DECEMBER 2018 | 3
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
APPRENTICESHIPS
KEY TO GROWTH
With nine current apprentices working within its team, on top
of those who have already completed their training, Emplas has
said apprentices are key to its long-term growth strategy.
The skills shortage is
consistently cited as one of
the key challenges facing
not only the window and
door industry but the UK
construction and manufac-
turing sectors as a whole.
Emplas is working to
address this deficit through
its now established appren-
ticeship scheme, which has
already seen four apprentic-
es successfully graduate into
permanent roles within the
business.
With a further nine ap-
prentices starting or nearing
completion of their train-
ing, Emplas’ HR Manager
Judith Chadwick, said that
apprenticeships were critical
to the fabricator’s longterm
strategy.
Emplas apprenticeships
are delivered through a mix
of on the job and 20% ‘off
the job’ training as required
by legislation, including
college release, assessments
and coursework, for a min-
imum 12-months or longer,
depending on the role and
training provider.
Current and former ap-
prenticeships have included
roles as diverse as HR, IT,
Marketing, Sales Co-ordi-
nator, customer service, as
well as installation appren-
ticeships with T&K Home
Improvement’s, Emplas
retail business and market-
ing test-bed.
Julia-Ann Robinson,
joined T&K as Installations
Co-ordinator, completing
her Level 2 and Level 3
Business Administration
Apprenticeship over the last
18 months.
According to govern-
ment figures, employers
who have an established
apprenticeship programme
report that productivity in
their workplace improved
by 76%. Meanwhile, 75%
said that apprenticeships
improved the quality of
their product or service,
alongside other advantages
including improved morale
and retention.
www.emplas.co.uk
Skip and diesel price hikes are bad news
for builders and home owners, warns FMB
Nearly two-thirds of
builders have had to pass
skip price increases on to
clients and a fifth have had
to pass on diesel price rises,
making home improvement
projects more expensive for
home owners, according to
new research by the Fed-
eration of Master Builders
(FMB).
The key results from the
FMB’s research into skip
prices are as follows:
Three quarters of builders
have said that the price of
skips has risen over the past
12 months;
The average cost of an
eight-yard skip has gone
up by £24 over the past
year, meaning an additional
cost of £360 for the average
extension;
Nearly two-thirds of build-
ers have had to pass skip
price increases on to clients,
making home improvement
projects more expensive for
home owners;
Three quarters of builders
said that skip price rises have
squeezed their margins.
The widely-reported hike
in diesel prices is also start-
ing to bite and is having the
following impact on small
and medium-sized (SME)
construction firms:
Nearly half of construc-
tion SMEs have made lower
margins on projects;
Nearly a fifth (17%) have
been forced to raise the
prices they charge clients;
More than one in ten
have had to turn down jobs
they would have normally
accepted as they are too far
away;
10% have taken steps to
reduce vehicle use.
www.fmb.org.uk
PROINSTALLER.CO.UK
THE VOICE OF THE TRADE
ISSUE 68
NOVEMBER 2018
FREE
12 Robotic vests make 18 Is MTD the for safer lifting new GDPR? 26 Welcoming with open doors 38 Tool theft hits
three-year high
Willmott Dixon trialling
upper body exoskeleton. Looking at the significance
of Making Tax Digital. Missionaries of Charity find
solution in Dorgard Pro. Tool theft from vans has
soared by 15%.
EUROCELL LAUNCH
APPROVED SCHEME
Eurocell, the UK’s leading
manufacturer, distributor and
recycler of PVC-U windows
and doors, has launched the
Eurocell Select approved
installer scheme which aims
to develop a trusted network
of installers across the UK.
Eurocell’s new initiative
– which is backed by
CERTASS and FENSA - will
allow installers of Eurocell
windows and doors to gain
certification following a
training course and aims to
help tradespeople overcome
what is often deemed a
‘cowboy image’ within the
industry and provide cus-
tomers with peace of mind
when selecting an installer.
Free training will be held
at various locations across
the UK and will include
both practical installation
training to industry quality
standards and classroom
sessions, covering health
and safety, use of PPE, win-
dow and door removal and
installation, plus top tips to
overcome common issues.
Story continues on page 2
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Call: 01642 610799 Fax: 01642 671026
www.madefortrade.co
PRO-INSTALLER_front_page_Bifolds_JULY 2018.indd 1
14/06/2018 10:31
Pro Installer is
the place for
Installer news
In 2019 we are putting the
Installer first with exciting
changes to PRO Installer
After researching
both readers and con-
tributors to PRO Install-
er, there is enthusiastic
agreement to put the
Installer first in 2019-
hence the following
changes. The magazine
is planning to have
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Installer, in the form of
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cles and news items of
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est to the installation
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items, articles on how
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such as tools, top tips
on installing window or
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tion businesses. Are you
proud of what you do?
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