EARLY PREPARATION TO QUALIFY FOR ‘ADVANCED CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY’ TRAINING URGED

By Jan de Beer on behalf of the School of Concrete Technology, part of Cement & Concrete South Africa (CCSA)

Cement and concrete industry members intent on obtaining an ‘Advanced Concrete Technology’ (ACT) diploma, the world’s leading qualification in its field, should register as soon as possible for the two qualifying courses required to enrol for this prestigious career-boosting

The School, part of Cement & Concrete South Africa (CCSA) offers the coveted ACT (SCT 50) diploma course, as well as the ‘Concrete Technology and Construction Stages 2 and 3’ (SCT 41 and 42) courses required to study for the ACT diploma, on behalf of the Institute of Concrete Technology (ICT) in London.

“The ICT examinations for these two bridging courses will be held at the School in Midrand in May next year so prospective students should straight away start on the online training by the School in an e-learning, self-study format. The courses are extremely intensive so early registration – and sufficient time for completion – are highly recommended. All too often students who attempt last-minute studies have been disappointed,” Roxburgh warns.   

The two courses offered are General Principles of Concrete (SCT 41) and Practical Applications of Concrete (SCT 42). Although these are self-study courses, a School of Concrete Technology lecturer is always available for guidance and email input. Workshops, during which previous ICT exam papers are discussed, are also presented shortly before the examination.

After passing the two May 2023 examinations, students could then register for the Advanced Concrete Technology diploma course which is presented in a modular, self-study format instead of a classroom/lecture system. “The decision to shift to moduralisation has been widely welcomed as it was often difficult for potential delegates to find the time to attend live lectures in Midrand. Uncertainty about the future of pandemic lockdowns also influenced the change to the new format,” Roxburgh explained.

He says among the benefits of the new self-study approach are:

• More time to study – with the delegate dictating the pace;
• More detailed study of each subject;
• Stimulation of a questioning approach to the various subjects;
• Encouragement of resourcefulness in finding answers;
• The use of a structured and logical approach to answering scientific questions; and
• Increased personal confidence regarding concrete technology.

“As the new ACT programme is self-driven with self-study, there is no deadline for registration. However, as a pass in the SCT 41 and SCT 42 examinations is a prerequisite to be accepted for ACT studies, potential students ought to start their SCT 41 and SCT 42 studies as soon as possible this year still to have a reasonable chance of success in the May 2023 examinations for the  two courses,” Roxburgh recommends.

Full details about the ACT programme’s learning objectives can be downloaded from the ICT website under the ‘qualifications’ button at https://www.theict.org.uk/Qualifications.asp.