Careers, Raising Standards And Training
Fenestration, Glass and Glazing – 50 Careers in one day
Having announced its intention to launch a series of bespoke industry careers fairs in 2024, Building Our Skills – Making Fenestration, Glass and Glazing a Career of Choice has garnered backing from an impressive array of industry supporters.
Launch partners for the initiative include many household names including Rehau, Schuco, FENSA, GQA Qualifications, Liniar, CNC Recycling, CORGI Fenestration and VEKA among many others. The aim of these fairs is to engage directly with the education sector and show school children aged 14 upwards the vast array of career opportunities that the sector can offer. In fact Building Our Skills is aiming to showcase 50 careers at each of its fairs.
Two pilot events are to be held in March 2024 as a part of National Careers Week in South Yorkshire at the Oakwell Stadium, home of Barnsley FC, and in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City Football Club. Building Our Skills is working in conjunction with the local authorities in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester to bring these events to fruition.
Advocates include Lyndsey Morgan and Helen Brown, Department for Works & Pensions ‘Support for Schools (S4S)’ Schools Advisers in South Yorkshire, who agree that the introduction of bespoke careers fairs co-ordinated by Building Our Skills is a great idea. They say:
“Having met with Building Our Skills at an industry exhibition earlier this year, the organisation helped to open our eyes to the breadth of career opportunities offered by the Fenestration, Glass and Glazing industry. People tend to associate the industry only with manufacturing and installation, but really there are so many more career pathways in the industry, from marketing, IT and customer services through to finance, sales, social media and much more. Building Our Skills’ idea to introduce a series of bespoke careers fairs is a great idea so that youngsters can find out more about what the industry is all about and hopefully be inspired to join it. In our roles we’re aiming to assist young people in choosing the right career path for them, and in so doing bring them into closer contact with real-life companies and industries so that they can make informed choices. This means that our aims are aligned with those of Building Our Skills, and we are delighted to be involved with these events.”
Mark Handley, Building Our Skills’ Partnerships Manager adds:
“Our aim is to show the industry to over 1,000 school children and their teachers over the course of the two events. If the two pilots are successful, these will become annual events enabling us to keep in touch with those who attend as they get closer to thinking about their careers. It is our intention to expand the number of events into other areas of the country where we are working with other local education authorities”.
For more information about the work of Building Our Skills please visit www.buildingourskills.co.uk
– If you are a teacher in Greater Manchester or South Yorkshire, or any other area of the country and would like to know more about the industry and our programme of careers events please email us sayhello@buildingourskills.co.uk
– If you are a parent and would like more information about the Fenestration, Glass and Glazing industry, and to understand the career pathways that it offers please email us sayhello@buildingourskills.co.uk
Raising Standards through bespoke Accredited Training Progreammes
Close collaboration with Bohle, the components manufacturer and supplier, showcases the benefits of GQA’s ‘Accredited Training’ service, while helping the company to raise standards in UV bonded glass technologies and practices.
GQA is the fenestration industry’s leading awarding and qualifications-writing organisation. Its Accredited Training service is aimed at employers in the industry who want to have their in-house training endorsed and gives them the opportunity to deliver training that focuses on candidates’ particular needs specific to their role with the employer.
When Bohle wished to develop an optional unit on UV glass bonding as part of a pre-existing Level 2 and 3 NVQ Diploma in Glass Processing, the company turned to GQA’s specialist service to put it in place. This optional unit is now helping Bohle to shape accredited training in UV glass bonding offered by the company today.
Amanda Carr is Bohle’s UV Bonding UK Technical Specialist and is a qualified trainer and assessor in adult learning. She explains:
“Working with GQA hasn’t just resulted in a qualification tailored perfectly to our customers’ and partners’ needs, it’s really given us the opportunity to promote the benefits of UV bonded glass technologies as a whole. Offering accredited training with a specific standard against which learners can be measured is ideal. This approach is helping to raise standards in this part of the fenestration industry, and needless to say it’s a very positive thing for Bohle to be associated with.
“I really appreciate the impartial support we’ve received from GQA to help maintain and improve industry standards. It’s great that we have such a comfortable relationship with the organisation that results in a productive, open dialogue. Insights from GQA on how we can develop and improve our training offering are invaluable. We’re looking at more ways we can work with the organisation to support our customers further through accredited training. In particular, the area of glass handling is a focus, and we’re also assisting the GGF to achieve standardisation of approach where possible.”
Commenting on its Accredited Training service, GQA’s EQA/Technical Officer, Martin Sadler says:
“Using our Accredited Training service means that employers can develop their own training to suit their employees or their customers’ needs with the GQA stamp of approval to show the quality of the training delivered. The GQA-branded certificate we offer is an important tool and highlights the third party endorsement we bring. We can also help to develop specific courses in the consultation phase of our collaboration.”
In addition to its Accredited Training service, GQA also offers one in ‘Bespoke Qualification’. Together, the two specialist services are helping the fenestration industry to develop training solutions tailored to the specific needs of employers and their staff. The two initiatives mean that employers can create and accredit in-house developed training courses and learning programmes in addition to utilising existing qualifications.
GQA’s Bespoke Qualification service is aimed at employers who wish to be able to offer those staff and customers undertaking very specific roles the opportunity to work towards gaining a qualification where one does not already exist. The service is perfect for niche specialist areas, which do not lend themselves to meeting the required content of a standard regulated qualification.
GQA has close to 200 qualifications covering a broad variety of sectors. The fenestration industry, just like any other, needs training solutions tailored to its specific needs. The organisation’s services are helping to facilitate this and are contributing to raising standards and assisting in shaping careers.
Image shows Crystal Clear Windows taking part in Bohle’s UV bonding training.
More information about GQA’s Accredited Training Programme can be requested from Dan.Brown@GQAqualifications.com
Away from the industry…
We would like to say a massive ‘Well Done’ to Mick Clayton, Our CEO, and to all those who took part in the recent @AutoRaise Rally. Driving 100s of miles in cars built by apprentices in the automotive industry the team completed the challenge in three days during the hottest part of the month in September. What’s more they were in fancy dress, and Mick and his team were dressed as characters from the film Back to the Future….shame their car was a Beetle and not a DeLorean!
They raised a massive £6353 for the UK vehicle repair industry which they’ll use to help young people into a range of technical apprenticeships. If you haven’t donated yet and would like to, it’s not too late, just visit…
https://donorbox.org/gemini-accident-repair-centres-autoraise-rally-2023