BUDA gets to the bottom of training

IF THERE WAS A colossal pool of qualified people out there, perhaps nobody would think of starting training programmes.

But it is not a perfect world. In the face of a shortage of fully qualified professionals in the field of utility surveying, BUDA, an underground utility inspection and surveying service provider, decided to start its graduate trainee programme four years ago.

The company's three-year training programme, according to BUDA Group director Wong King, provides coaching in technical skills relating to risk and safety in confined spaces, and soft skills such as communications and leadership.

Training for work in confined spaces is provided by many companies, but BUDA's training gives participants more opportunities to put theories into practice, Mr Wong stressed. BUDA's training is jointly offered with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

'Short courses provided by many organisations might just show you the gears without you trying them. But we make sure our people know how to use them correctly, and in a safe manner,' said Mr Wong, who is also vice-president of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors.

In the first two years of the programme, participants receive an all-round training in seven disciplines: conduit condition evaluation, manhole internal condition survey, man entry internal condition survey, utility mapping, water leakage detection, high-pressure water jetting and flow survey.

In the third year, the trainees focus on one area out of the seven, as required by the Hong Kong Institute of Utility Surveyors.

Apart from the skills training, mentorship plays an important role in the programme, and it is also a requirement of the International Organisation for Standardisation, or ISO, Mr Wong said.

Mentors meet the trainees weekly to discuss any issues they may have. The mentors are chosen from the roster of senior employees, and could be a senior technical officer or a project manager. Mr Wong is one of the mentors at BUDA.

The three-year programme is all hard work.

Besides external courses and on-the-job training, participants must sit for about 10 examinations. Intensive training of this kind requires self-discipline and perseverance, Mr Wong said.

Work at the site itself is the other aspect of the programme. 'It's not the training only but also the site conditions,' he said. 'When you are on site, you need to go down and work in confined spaces, such as manholes, and this can be intimidating for many first-timers.'

BUDA technical officer T.K. Lee said it was challenging to work in the dark. 'We get into a deep, dark hole with just a flashlight.'

Mr Lee received his previous training at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, and has more than two years' work experience.

On the first few on-site exercises, the trainees are accompanied by experienced persons when they descend into the manholes. Eventually, the students must make the descent on their own.

Mr Wong said the company preferred those who were open-minded, had initiative and showed a readiness to learn.

Technical officer Mr Lee said good team players were required 'because we do teamwork', adding that 'academic achievement is not a priority for us'. Trainees must have a background in science subjects, surveying or engineering.

The programme is also open to secondary school leavers. Mr Wong said degree holders and Form Five graduates followed different paths.

The degree graduates become engineers on completing their three-year training, and have the opportunity to become senior engineers or project managers in future, depending on their performance.

Secondary school graduates became assistant technical officers, and could become technical officers or senior technical officers at a later stage.

Both have the opportunity to become members of the Hong Kong Institute of Utility Surveyors.

Degree holders can attain manager member status with five years' experience, while those without a degree would take twice as long to obtain this status.

BUDA on average takes in two or three degree graduates every year. At present, it has at least three trainees on its programme.

Mr Wong said the company accepted non-degree holders whenever necessary.

Charlton Lo, an assistant engineer who has been in the trainee programme for less than two years, said the course fitted perfectly into his career plans.

'I was doing civil engineering at the Polytechnic, but underground utility is an emerging field that offers a lot of opportunities, and it is still related to civil engineering,' he said.

Despite the tight deadlines, the training is rewarding, Mr Lo said.

'Not only have I learnt about fieldwork and safety knowledge, I also have my hands on project co-ordination, how a contract starts and all the details pertaining to it.'

Even with prior work experience, Mr Lee finds the programme a huge learning opportunity.

'But one must be willing to work hard here,' he advised those interested in the programme.

IN-DEPTH programme

BUDA's three-year training programme for working in confined spaces provides coaching in technical skills and soft skills, such as communications and leadership.

Mentors chosen from senior employees meet trainees weekly to discuss any issues they may have.

Trainees must have a knowledge of science gained through applied science, surveying or engineering.

The company prefers those who are open-minded, self-disciplined, good team players, have initiative and are willing to learn.

Academic background is secondary, but applicants must have achieved Form Five level or above