FROM THE EDITOR
A flying start
January may be the first month of the year , but there ’ s something fresh about February . There are green shoots starting to sprout , new life springing up and slightly lighter mornings and brighter evenings – a promising sign of things to come . February also marks Chinese New Year and 2024 is the year of the dragon ; ambitious , adventurous , powerful and passionate . And , with our minds on training and skills this month at Clearview HQ , they seem like some strong traits to help get some new starters into our sector .
We always champion initiatives to try and get more faces into fenestration . All the members of our team came into the sector from different industries ; we see this as a strength . We also recognise the part we can play in not only encouraging new people into the industry but promoting opportunities , training and upskilling from within . Something we again champion within our own business , ( I started my role at Clearview Group to help promote a locksmith event in 2017 and have been here ever since after all !)
Apprenticeships have sometimes been seen as an ‘ old-fashioned ’ attempt to entice young people into industry . In recent years , we ’ ve seen more brands and businesses employ this approach . And , not just in shopfloor roles – fabricating and fitting – but also in sales and marketing , offering school leavers the opportunity to get hands-on experience across every department . With design and digital roles , logistics , transport , procurement , HR and social media , to name just several more aspects of what goes into the fenestration supply chain , it seems there could be a position for every person in a modern-day school leavers group , but we still can ’ t seem to find a person for every position .
And , at every debate and discussion at industry events , we will see a skills gap item on the agenda , what are we doing to help ? And by ‘ we ’, I really do mean us here at Clearview . Well , to start , this March we will be supporting the Building Our Skills – Making Fenestration , Glass and Glazing a Career of Choice at its Barnsley event . We ’ re really looking forward to meeting some students to help promote our industry to them , but more importantly to find out what is their main motivation when thinking about their future and how does it fit into fenestration ?
See you next time , Gemma
Guide to Future Homes Consultation published
» EPWIN WINDOW Systems has published a guide to the Future Homes Consultation document to help customers navigate the detail of the proposal . Phil Parry , Technical Director at Epwin Window Systems , commented : “ Our guide explains the proposal and the relevant factors of the report so our customers can fully understand the detail and implications .”
The eagerly awaited release of the consultation on the Future Homes Standard has delivered some unexpected developments for the industry including the decision to retain the current notional values , keeping them at 1.2 W /( m ² K ) for windows and 1.0 W /( m ² K ) for doors .
Phil said : “ Whilst the proposal to retain the current thermal efficiency requirements has attracted the headlines , now is not the time to be complacent . These proposals are in the consultation period and everyone in the industry needs to continue to make their voices heard . It ’ s also important to remember that this is only the consultation document so there could still be changes made depending on feedback .”
The new guide is available to download from the company ’ s Connect digital portal . The award-winning platform also has a live forum where customers can submit their own questions to Epwin Window Systems ’ technical experts .
Phil said : “ Given the intricacy of the consultation it is our responsibility to guide our customers through the complexities . This new guide , coupled with the online support via Connect , will deliver the clarity needed for our customers and give them the information they require to respond to the consultation document .”
The Department for Levelling Up , Housing and Communities , which is responsible for the Future Homes Standard consultation , gathered information from the industry about the future direction of Document L for this consultation . This included the Glass and Glazing Federation Document L Working Group , of which Epwin Window Systems is a part .
Phil said : “ The consultation period is open now and ends at 11:59pm on 6 March 2024 . Responses can be submitted via https :// consult . levellingup . gov . uk / energy-performance-of-buildings / fhbs-2023-consultation / We would strongly encourage everyone in the industry to continue to make their voices heard .“
www . epwinwindowsystems . co . uk
4 FEBRUARY 2024 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM