Pro Installer February 2016 - Issue 35 | Page 42

42 FEBRUARY 2016 PRO INSTALLER PRO SKILLS www.proinstaller.co.uk Don’t let winter weather affect your bottom line For many installers, the onset of winter means an increase in callouts as a result of failing hardware. Zinc-based hardware will start to fail sooner or later because the damp weather we experience in winter speeds up the corrosion process. But rather than accepting corrosion as a fact of life, the Trojan Group developed a solution: stainless steel hardware. The range has taken the market by storm and sales have risen by over 300% in the past two years. CITB CALLS FOR APPRENTICES AS IT FORECASTS GROWTH The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is calling for more apprentices as it releases figures which forecast annual average growth of 2.5% for the next five years – and 232,000 jobs to be created. CITB’s Construction Skills Network (CSN) report predicts sustained growth from 2016-2020, driven by infrastructure and private housing. Steve Radley, Policy Director at the CITB, said: “All types of training, and especially apprenticeships, will be vital to delivering this pipeline of work. This positive forecast should inspire more people to start apprenticeships, and more firms to take them on.” New nuclear power stations at Hinkley Point, Somerset, and Wylfa, Anglesey, alongside rail projects such as Crossrail and HS2, will drive year-on-year infrastructure growth of 6.1%. The commercial construction sector will experience growth of 3.4% per annum, while private house building will also experience sustained growth across the forecast period. Output in the house building is expected return to pre-recession levels by the end of the forecast period, reaching £26bn by 2020. UK construction growth is set to be fourth in Europe up to 2017, with British builders outstripping those in Germany, France and Spain. Annual growth is predicted in all the UK’s regions and nations up to 2020, with Wales faring best with year-on-year growth of 7.1%, followed by the south west (4.4%), London (3.5%), and the north west (2.6%). In response to the ongoing skills challenge, the CITB is in 2016 launching a series of new partnerships with local and regional training providers to make sure the right training takes place where it is needed most. It is also continuing to work closely with the construction industry to further develop Go Construct, an industry-led web portal, to showcase the opportunities in the industry and encourage more people to join the sector. This should help construction firms recruit the talent they need to grow, and help workers learn about all of the great career opportunities available. Steve Radley, Director of Policy at the Construction Industry Training Board, said: “We can’t build the Britain we want without growing apprenticeships – and the careers they lead onto. “We also want to attract workers who have left the industry to return, and upskill those currently in the sector, so we can deliver major projects and new housing faster and better.” Source: www.citb.co.uk Tony Chadwick, Trojan’s Group Managing Director, said: “Failing hardwa re as a result of corrosion was becoming an increasing problem in the industry. Returning to replace hardware has a direct effect on an installer’s bottom line, so needs to be avoided wherever possible. Stainless steel hardware solves the problem because of its corrosion-resistant properties. We are so confident in the fit and forget qualities of our stainless steel door hardware range that all products come with a 25-year anti-corrosion guarantee as standard.” Trojan’s stainless steel range includes hinges, door handles and letterplates. Each of these is available at three price points so there is a stainless steel product for every project budget. It also includes door knockers, door numbers and numerals, an ‘there is a stainless steel product for every project budget’ escutcheon, a T-bar pull handle and a central door knob. All products are available in polished gold (PVD), brushed gold (PVD), polished stainless, brushed stainless and white or black powder coated over stainless. www.trojangroup.com