11
PRO INSTALLER JANUARY 2014
PRO NEWS
@proinstaller1
MTC cards for door
and window installers
BM TRADA has launched a Minimum Technical Competency (MTC) card to allow
installers of external windows and doorsets to demonstrate that they meet the strict new
government requirements for approved competent person schemes in the sector.
Under the Department for
Communities and Local
Government (DCLG) requirements, installers and
surveyors within competent person schemes for
windows and doors must
verify their competence
against the Fenestration
MTCs by 6th June 2014.
BM TRADA’s MTC card will
enable each installer/surveyor to demonstrate they
meet this requirement.
To obtain an MTC card each
installer /surveyor must be
assessed against the MTC.
Although, installers / surveyors
who have a current NVQ, can
obtain an MTC card without
undertaking a full MTC assessment provided the NVQ can be
verified.
To minimise disruption to the
installer’s business, BM TRADA’s
approach to demonstrating
compliance with the MTCs has
been designed to allow assessments to be completed alongside the routine site inspections
that are required as part of its
Competent Person Scheme.
BM TRADA has teamed up
with Industry Qualifications Ltd
(IQ), an OFQUAL registered
awarding body. BM TRADA will
carry out the MTC assessments,
which will then be independently verified by IQ, who
will issue the MTC card. Each
MTC card will last for a period
of three years, at the end of
which, a re-assessment will be
required.
Installer confidence
confirmed by report
A forecast by the CBI predicting increasing growth
in 2014 across a number of
sectors, including construction and manufacturing,
echoes a recent poll carried
out by a leading installer
support body.
The CPA’s ‘Installer Barometer’
polled over 12,000 installers with
a series of questions about how
2013 is comparing with 2012; as
well as assessing confidence going forward.
The results were positive – with
headline numbers revealing that
54.10 per cent of installers had
seen an increasing number of
leads this year; with 29.51 per
cent reporting that average order
values were up.
The barometer also mirrored
the CBI’s predictions about an
upswing in 2014 – with 62.50
per cent of installers saying they
expected sales to increase and
55.36 per cent expecting profits
to increase.
An overwhelming majority –
54.90 per cent – also said they
believed growth would increase
across the industry and 56 per
cent expect the UK economy to
improve.
Jeremy Brett, CPA Director, comments: “The report found that installers are optimistic about their
own businesses. Crucially, it also
showed increasing confidence
about the UK economy and
conditions going forward – which
chimes with the CBI report.
For more information call
The Consumer Protection
Association on: 01462 850062
BM TRADA will assess the
installer / surveyor’s knowledge
and competence, through a series
of tests and observations. The
identity of the installer / surveyor
will be confirmed first, before
they are asked to undertake a
written test. Following the test,
the inspector will observe the
installer / surveyor as they carry
out their work, asking additional
questions to verify scenarios that
cannot be observed during the
assessment.
Commenting on the new MTC
card Simon Beer, BM TRADA
Business Development Manager
stated:
“Before putting a solution in
place, we wrote to each of our
installers and surveyors to outline
the DCLG requirements and gain
feedback in order to determine
the best way to proceed.
“The feedback that we received
was that whilst the majority of
installers/surveyors don’t have
formal qualifications, they have
worked in the industry for a
number of years and have extensive knowledge and experience.
“We put a solution in place that
recognises this a