42 | NOVEMBER 2017
Installer Support
FENESTRATION AS A
CAREER OF CHOICE
GQA Qualifications, the industry’s only qualifications writing and awarding body, has launched an initiative
to help attract new entrants to the fenestration industry. ‘Building Our Skills’ is aimed at those leaving full-
time education and those who are looking to change careers, and will take the form of an industry prospectus
to highlight the amazing amount of choice the fenestration industry can offer to those looking to join it. It will
demonstrate both career progression pathways and potential financial rewards for those coming on board.
GQA has been writing indus-
try relevant qualifications for over
25 years. Working through over
70 approved learning centres and
an increasing number of practical
hands-on training facilities it has
been raising levels of skills in the
industry, promoting the initiative
‘Quality Through Qualifications’.
Speaking about their work, and
the launch of ‘Building Our Skills,’
Chief Executive of GQA Qualifica-
tions Mick Clayton explained: “We
have been promoting the impor-
tance of those employed in the
fenestration industry having proper
industry relevant qualifications to
help them deliver better products
and better service for those who
buy the industry’s products for
many years now.”
“Our aim has been to get em-
ployers in the industry to embrace
the benefits of delivering quality,
through qualifications, and the fact
is that a significant core of the best-
known names in the industry do
just that.”
“I would safely say that the
work-force currently employed
in the industry is the most well
qualified it has ever been, and that
can only be a good thing. However,
what has become more and more
noticeable in recent years is that
there is a lack of new people com-
ing into the industry. When you
consider that the average age of
the industry employee is the high-
est it has ever been, and that there
are a number of external factors
potentially impacting the availabil-
ity of a labour pool it is clear we
need to do something.”
“I know that there are many
companies working individual-
ly to try and address this, and it
something we have discussed many
times without really finding the
answer to the question, why do
youngsters not see the fenestra-
tion industry as a career path of
choice?”
“Through discussions with stake-
holders at all levels of the industry,
and across all elements of the sup-
ply chain we have therefore com-
mitted to developing and delivering
a prospectus to try and attract
more young people, and to make
them aware of the amazing career
and financial choices available to
them in a truly vibrant sector.”
“We want to attract the best
young talent to our industry across
every imaginable career path.”
“We have commenced a process
to get 50 employers to join the
‘Building Our Skills’ campaign to
paint the industry as a genuinely
attractive place for people to make
a career. We will continue to
underpin this drive by promoting
industry relevant qualifications
and real practical training, and
we are appealing to all those who
share our belief that we can create
an attraction strategy campaign to
come and join us.”
“The campaign will largely be
on-line and will be promoted
extensively to the outside world
by social media, word of mouth
and by those already attending
jobs fairs and working with the
educational sector. ‘Building Our
Skills’ is designed to promote the
industry and the career choices
within it, and is there to give those
working so hard to bring new
young talent into the industry an
additional attraction strategy docu-
ment to support their efforts.”
“What we want to do is to cre-
ate an industry campaign which
everybody feels they can promote
without thinking that they are
promoting a competitor. This is
about the industry and we would
encourage as many companies as
possible to get involved.”
“Those who want to join in and
play a part in supporting ‘Building
Our Skills’ will simply be asked to
supply a single piece of marketing
collateral which helps to explain
how and when they joined the in-
dustry and what path their career
has taken.”
“In return we will ask them
to promote the campaign badge
wherever possible – on their
websites, email footers, literature
and on their FIT Show and other
exhibition stands, wherever they
can, but without this being a prob-
lem to them if there are corporate
guidelines which cannot be over-
come in certain circumstances.”
“We want to make the fenes-
tration industry the career path of
choice for people at the outset of
their working life.”
www.buildingourskills.co.uk
www.gqaqualifications.com