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Four new apprenticeships strengthens commitment to upskilling
Leading uPVC and aluminium fabricator Dekko Window Systems has taken on four new apprentices , strengthening its commitment to upskilling young people and tackling the industry ’ s skills shortage .
» SALES DIRECTOR KURT GREATREX comments : “ The skills gap is a huge issue facing the industry at the moment , and I predict for a long time to come .
“ While we ’ ve all been stretched due to increased demand , at the same time , an ageing workforce is retiring , and we ’ re just not getting enough skilled workers in to replace them .
“ At Dekko , it ’ s our goal to limit the impact of the skills gap on our customers as much as possible , and one proven way to do this is with an apprenticeship programme .
“ We ’ ve started with four , but we will soon be looking into recruiting more apprentices and upskilling young workers , with the long-term goal of growing and developing a motivated , skilled and qualified workforce to add to our already talented team .”
Dekko ’ s four new apprentices have taken on roles in HR , manufacturing and engineering , while a fifth apprentice is soon due to take on a marketing role , where they will be in charge of internal marketing , tracking leads and opportunities for regular business , as well as looking after social media accounts for the company ’ s trade counters .
Kurt continues : “ As a business , we are committed to doing what we can to
mitigate the industry ’ s skills shortage , as well as helping the regeneration of the economy following the pandemic by creating opportunities for young people .
“ By taking them on , we ’ re giving them a chance to learn on the job , and developing valuable skillsets that will contribute to the industry .”
www . dekkowindows . com
DHF ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF ITS NEW TRAINING WEBSITE
» SINCE LAUNCHING ITS FIRST training course in September 2013 , Door & Hardware Federation ( DHF ) has assisted almost 4,000 candidates in successfully completing a DHF training course . DHF ’ s first training website was launched in 2016 and offered refresher courses to those who had taken a face-to-face training course . Over time , the training programme developed significantly , and in April 2020 , amidst the uncertainty of Covid- 19 , DHF launched its Distance Learning Programme ( DLP ).
The organisation soon recognised that a website was needed with the capability to host the learning support for the newly launched DLP , as well as all refresher courses , a website that would ‘ future-proof ’ DHF ’ s training offering . The new training website is the single , biggest investment DHF has made , to date , and will enable users to access training information quickly and easily , providing a thorough overview of courses available to delegates .
DHF ’ s Head of Commercial Operations , Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens , said : “ Of the many benefits of the new training website , we will be able to update presentations in-house for our delegates and allow learners to sit accredited examinations online . It also delivers our Distance Learning Programme ( DLP ) remotely ; there is no need for learners to co-ordinate with their Distance Learning tutor , instead they can learn online , controlling their own pace and learning journey . In addition , those who did not pass the face-to-face training course can now resit their examination , remotely .”
In addition to enabling a smoother training process for the learner , the new
website will deliver its training presentation in ‘ bite-sized chunks ’, therefore , removing the need for delegates to sit through eight hours of presentations ahead of sitting an examination . Learners can go back through the various presentations to better absorb the information . The new website is also IOS compatible , offering the user a choice of which platform to choose .
Patricia added : “ Putting safe and compliant products on the market is central to our endeavours at DHF , and ensuring a competent workforce is very much a part of that . Remote learning is the future ; we are delighted to be spearheading this in our sector .”
www . dhfonline . org . uk
88 JANUARY 2022 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM