TRAINING THE #FITAWAY
The Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA) shines the spotlight on its course offerings and dedication to upskilling the sector.
FITA is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, providing specialist training for the floorcovering industry. Co-founded by the Contract Flooring Association (CFA) and the National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers (NICF), FITA has two specialist training centres at Loughborough and Kirkcaldy, fully equipped to deliver more than 20 different flooring courses including carpet, LVT, sheet vinyl, wood, linoleum and subfloor preparation.
The sheer increase in additional entry-level courses being delivered at FITA, in comparison to previous years, has to be encouraging for the sector. Most of the installers that walk through the door are so engaged and eager to soak up all the skills and knowledge available, it makes the teaching process easy, that in turn improves the delivery and the cycle continues. The feedback from the FITA Training Consultants reflect this, with tales of earlier starts to courses and late finishes due to delegates being so engrossed in the subjects being covered. And why wouldn’t they be so invested? It’s a big step to engage with private training; financing the training isn’t just the cost of the course, there is the surrounding costs and the loss of earnings to consider too. What delegates take away from courses has to provide an instant impact to their working life and begin to not only repay the costs but provide the confidence to put all that was taught into practice. Regardless of how that changes the working day of the fitter going forward, it’s all about trusting the process.
FITA courses are meticulously designed based on constant feedback from delegates and training consultants. An example of this is that entry-level courses are set up to allow plenty of time to learn and not to rush the delegates. In some cases, this could be the first time a delegate has tried particular skills and the time within a controlled environment where mistakes can be made and learnt from is key.
The FITA Carpet Installation - Basic Course is four days of best- practice installation techniques. It covers a range of different tools and equipment so a delegate can really settle into the fitting techniques and try a range of methods. It ends in a recap on the last day where all the skills learnt are put into a final task.
The LVT Installation – Basic Course is three days of hands-on activity, starting with subfloor preparation including fabricated underlayments and smoothing compounds. Then, the delegates cover the ins and outs of straight-lay fitting in a range of LVT types and most importantly, fitting confidently based on skill alone and essential tools only as that will always be the best point to build from. It provides the base for a confident approach for installations without relying on undercutting architraves and skirting boards or having to fill gaps between flooring and obstacles.
The four-day FITA Commercial Sheet Vinyl Installation Course is a great introduction into commercial fitting, teaching key methods in back marking, scribing, coving and joining that can be transferred from the small training bays to large commercial areas with ease, allowing installers to be of even greater value to contractors following the course.
FITA truly is 'for Industry by Industry’, developed and co-founded by both trade associations CFA and NICF covering all textile, resilient and wood flooring. As a not-for-profit organisation, the key driver is sector skills primarily and has been for over 20 years. So, if you have labour that you want to turn into skilled labour or are looking to add a new flooring type to your skill set then FITA is the perfect place to go.
www.fita.co.uk
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