OCTOBER 2019 | 19
Industry Associations
Other things GQA...
Master Fitter
Challenge in
association with
the FIT Show
From the outset GQA
qualifications has been
the competition manag-
er for the Master Fitter
Challenge in association
with the FIT Show.
The winners of the 2019
Master Fitter Challenge
were Arron Clegg and
Dave Eagles of Master
Fitter Windows. Nickie
West Event Director of
the FIT Show was on hand
to make the presentation
to the winners and the
other very worthy finalists
on Skills Thursday during
the show.
Building Our
Skills – Making
Fenestration a
Career of Choice
than at the gala dinner
as we had done in previ-
ous years. It is all a part
of building the Thursday
to highlight skills across
the whole industry and
that will continue in
years to come. Master
Fitter Challenge is a
major part of this drive
to highlight and promote
skills.”
Speaking about the
competition Mick Clay-
ton said, “We know from
previous years that those
who enter this competi-
tion are absolutely pas-
sionate about their trade
and displaying their skills
every single day - it is
great to see.
We were delighted with the
‘ quality
of the entrants again
this year and we look forward
to more of the same in 2021
’
Speaking about the
competition Nickie com-
mented: “I was delighted
to have the opportunity
to join the finalists prior
to making the announce-
ment of who had won.
What came across was
how important it was to
them to do the job right,
every time, and the more
people there are in the
industry who think this
way the better it will be.
“It was really appropri-
ate that we announced
the winners as a part of
Skills Thursday rather
“We were delighted
with the quality of the
entrants again this year
and we look forward to
more of the same in 2021
when we will add in new
challenges and new prod-
ucts to judge against.
But we will be opening
the applications very
soon and I would encour-
age installers to sign up
as soon as they can.”
Watch out for
announcements soon on
www.masterfitterchallenge.
co.uk
GQA Qualifications
is a major supporter of
the Building Our Skills –
Making Fenestration a
Career of Choice cam-
paign which is also being
supported by many of
the major names in the
Fenestration Industry.
The aim of the campaign
is to raise awareness of
the industry amongst
those in or leaving the
education system, those
leaving the military
services and looking for
new careers, and other
career changers as a way
of bridging the widening
skills gap developing in
the industry.
Building Our Skills in-
cludes a number of major
campaign initiatives to
help raise awareness of the industry, a brand-new
practical training cen-
tre to be opened during
October, and an Inspiring
Talent Academy which
is open for all employers
across the industry to nominate members of
staff to join.
CEO Mick Clayton is
actively involved “As an-
ybody who knows me is
well aware, I love football
especially at a local level.
I am Barnsley born and
bred and I am always
keen to try and support
local initiatives.”
“GQA is already in-
volved with the FIT Reds
campaign at Barnsley FC
to encourage over 40s’
men to retain a level of
health and fitness, we
are official partners with
the main football club, and are actively involved
with the Barnsley Wom-
en’s Football Club as well,
so supporting at this
lower level was the next
logical step for us and I
am delighted with what
we are doing, and more
importantly what the
girls who play are getting
out of being involved.”
“The club is commit-
ted to giving the players
– even at such a young
age – the best facilities,
kits, and opportunities
they can, and you can see that the girls are
developing teamwork
skills which will be bene-
ficial to them in all areas
of their development,
as well as enjoying the
physical and footballing
side of things. It is amaz-
ing and really rewarding
to see the levels of skills
on show and the enjoy-
ment they are getting
from it.”
More details of the
campaign can be found
on www.buildingourskills.
co.uk
Getting Social
As well as all the direct
industry related initia-
tives that GQA Qualifi-
cations is involved with
the organisation is also
very involved with several
social projects, including
grassroots football spon-
sorship in different parts
of the UK.
Amongst these is their
involvement with Pog-
moor AFC under 11’s girls’
team. Girls’ and ladies’
football are becoming
the fastest growing
participation sport in the
UK, with new professional
teams joining leagues
at the highest levels
and the home nation’s
national teams mak-
ing great strides on the
world stage. As a direct
consequence more junior
players are being inspired
to join teams, and such
is the case with AFC
Pogmoor who have added
several junior girl’s teams
to the club.
GQA Qualifications
is proud to be the shirt
sponsors and is actively
involved in supporting the
club through coaching.
www.gqaqualifications.com
0114 272 0033
@gqaquals
More information is
available from www.
afcpogmoor.co.uk