TRAINING & EDUCATION WORLD-CLASS APPRENTICES
Paul Doran, Lecturer at Southern Regional College and WorldSkills UK Training Manager for Wall and Floor Tiling discusses how a close relationship with industry in the UK and abroad is helping to boost opportunities for young people entering the trade.
Young people are at the heart of the government’s plans to rebuild the economy, and quite rightly so. We know that the impact of this pandemic will affect young people disproportionately, so it is essential that support is provided to help them prepare for and secure sustainable employment.
However, we need to ensure that for all initiatives announced, particularly for apprenticeships and traineeships, there is a strong focus on quality, ensuring that training is levelled up not down. Critical to the development of this is the need for a much closer relationship between industry and education, and it is this that drives the work of education and skills charity WorldSkills UK, which I volunteer for.
As a convening platform for business, education and governments across the UK and Northern Ireland, WorldSkills UK is part of WorldSkills, an international network that is second to none in the world of training. The WorldSkills membership includes the richest and largest nations, as well as some of the poorest, and it represents two-thirds of the world’s population. This provides WorldSkills UK with a unique insight into industry standards from the world’s leading and emerging economies.
“WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT FOR ALL INITIATIVES
ANNOUNCED, PARTICULARLY FOR APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINEESHIPS, THERE IS A
STRONG FOCUS ON QUALITY, ENSURING THAT TRAINING IS LEVELLED UP NOT DOWN.”
In my role as Training Manager for the Wall and Floor Tiling International Competition, I have seen first-hand how countries including China, Russia, South Korea and Brazil have used their membership of WorldSkills to mainstream global industry standards into their training. Working with WorldSkills UK, I am determined to follow their lead and share best practice in tiling to help shape the future of training in our industry to raise standards and attract more apprentices.
We have great backing from our industry to support the training of apprentices for the WorldSkills Competition, known as the ‘Skills Olympics’. We work with Nicobond, part of the Nicolls & Clarke Group, The Tile Association, BAL Adhesives and the Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers, amongst others.
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With 30 countries represented in Wall and Floor Tiling at WorldSkills, I have had the opportunity to work closely with them on their apprenticeship training programmes. This has included visits to EUF - The European Union of National Tile Installer Associations near Zurich, Switzerland and to Herningsholm Erhvervsskole vocational training college near Billund, Denmark to discuss implementing international standards in tiling.
Both countries have a strong track record at WorldSkills, with Switzerland taking the Gold Medal at last year’s competition in Russia. The international collaboration has continued through the coronavirus pandemic, albeit over zoom. All countries are keen to know the innovations and design trends in the UK, for example the increased use of large format tiling, imitation wood effect tiles, herringbone patterns and assembly systems. All countries agree this sharing of knowledge is vital to raise global standards within our industry and find the best tile fitter in the world at the ‘skills Olympics’.
From working in Europe and alongside global experts, I have access to new equipment, new thinking and new ways of training. This is helping me shape the training programmes I run at Southern Regional College where I work. It is also enabling me to work with CITB, which runs its SkillBuild Competitions in partnership with WorldSkills UK, The Tile Association, industry partners and FE Colleges to shape the UK Tiling competition so it reflects current industry standards.
By using our membership of WorldSkills to bring back international best practice, we can work to mainstream world-class standards in teaching, learning and assessment in construction, helping thousands of young tilers boost their potential.
www.worldskillsuk.org/ www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk
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