Training | 11
Campaigning for timber sector education, training and skills development
ROYAL AWARD
The inaugural Duchess of Gloucester Award for the Advancement of Skills within the Timber Industry has been won by Northampton College, reports Stephen Powney
Northampton College’s project to address the national shortage of heritage carpentry skills has won the inaugural Duchess of Gloucester Award for the Advancement of Skills within the Timber Industry.
The award, run by the Institute of Carpenters (IOC), is supported by HRH The Duchess of Gloucester, patron of the IOC and a keen advocate for the sector. The new Award recognises and celebrate organisations and individuals who are making an outstanding and measurable contribution to addressing the critical skills needs of the timber industry.
Northampton College received the award at the annual Members Day of the IOC and National Association of Shopfitters at Carpenters Hall, London on April 22. The entry focused on the national shortage of heritage carpentry skills. In 2025, Northampton College established a project to work alongside industry professionals on a real-world heritage construction project, based at Delapré Abbey – a former Cluniac nunnery which has a rich history dating back nearly 900 years. Northampton College have integrated all 100 carpentry students into the project, with Level 1 students touring the site, and Level 2 and 3 students, as well as Apprentices, getting hands on with a on a range of conservation and restoration projects. This includes the removal of sash windows which are being sympathetically restoring using traditional skills, as well as extensive timber repairs to the building’s original doors and mouldings. The project is being delivered through collaborative work with the Health & Safety Executive and a wide network of local employers, who are passionate about the heritage skills shortage.
The judges were incredibly impressed by Northampton College’s entry and recognised not just the immediate impact on those involved, but also the local and national impact through engaging through local Members of Parliament and news outlets, such as the BBC. Judges also Highly Commended three other entries: A. Edmonds & Co Ltd Brian Tunbridge
Leeds College of Building
A. Edmonds & Co, a traditional shopfitting business located in Birmingham, embarked on a project to address a wane in apprenticeship interest. Through a combination of improving the internal apprenticeship programme; attending careers fairs; engaging with schools; welcoming factory visits; forging
Northampton College receives the winner’s award at the IOC & NAS Members Day
contacts with careers advisors; and increasing visibility of the careers opportunities through advertising and social media, A. Edmonds & Co saw applications for apprenticeships increase from 3 to 47 candidates. Another Highly Commended recipient was Brian Tunbridge, a former lecturer in Wood Trades at West Suffolk College.
Brian set out how he had personally developed and delivered a unique vision for teaching Carpentry and Joinery at West Suffolk College through linking learning to the World Skills Methodology; incorporating mentoring into the programme; and inspiring learners by engaging activities such as the IOC’s Member’s Day. Brian has also personally contributed to the national voice for education – including helping develop the National Occupational Standard for Wood Occupations, focusing on bench joinery, sitework, and shopfitting. Leeds College of Building’s entry was based on their activities to address the perception that construction is outdated and unappealing to younger generations. The college underwent a rebranding exercise, invested in advanced CNC machinery, and expanded its outreach efforts in person and online, including hosting a Timber Industry Hub event and engaging with local employers. These initiatives have resulted in a 15% increase in enrolment on Carpentry and Joinery programmes and an impressive upwards trend in achievement rates.
Supporting the Confederation of Timber Industries’ (CTI) Skills & Education initiative
www.ttjonline.com | Summer 2025 | TTJ
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