ASSOCIATIONS & ORGANISATIONS
Making Fenestration , Glass and Glazing a Career of Choice
» BUILDING OUR SKILLS IS committed to bridging the growing skills gap faced by the industry by working closely with employers and other organisations to attract new entrants and by upskilling the existing workforce to ensure it can meet future challenges and continue to prosper .
The campaign to attract new entrants to help bridge the skills gap was set up after consultation with major employers in the industry , and now has over seventy supporters .
To achieve their goals there are a wide range of campaigns , including working with the education sector to make youngsters aware of the Fenestration Industry as a career of choice ; working with the military to engage ex-service personnel ; and raising awareness of the benefits to business of a more diverse workforce to highlight the Fenestration Industry as a home for everyone .
Building Our Skills also operates three academies , the Inspiring Talent Academy , a Practical Training Academy , and a Sales Academy to help upskill existing industry employees to encourage them to truly choose Fenestration as a career of choice , not just a job for now .
Its latest initiative is the launch of a mentoring programme to encourage those who have been in the industry for many years to offer their guidance and experience to those who have recently joined the industry , or those who may do so in the future .
The programme , which has already seen over thirty people attend online workshops , is a further commitment from the organisation as it continues its journey to increase awareness of the career possibilities in the industry , and the support anybody joining it can expect , as a part of the drive to bridge the growing skills gap . Head of Building Our Skills , Stephanie Tague announced , “ We have already offered a series of online workshops , and the next step will be to encourage even more people to consider putting their experience to great use to encourage the industry ’ s future workforce . We believe as an industry if we can offer mentors to people it will add further strength and support for future generations and give the industry a better chance of developing and retaining their skills in the longer-term .
“ The first steps for anyone wanting to join , is to register their interest by emailing us at sayhello @ buildingourskills . co . uk , and then
to attend one of the accredited mentoring training courses taking place nationally . We will then match mentors with young people from within our Inspiring Talent Academy , and our supporters ’ network .”
Lee Marriott , Business Development Director at Anglo European , who has already signed up to the initiative after attending one of the online sessions , was mentored himself and commented , “ If I had not had a mentor for the early part of my career , I am not sure if I would still be working in this sector . It was massively important for me , and my mentor helped me grow into the professional I am today . Being a part of the Building Our Skills Mentor Programme will be a great way for me to be able to share my learning experiences with young people , new to the industry .”
WHY NOT ADD YOUR SUPPORT ?
Becoming a supporter of Building Our Skills is completely free , so why not join in and find out more about all the actions and activities being undertaken to try and attract new people to our industry , and to help upskill and retain those already here .
Simply visit www . buildingourskills . co . uk or email sayhello @ buildingourskills . co . uk
CLEARVIEW-UK . COM » OCT 2021 » 61