Mike Adams MBE

The Foundation of CITB Training within the MOD and pioneer of online training for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The Foundation of CITB Training within the MOD and pioneer of online training for the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

Adams, the Founder and Managing Director of RSMS, brought an exceptional and invaluable background from his distinguished military service to the civilian safety management training sector. Rising through the ranks to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) by 1998, his military career was marked by a specialisation in managing, organising, and instructing diverse training courses. This experience provided him with a profound understanding of structured learning, operational safety protocols, and the critical importance of effective training delivery, which proved instrumental in his transition to civilian life and the establishment of RSMS.

Mike being awarded the MBE for his services related to the design and recognition of CITB courses to fit military needs and civilian equivalencies.

A pivotal early achievement for RSMS, directly shaped by Mike Adams' involvement, was being "instrumental in setting up CITB courses within the MOD" in 1995. This initiative predates RSMS becoming a leading construction industry training provider in 1997, highlighting its foundational significance. This collaboration was not merely about introducing existing civilian training to the military; it represented a strategic effort to integrate standardised construction safety training directly into the military context, recognising the unique operational environments and needs of armed forces personnel.

A particularly impactful aspect of Mike Adams' contribution stemmed from his responsibility, while at the Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME), for "mapping military qualifications with equivalent civilian competencies". This hands-on experience and deep understanding of both military and civilian training frameworks provided him with a unique and critical perspective. It was this direct experience that led to him being specifically "asked to provide input and revitalise some of the Construction Management courses then delivered by the CITB".

This involvement indicates a deeper, more active role in shaping CITB's curriculum itself, influencing its design and ensuring its relevance and equivalency for military-trained personnel, rather than simply delivering existing courses. This was not merely about "introducing" courses but actively influencing the design and recognition of these courses to fit military needs and civilian equivalencies, thereby addressing a significant barrier to workforce integration.

This foundational work facilitated a crucial pathway for military personnel to transition into civilian construction roles with recognised qualifications. The act of mapping and revitalising courses went beyond delivering existing training; it implied a strategic effort to standardise and validate military-acquired skills within the civilian framework. This proactive engagement addressed a critical challenge for service members transitioning to civilian life—the often-difficult recognition of their extensive, practical skills. By facilitating this alignment, Adams and RSMS not only provided a direct benefit to individual military personnel by enhancing their employability but also enriched the civilian construction workforce by integrating highly disciplined, skilled, and experienced individuals. This initiative set a precedent for cross-sectoral qualification recognition, potentially influencing how other industries approach the integration of military talent. RSMS continues to support this critical pathway by being an approved provider of ELCAS (Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service) courses, further demonstrating a sustained commitment to lifelong learning for UK Armed Forces members and ensuring their skills are recognised and valued in the civilian sector.

Pioneering Remote Learning: RSMS's Agile Response to COVID-19

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented and immediate challenge to traditional, in-person training models within the construction industry. The necessity for social distancing and lockdowns threatened to halt essential health and safety training, potentially creating significant skills gaps and compliance issues across the sector. This crisis necessitated rapid and innovative adaptation to ensure the continuity of critical safety education.

In response to this urgent need, RSMS demonstrated remarkable agility and foresight by pioneering the delivery of core CITB Site Safety Plus (SSP) courses, such as SMSTS (Site Management Safety Training Scheme) and SSSTS (Site Supervision Safety Training Scheme), through remote, tutor-led virtual classrooms. Their leadership in this rapid transition was particularly notable, as RSMS was explicitly identified as "the first company to book and deliver the new virtual classroom CITB courses with an online exam". This early adoption underscored their proactive approach and commitment to maintaining training continuity.

To facilitate a seamless and supportive remote learning experience, RSMS strategically utilised Zoom for the majority of their virtual classroom deliveries, finding it to be more bandwidth-friendly and effective than other platforms like Microsoft Teams. Crucially, they developed a unique online "Personal Learning Zone." This comprehensive platform provided 24/7 access to a structured learning framework, course slides, detailed notes, and revision tools. Its mobile-friendly design facilitated flexible pre-course preparation and ongoing support throughout the learning journey, right up to the examination, ensuring that learners had all necessary resources at their fingertips.

The rapid shift to remote learning was significantly enabled by critical policy adjustments made by CITB. Initially implemented as a "temporary 'emergency measure'" , CITB allowed for the remote delivery of Site Safety Plus courses. This adaptability saw the number of training standards suitable for remote learning increase dramatically from 22 to 180. CITB also relaxed certain administrative rules for CITB Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) like RSMS, such as extending achievement upload times, further facilitating the transition and reducing administrative burdens during a challenging period.

The "temporary emergency measure" for remote learning, initially a pragmatic response to the pandemic, catalysed a fundamental and likely permanent shift in CITB's policy and the industry's acceptance of online training. RSMS's early and successful pioneering provided a crucial proof-of-concept that influenced CITB's broader policy changes and accelerated industry adoption. The fact that RSMS was "the first" to successfully implement and deliver these new virtual classroom courses with online exams under the temporary CITB rules was highly significant. Their immediate success provided tangible, real-world validation for CITB's policy shift, demonstrating that remote delivery was not only feasible but could also maintain quality and operational effectiveness. This early and proven success by RSMS likely gave CITB the confidence and empirical evidence needed to expand the number of remote learning standards and to publicly state that the remote format would "likely... become the adopted method for the foreseeable future". RSMS's pioneering efforts did not just adapt to a policy; they actively contributed to shaping the justification for the policy's broader and potentially permanent integration into construction training. This rapid and successful transition by pioneers like RSMS directly contributed to the "explosion" of the online training industry and a widespread shift in industry attitudes towards digital learning.

MIke remains passionate about helping others and as well as his charity work, continues to deliver training for SMSTS in London, as well as SSSTS in London.

Despite the speed of the transition, RSMS and other leading providers successfully maintained high training standards. For instance, another provider reported maintaining over 90% pass rates for online courses, indicating that effective pedagogical adaptations were made. The content of these online courses remained consistent with their conventional classroom-based counterparts, ensuring no compromise on the depth or breadth of knowledge imparted.

 

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