FIT goes for Skills on Thursday
12th March 2019

Building Our Skills, the industry campaign designed to promote fenestration as a career, has been chosen to support the FIT Show with its new ‘Skills Thursday’ initiative at this year’s show.

‘Skills Thursday’ on 23th May at the NEC event and will be aimed at attracting non-industry visitors to attend and learn more about what fenestration can offer career changers and young people.

To support the day’s activities, Building Our Skills and the show organisers will be running a series of seminars, talks and business clinics aimed at providing newcomers with an insight into the many roles, training and qualifications in Fenestration.

The visitors will also be able to follow the ‘skills trail’ and meet with Building Our Skills supporting companies to discuss the potential opportunities existing within their own businesses and Fenestration as a whole.

The Building Our Skills stand will also act as a focal point for both organisations and individuals wishing to learn more about Fenestration qualifications, CPD learning, upskilling staff, mentoring, general guidance on staff retention, as well as helping to educate employers on how to become more effective attracting and engaging with career changes and youngsters.

Stephanie Tague, Head of Building Our Skills said: “Previously, the industry has not been good at attracting young and new talent, but there are big changes within the education sector which could present Fenestration the opportunity to be right at the start of this movement and make a real difference to the future of our industry.

“FIT Show is an ideal opportunity for the employers and companies to showcase the type of industry we are. We are planning to use the 3-day event firstly, to instil employers with a better awareness of training, qualifications and upskilling existing staff and secondly to promote the industry to outsiders – those interested in choosing a career in Fenestration.”

Nickie West, Managing Director of FIT Show added: "There is no better platform than FIT Show to bring key people in our industry together and help tackle key industry issues such as the skills gap. When the concept for ‘Skills Thursday’ came up, we were delighted to find out that Building Our Skills and some of our key exhibitors were already addressing this issue head-on."

stephanie@buildingourskills.co.uk