CWOATA (Construction Workforce Operative and Apprentice Agency) is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to work with Industry to help reduce the UK's skills shortage while enhancing the quality and delivery of training. The company specialises in Pre-Employment Assessment of candidates wanting to make a career in the construction industry. This assessment takes the form of a 5-day course a
t CWOATA’s unit in Burnt Mill, Harlow, during which candidates are exposed to a broad range of typical on-site tasks. The course is not intended to train candidates in a trade, but to allow them to ‘get a feel’ for the on-site environment, and decide whether construction is for them. At the same time, the course allows experienced construction professionals to assess candidates for basic employability skills, such as attitude and motivation. Candidates who successfully complete the course (which is not guaranteed) are then employed by CWOATA, and offered to construction companies as trainees. CWOATA’s 5-day Pre-Employment Assessment Training (PEAT) course is open to men and women of all ages, and applicants need no qualifications or experience of the construction industry. After successful completion of the PEAT course, candidates are guaranteed a job which leads to the opportunity to qualify in a trade (to NVQ standard, usually via OSAT - On Site Assessment and Training). All CWOATA employees start with earnings significantly higher than the minimum wage, and enjoy benefits such as SSP (Statutory Sick Pay), holiday pay and automatic union membership (Unite the Union). Because CWOATA’s candidates have proven employability skills, and are keen to learn and progress, they will be of interest to local construction companies who often struggle to find recruits of sufficient quality. The employability of these candidates is further enhanced by the fact that CWOATA is a completely independent operation, and is therefore free to construct its PEAT course to meet the needs of industry. CWOATA is also proud to be working with the Prison Service Careers Initiative.
