A team of six from Liniar are the latest to be enrolled into the ‘Inspiring the Future’ programme that Building Our Skills is promoting alongside the Education and Employers Charity.
The group had signed up to support the campaign by volunteering to visit schools to help show youngsters the possibilities for their future careers, and what they could achieve if go into the Fenestration, Glass and Glazing industry.
Inspiring The Future has been designed to connect young people with the world of work through volunteers. It is seen by Building Our Skills as key in helping to acquaint school age children and their teachers with the industry, and to communicate to them the broad range of job roles and career paths it offers.
The campaign connects volunteers to state primary and secondary schools via its free matchmaking platform. Volunteers are asked to give one hour a year to the programme, although they can choose to do more if they wish in order to help inspire children. The first step is to register on the website of Building Our Skills and complete a very simple application form. Teachers who have signed their schools up to the programme can see details of the volunteer, where they are based and the industry they are in, and then invite them to talk to their school about the job they do and the industry they do it in.
Invitations for in-person school visits are based around volunteers being local to the school in question. Virtual visits can also be delivered from anywhere in the UK. Volunteers are supported by the Inspiring the Future team and are given access to training videos as well as training webinars and forums should they wish.
Building Our Skills has highlighted the Education Sector as the single most important area for the industry to focus on to raise awareness of the opportunities it offers and to inspire future generations to look to Fenestration, Glass and Glazing as a career of choice.
Liniar group marketing director Sue Davenport said: “Here at Liniar we’re big supporters of Building Our Skills and we’re proud to do our bit to help the campaign to bridge the skills gap. It’s a goal we share, having pioneered apprenticeships throughout Liniar’s history – and this initiative is a great idea to get youngsters enthused about the fenestration industry.
“The team has already started its school visits, and I understand the volunteers are very happy to be able to make a difference in this way. We’d encourage other employers in the industry to get on board, especially with the support that’s on offer for volunteers through Building Our Skills.”
Mark Handley, Building Our Skills’ partnerships manager, added: “We’re now well on the way to achieving our primary objective of securing 50industry volunteers.
“I’ve been very pleased with the response, but I urge the fenestration industryto acknowledge the need to get more involved with schools and colleges. Working with Inspiring the Future is a great approach to attracting new talent to the industry, and teaching youngsters about the sheer breadth of roles it has on offer. I think anyone volunteering would find it all very rewarding.”
Pictured, l to r: volunteers Owen Attewell, Technical Support Apprentice; Oliver Marriott, Design & Development Draughtsperson; (back, l to r) Chris Armes, Design and Development Director; Mark Wilcoxson, Technical Services Manager; Emma Musson, Marketing Executive; and Maria Brown, Marketing Executive.
