Standard setting organisation The Workforce Development Trust has published a new set of National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Resilience and Emergencies, with Network Rail supporting the guidelines.
NOS are definitions of the core and transferable skills utilised by employers and qualifications bodies to support competency and capacity building in a range of different areas.
More than 375 experts in resilience and emergency planning and preparedness from across central and local government, civil society, the NHS and operators of key strategic infrastructure led the project to design the NOS.
Reportedly, it is intended that the NOS for Resilience and Emergencies will guide recruitment, training and skills needs analysis and performance management activities in organisations with statutory and non-statutory responsibilities for emergency planning and disaster preparedness.
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The NOS for Resilience and Emergencies contain 11 separate standards, which can be used alongside a series of generic NOS supporting areas such as management, project management, governance and IT.
NOS are recognised by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Qualifications Wales and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in Northern Ireland.
In England, NOS are part of the Regulated Qualifications Framework which regulates general and vocational qualifications.
Network Rail’s head of emergency management, route crime, BTP liaison and operational security Dr Aaron Gracey said: “Operational resilience brings together the multiple relevant business disciplines.
“This includes business continuity, incident management, emergency exercising, lesson learning and relevant competencies to more effectively understand, prepare and protect the organisation to respond, recover and learn from disruptive events impacting the nation’s railways.
“I am very proud to have been involved in the review of the National Occupational Standards.
“They will help influence this change, supporting the development of standardised operational resilience capabilities and delivery, supporting the overall strengthening of UK Operational Resilience, to which Network Rail is a key contributor.”
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