedented times.
What’s included in this update?
- Engage Platform launch
- Skills Miner Game
- Customer support and contacts
- Frequently Asked Questions
Engage Platform launch
Enginuity has worked together with world-leading partners and industry network experts to launch a unique platform which delivers digital engineering skills in one place to Britain’s engineers and manufacturers at a time when they are needed more than ever.
‘Engage’ is the first learning hub to specifically target the engineering and manufacturing sectors, offering a range of courses from easy first digital engineering steps to more sophisticated technologies and innovation. Development of the platform has been accelerated to support workers at a time when many may have found themselves furloughed. Helping engineers, technicians and wider manufacturing employees to learn and explore digital processes will also help support a much needed post-COVID 19 productivity boost by enabling them to learn the latest digital techniques. Returning employees will be up-skilled and more agile as a workforce, and better able to adapt and respond to the pace of global technological innovation to help their companies recover at speed.
Some of the country’s most cutting-edge companies, centres of innovation and organisations have made content available for the first time for the platform’s launch, including the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Excellence, Achievement and Learning, Make UK and FutureLearn. In the coming weeks, more content will be added from Formula 1 and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Engage is easy to navigate and offers support to learners at all levels. First time digital engineering learners can use a simple chatbot-style interface, which guides them to their specific areas of interest to create a bespoke learning experience. The platform has worked closely with Made Smarter to develop and curate two introductory courses on digital technology and its role in manufacturing and engineering, with content from Made Smarter industry partners, including Rolls-Royce. Key technologies covered in the courses include data analytics, the Industrial Internet of Things, Cyber security resilience, industrial and autonomous robotics and additive manufacturing. Those logging on will also be able to become familiar with virtual augmented reality as well as artificial intelligence and its applications alongside machine learning, and throughout the learning experience, users’ understanding will be supplemented by a quick quiz to test learners’ grasp of the subject.
More advanced learners are also supported by Engage. Beyond introductory materials, learners can continue their digital journey by enrolling in the Engage Academy on the platform to access some more free formal courses in the online classroom space.
Skills Miner – introducing a new way to teach and learn Engineering
We are committed to supporting employers, staff, learners and although the doors of businesses, colleges and training providers may be closed, we remain focused on finding solutions to support you and to help unlock the potential of learners.
Brought forward from a planned summer release, to allow thousands of people in lockdown to have fun, keep learning and find out if they’ve got what it takes to transition from the virtual to the real world of engineering. (You might even consider using it as a recruitment tool for your next intake as a form of skills assessment!)
Skills Miner is mapped to the Level 3 Engineering Technician Apprenticeship Standard and players get feedback on their engineering skills and thinking. Which makes it particularly suitable for keeping your current Engineering Technician apprentices engaged. Specifically designed to uncover hidden engineering skills, we have released Skills Miner, a set of custom levels inside Minecraft. The game is going to open the eyes of the next generation to the endless engineering career possibilities that suit their skillset. The game has been designed to unlock the hidden skills of young engineers through solving puzzles and problems in an electric vehicle plant. Learners can play today and discover the limitless career pathways that engineering could open for them. #EngineerYourFuture #ElectrifyYourGameplay #Minecraft #SkillsMiner skills-miner.com
Customer Support
Our teams are well prepared to work remotely to ensure continuity of services and we are taking precautionary measures to make certain we can maintain on-hand support to you throughout this time. We will continue providing you with the outstanding quality service you have received to date from across all our departments and functions within the Enginuity Group.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or queries that need answering or resolving. Our Customer Experience team are on hand to talk to you and support with your enquiries – 0845 643 9001 or [email protected].
We have incorporated a number of frequently asked questions (FAQs) below and would suggest you refer back to this page regularly as we will continue to keep you updated on changes and any new arrangements that we put in place.
Please bear with us as we go through your queries. We appreciate your patience at this challenging time and understand you have individual queries relevant to your own particular circumstances. We aim to provide you with regular updates, and at the same time, will continue to work on developing useful guidance and tools to support you using the technology available to us.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will Enginuity be providing any guidance or adaptations to SVQ or NVQ Assessment Strategies?
We have produced a guidance note for awarding organisations and centres on assessing NVQs and SVQs during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Adaptations to the assessment of SVQs
Where awarding bodies suggest adaptations to the assessment of SVQs, SQA Accreditation will enter discussions with both the awarding body(s) and the relevant Sector Skills Council/Standard Setting Organisations before presenting these proposals to SQA Accreditations Approvals Committee (ACG) for noting/approval. In some cases, where SQA Accreditation consider the suggestions not to be adaptations and which still fall within SVQ assessment methodologies and assessment strategies, they shall also discuss this and alert the awarding body to this guidance note and any subsequent guidance notes.
Are Apprenticeship Frameworks Certification Services still in operation?
Certification issued by our Apprenticeship Frameworks Certification team continues to operate. We have received confirmation from the Federation for Industry Skills & Standards (FISSS) that certification turnaround times have been extended to 15 days, with a pause on the requirement to print and post the physical certificates. We will, however, continue to support apprentices by providing a notification of results form. Please speak to our Certification Team who are on hand to talk to you and support with any questions you may have – 0845 643 9001 or [email protected].
What support can Enginuity provide me with to help learners continue with their programmes of learning?
The Enginuity Group have an award-winning Engineering Talent platform that provides an outstanding resource for you with material validated by our subject matter experts. Our Customer Experience Team are on hand to support you should you need any help in accessing Engineering Talent or wish to have a remote demo. Please contact the team on – 0845 643 9001 or [email protected].
EAL – Part of the Enginuity Group
EAL, Enginuity’s specialist skills, awarding and assessment services organisation are continuing to work with stakeholders and regulators on a daily and weekly basis with the aim to not disadvantaged learners during these testing and challenging times. EAL’s End Point Assessment and External Quality Assurance Services continue to be delivered using the technology available to us to conduct assessments and visits remotely in line with the guidance provided by the regulatory and government bodies. EAL has produced Frequently Asked Questions to support centres.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to maintain communications advising us of any changes to your own arrangements. You can contact our Customer Experience Team should you have any queries – at [email protected] or 0845 0643 9001.