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System
10 and Shelforce Join Forces to Deliver Supported Training Programme
Birmingham-based
System 10 fabricator Shelforce has
launched a training programme designed to encourage local disadvantaged
residents into the PVC-U windows and doors industry.
The
DALE Project is providing up to 70 residents from the City's SRB6 Regeneration
Corridor with the opportunity to access tailored training in the surveying
and installation of PVC-U windows and doors, delivered on-site at Shelforce's
fabrication facility by industry-approved instructors.
Designed to tackle the skills shortages facing the industry and to improve
the employment prospects of local people, the project forms part of
an ongoing partnership between Shelforce and WHS Halo System 10 that
has seen the fabricator secure significant window replacement contracts
with public sector clients and private contractors.
Managed by Birmingham City Council, the Shelforce factory is dedicated
to providing supported employment opportunities and is one of two System
10 training Centres of Excellence, with several others planned, that
have been fully-accredited by the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology
(CWCT).
Commenting on the DALE Project, Mike Stevenson of WHS Halo System 10
said: ‘Decent Homes, Schools for the Future and the ongoing skills
shortages within the construction industry are all continuing to put
pressure on labour supply within the window sector and this project
has been developed to help address this issue.
‘As importantly, it has also been designed to help nurture local
window supply chains so that window refurbishment programmes can leave
behind a lasting skills legacy within local communities, as well as
improved living conditions within social housing.’
The DALE Project provides people who are disabled, unemployed or claiming
benefit with a customised part-time NVQ training programme, tailored
to their individual needs. Lasting from between three and six months,
each training programme involves work placements as well as one-to-one
support and mentoring. Once trainees have completed the course, they
will receive help and support from Shelforce and Birmingham City Council
in the search for employment.
WHS Halo System 10 supplies windows, doors and curtain walling systems
to the public sector.
For further information on System 10, please contact WHS Halo's Commercial
Development Managers on 0121 749 3000 or visit http://www.system10.co.uk
and http://www.publicsectornewsline.co.uk.
For details of the DALE Project, please contact Shelforce on 0121 603
5262.
Warmseal
Ltd., based near Newcastle upon Tyne, a manufacturer of double glazing,
doors and conservatories, is proud of the success of over 60 of its
employees.
They
have achieved recognition for their skills and expertise by attaining
nationally recognised Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships Awards,
incorporating Industry Standard NVQs at level 2 and 3, from the Glass
Qualifications Authority.
The management of the company has encouraged participation and has seen
an improvement in production efficiency with a reduction in accident
and wastage levels, among many other benefits.
Many of the recipients have worked for the company for a number of years
but had not gained any formal recognition for their experience, while
new employees did not have any structured training. The work based learning
programme, delivered by The Vocational College, has been jointly driven
by management and staff to formalise and broaden the training, equipping
the participants with new skills and confidence in their abilities.
The assessors, Steve Haley and Ron Cummins (The Vocational College),
commented on how impressed they are with the attitude of management
and staff to training, and how readily both embraced the concept of
formalised training opportunities. The success of the scheme has engendered,
amongst other things, a new mutual respect between management and the
production workforce with both wishing to extend the benefits of work
based learning throughout the company.
Rehau
Delivers 40th CPD Seminar
The
team from Rehau's London office
has just completed its 40th CPD seminar since the office was opened
at the Building Centre one year ago this month.
Established with the stated aim of promoting the benefits of Rehau's
Building Solutions division to key specifiers in London and the south
east, the team has successfully used the CPD route to establish valuable
relationships with its target audience.
Rehau’s CPD seminars cover its PVC-U window systems, ground air
heat exchange and underfloor cooling, although the Building Solutions
division also encompasses cable management systems, underfloor heating
and civil engineering products.
Mike Moseley, who is head of Rehau's London office, is delighted with
the first year's performance. He says: ‘The office has rapidly
become a very valuable resource for Rehau - not only does it give us
geographical access to specifiers in the capital but it has also improved
our market intelligence because we are operating at the very heart of
the industry.’
Rehau's office is located on the third floor of the Building Centre
and as well as communicating with specifiers, it also provides a service
delivering sales leads to fabricators and installers of its products
across the UK.
Tel: 01989 762600
Proskills
- Skills Initiative Gears Up For Success
Proskills,
the new Government backed skills and training organisation for the process
and manufacturing industries, was recommended to receive a licence to
operate from the Education and Skills Secretary, Ruth Kelly.
This decision is the culmination of a concerted effort from employers
across the manufacturing sector and gives the official go-ahead to Proskills
as a Sector Skills Council. As a result, personnel from supporting organisations
in the Print, Coatings, Building Products, Extractives and Glass industries
will join Proskills on 1st August. With experienced staff drawn from
industry and a board consisting of senior people from each of the industries,
Proskills is firmly rooted in the practical world of the sector and
is determined to achieve its aims: providing the authoritative voice
of employers for the sectors' training needs, defining existing skills
gaps, ascertaining skills priorities and developing standards and qualifications.
‘Proskills offers employers in the processing and manufacturing
industries a great opportunity,’ comments CEO, Terry Watts, ‘By
joining together these five industry sectors, which have much in common
both demographically and in their regional spread, they will be stronger
and more effective in their dealings with Government. As a larger and
unified organisation, Proskills will be able to maximise Government
funding as well as benefiting from the economies of scale, both financially
and organisationally. Together these industries form the heart of UK
manufacturing - they deserve a stronger voice - Proskills will give
them that voice.’
Currently five industry groups are being formed, consisting of participants
in each sector. The groups will provide the organisation with a check
and balance, having the ability to question Proskills' activities and
its achievements. Each group will be chaired by an ‘employer champion’,
who will also be a Proskills board member. This will ensure that employers'
needs are kept at the top of the Proskills agenda.
Feedback from recent Proskills consultative Roadshows that visited sites
in the English regions as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,
discovered a wealth of enthusiasm for the new organisation and a willingness
to get actively involved with the process. For further information please
go to http://www.proskills.org.uk
or email mailto:info@proskills.org.uk
Comar
& Polar CPD Partnerships
Polar
Windows Ltd, a Comar Architectural
Aluminium Systems approved fabricator, recently held a series
of RIBA approved CPD’s at Polar’s extensive premises in the
North East of England.
Polar
utilised Comar’s RIBA CPD’s to invite over 50 Architects and
Local Authority specifiers to specially convened lunchtime seminars.
John Wilson, Managing Director of Polar, said ‘Cementing relationships
with architectural practices is a critical element of our strategy.
Our architectural clients involve Polar at the design stage which means
they gain access to practical knowledge that helps them to achieve their
design brief’.
Frank Styles, Comar’s Northern Regional Sales Manager and CPD specialist,
underlined this by adding ‘The beauty of holding CPD’s at
Polar’s premises means that attending Architects as well as getting
their point allocation for the CPD, they also get extra points for visiting
a manufacturer’.
Comar has two CPD’s, one on curtain walling, which discusses main
specification points and one on designing function into entrances. The
latter has just been updated to incorporate Document M and the D.D.A.
For further information on Polar Windows or Comar’s CPD’s
please contact Alison Davey, Marketing Manager on (020) 8685 9685.
Glass
Industry Supports Proskills
At
the recent series of half-day events held around the UK, over 95% of
attendees supported the formation of Proskills, the prospective Sector
Skills Council, which will work with Government to develop the skills
that UK business needs in five key industry sectors: Glass, Extractives,
Paint & Coatings, Building Products and Print. One of the key features
of Proskills will be its employer-led approach.
The sessions, which were held in Cardiff, Belfast, Manchester, London
and Glasgow attracted more than 200 people from the sector, including
30 people working within the glass and glass products sector. At each
of which Terry Watts, Proskills’ newly appointed CEO, outlined
the purpose and structure of the new venture and then led discussion
in group sessions where participants discussed the key skills issues,
the role of Government in the industrial training arena and how Proskills
will help will help meet current challenges.
Feedback from the roadshows identified four key skill priorities for
the sector: recruitment and development of young people into the industry,
improvement of management competence, continuous development of the
workforce and Health and Safety competencies.
Acting on the first of these, Proskills is already undertaking a £190,000
project, to look at ways of attracting more young people in a job-market
where competition from ‘sexier’ industries, such as media
and IT, make it difficult to recruit into the industry, despite the
many exciting opportunities that are available. The project will look
at good practice across the sector, leading to the creation of a set
of new and modified Apprenticeship programmes which are expected to
be available in the Spring of 2006.
To quote Barry Chilvers, Chairman of the Glass and Glazing Federation
Training Forum, and a Director of Anglian Home Improvements: ‘We
can now pool a mass of experience and channel it in such a way to have
a major impact on our Industry. The Glass and Fenestration Industries
have desperately needed such a scheme (even if they didn’t know
it) for all the years I have worked in the industry.’
Contact:: Terry Watts
Tel: 0114 275 9345
Email: mailto:info@proskills.org.uk
Web: http://www.proskills.org.uk
In
today’s economic climate few companies can afford to be complacement
when it comes to the installation of their roofline and associated building
products. The quality of products used and workmanship of the installation
must be carried out to the highest possible standards.
This
is a view that is constantly endorsed by Norwich based Classic
Rooflines and Claddings which has just been awarded PERC
status (Purveyors of Excellence in Roofline and Cladding) from Deeplas
by Deceuninck. The PERC installer scheme, offered by Deceuninck, is
an effective training programme which allows Deeplas installers to gain
a comprehensive understanding of their extensive products coupled with
the correct fitting procedures.
The PERC training programme, undertaken at the Deceuninck on-site training
school, outlines topics such as Health and Safety, storage and handling
and thermal conditions, through to fixing options, installation procedures
and environmental issues. At the end of the first session a written
examination is undertaken in order to progress the installer onto the
practice-fitting element.
The training school facilities are furnished with three part-constructed
house styles in order to simulate actual fitting situations. The installer
is then asked to measure, cut and fit as he would under normal conditions,
under the careful supervision of the training school team.
Having reached the required standard as set by Deeplas’ training
team, the four teams of Classic Rooflines and Claddings were welcomed
as official PERC members.
Joint Director of Classic Rooflines and Claddings, Dean Peruzzi stated;
‘We take quality of workmanship very seriously and have made an
ongoing commitment to training. By becoming a PERC official member,
we now have a huge advantage in the domestic market and can assure homeowners
that our quality and installation expertise is second to none.’
Classic Rooflines and Claddings’ associated distributor, Prime
Plastics, has been stocking the full range of Deeplas roofline and associated
building products since November 2004. Not only does the company offer
a full complement of products but visitors to the counter now have the
added assurance that all their staff are trained to the highest possible
level.
Tel: 01249 816969
Email: mailto:martin.vowden@deceuninck.com
Merlin
UK
has recently been commissioned by Pilkington, the UK glass supplier,
to deliver a five day installation training programme for Matthew Scraton
an apprentice working at the Pilkington Sheffield branch. Pilkington
is keen to ensure that its employees are properly trained and this is
evident when visiting the branch offices where all the training certificates
are proudly displayed.
The installation course took place at Merlin's Oldham Training Centre.
Matthew learned the basics of installation both in the classroom and
in the workshop following the guidelines of the BPF code of practice.
He was also given instruction in patching up reveals which he thoroughly
enjoyed. Matthew will sit the CSCS health & safety test and he is
now registered on an NVQ level 2 in Fenestration Installation &
Surveying. Merlin UK works in partnership with Remploy to deliver a
wide range of training for the window industry.
Tel: 0161 439 5557
Mobile: 07767 221865
Email: mailto:info@merlinuk.net
‘Versatile
Training Day a Big Success’
Purplex
Business Solutions was recently commissioned by Versatile
Roofing Systems to complete a full day’s intensive sales training
on Consultative Selling.
A Division of Burles Group Plc, Versatile is one of the UK’s leading
roof manufacturers. At a time when other systems are competing on price,
the Versatile System offers installers advantages to out-manoeuvre competitors
and reduce installation times, including the latest GRP pultruded ringbeam
technology for better thermal and aesthetic performance.
Andrew Scott from Purplex Business Solutions commented ‘Versatile
has an exciting product range that enables installers to differentiate
themselves, which is essential in the current market.’
The Purplex Sales Training System consists two key modules; Foundation
and Application. Within the Foundation module, candidates are introduced
to cutting-edge technology to leverage superior results, such as reprogramming
Belief Systems, overcoming Fear, understanding Paradigms and Physiology,
setting and achieving Goals, and Time Management.
The Application Module trains on the very latest sales strategies, such
as presentation skills, creating Rapport, overcoming price objections,
and avoiding ‘buyers remorse’.
For further information contact Purplex Business Solutions on 0870 062
5318 or visit http://www.purplex.uk.com
Freefoam
Provides CPD Training Seminars
Freefoam
Plastics is approved by the Royal Institute of British Architects
(RIBA) to provide Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to architects,
specifiers and other professionals in the construction industry. CPD
is an industry-wide prerequisite for leading professionals striving
to maintain professionalism and enhance their knowledge within specified
areas.
Entitled Design and Installation Considerations for the use of PVC-UE
for Roofline and Cladding, the Freefoam seminar takes approximately
45 minutes and covers key points in specifying cellular foam boards
for fascia, soffit and cladding for new build and refurbishment projects.
RIBA promotes Freefoam's CPD seminar through editorial in its RIBA Journal
and other trade press, on the RIBA website and intranet, through RIBA’s
assessed material list, and through its annual CPD directory and direct
mailings.
If you are interested in receiving the above CPD seminar, contact Freefoam
on 01604 759871 or email mailto:marketing@freefoam.com
or mailto:cpd@feefoam.com
For more information, contact Freefoam directly on 01604 759871 in the
UK, 021 4911055 in Ireland.
Web: http://www.freefoam.com
Rehau
Announces 2005 Academy Programme
Rehau
has announced details of its 2005 Academy programme. The Academy, based
at Rehau’s Ross on Wye HQ, is a specialised training facility providing
high quality courses in various aspects of window manufacture.
For 2005, Rehau is offering free 1 day courses on the manufacture of
both its REHAU-Tritec and S706 systems and specifically on the manufacture
of windows with integral gaskets. It is also for the first time offering
courses on the manufacture of its REHAU-Polytec PVC-U curtain walling
system.
For commercial customers operating in the social housing sector, there
is also a series of courses scheduled to introduce the principles of
partnering and to provide support in the preparation of partnering agreements.
Wolfgang Gorner, head of the newly created Rehau Windows Business Unit,
says: ‘We are enormously proud of the Rehau Academy which represents
a significant on going investment for Rehau. It is an important part
of our customer service package and is bigger and better than ever in
2005.’
All the Academy courses are free for customers and are conducted either
at Rehau’s purpose built training facility or at customers’
own premises.
A brochure is available from Rehau giving full details of the 2005 course
programme for its entire Building Solutions division which includes
underfloor heating, heating and plumbing systems and cable management,
as well as PVC-U window systems.
Tel: 01989 762600
UK
Fasteners Awarded Prestigious Investors in People Standard
UK
Fasteners,
supplier of quality screws to the window industry, has been awarded
the Investors in People Standard which recognises that empowered, motivated
staff leads to better service and products for customers.
Independent research over the last 12 years has shown the Investors
in People Standard provides real business benefits such as improved
earnings, productivity and profitability. Further research among 2,000
accredited organisations showed 80% have increased customer satisfaction
and 70% have improved their competitive edge and productivity.
The Investors in People Standard was developed in 1990 and is a tried
and tested flexible framework that helps companies succeed, and compete
through improved people performance. The Standard was set up by employers
to benefit both employers and employees. Recent updating of the Standard
ensures that it remains a relevant, practical and flexible tool, supporting
employers in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment.
David Ballinger Managing Director of UKF Ltd comments, ‘The Investors
in People Standard is a major achievement for UKF. We recognise the
importance of everyone who works here. It’s not just about better
job satisfaction and developing peoples potential, it’s about improving
skills and motivation giving our customers consistently high quality
service and products.’
Tel: 01242 577077
Duraflex
gets Top Marks for Training
Duraflex
now has three qualified NVQ Assessors among its production staff. Production
Manager, Steve Smith (pictured), together with Richard Birch and Ian
Wride, who are both Extrusion Cell Leaders have all successfully completed
the year-long training. The achievement puts the PVC-U systems company
on track to conduct NVQ training in-house at its new purpose-built premises
in Tewkesbury, with just mandatory visits from the governing body.
Duraflex believes its commitment to training brings benefits for both
the company and individuals. As part of a continual improvement philosophy
it currently has 12 operatives in the extrusion department and 4 in
the lamination section being trained to NVQ Level 2. This involves achieving
a level of competence in a significant range of work activities, plus
some individual responsibility and collaboration with other team members.
Those
trainees who subsequently reach the required standard will then have
the opportunity for promotion to more senior positions. ‘We hope
to progress 30 new candidates through to this level in 2005,’ comments
Steve, who is shortly to be appointed the company’s Health, Safety
and Training Manager.
Steve is also in the final stages of becoming an NVQ Verifier, which
he says will give him an even greater understanding of the NVQ process
and enable him to apply it in other areas of the business. He continues:
‘Since we started the programme two years ago we’ve been overwhelmed
with candidates wanting to improve their knowledge and gain a recognised
work-related qualification.
Expanding the process internally will create more skilled staff, and
a well-trained team produces higher quality products, more efficiently
and more safely.’
Tel: 08705 351351
Web: http://www.duraflex.co.uk