Stan Rowland, at Schneider Electric a global specialist in energy management, has become the first person in the world to achieve a Professional Recognition Award from City and Guilds.
Awarded a level 7 for Professional Recognition in Engineering Management plus a City & Guilds Membership Award (PRA) Stan, who currently works as a training consultant at Schneider Electric, has achieved the highest of the four levels available comparable in complexity with a Master’s degree.
Unlike other qualifications the PRAs offer a purely vocational route, enabling candidates to achieve a qualification through submission of evidence that they have gathered through work experience. These competence based qualifications are designed to recognise a person’s ability and expertise in a vocational context, and across six areas which have been identified as important for success in the workplace.
Commenting on his success, Stan Rowland said: “I’m really thrilled to be the first person to go through the process and to achieve this accolade. From my role as a trainer and previous electrical engineering posts, I have been able to draw on a wide range of experiences, which has certainly helped me through the process.”
“I only hope that through my achievement I can encourage others to follow suit, to gain their own external endorsement for their own achievements and then go on to encourage more people to follow suit.”
The PRAs provide the opportunity for continuous professional development, backed by external validation of internal training and development programmes.
Catherine Bush, Head of Corporate Affairs at City & Guilds, said: “At City & Guilds, we’re all about helping people get into a job, progress on the job, and move onto the next job. That’s why we’re delighted to formally recognise Stan for his accomplishments through our Professional Recognition Award programme. Throughout his career, he has shown tremendous dedication not only to improving his skills, but also in assisting others with their development. He is an inspiration to others and I’m sure he’ll see further success in the future.”
