TRAINING FOCUS


THE HIDDEN INVESTMENT IN TRAINING


BMJ looks at the role of manufacturers and builders’ merchants in addressing the skills shortage.


T


he latest Construction Skills Network Report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) estimates that 225,000 extra workers will be needed to meet UK construction demand by 2027. As the sectors battle for talent, how can builders’ merchants work with product manufacturers to upskill its existing workforce while attracting more people?


Retain the people we have


Clair Graham, manager of the Saint-Gobain Weber Technical Academy says that it is vitally important that to keep the people already in the industry, as well as bringing fresh talent via more outreach to schools, work experience opportunities, college courses and apprenticeships. “One way the industry can do this is by embracing a range of opportunities for upskilling, whether that’s through more official routes - such as vocational education, apprenticeships and distance learning - or through onsite training support from manufacturers,” she says.


New product development can often be the driver for new construction methods. As these new products hit the market, the training and technical support offered by manufacturers helps to develop not only the associated new skills but keeps everyone interacting with construction products up to date with the latest best practice guidance.


Make training easily accessible


Graham continues: “A Construction Products Association (CPA) survey showed that there is little or no collaboration between the product user and the skills-focused organisations that support the manufacturers, so manufacturer-led training is key to bridging this gap.” With builders’ merchants interacting with tradespeople daily, they too need to understand how the products need to be applied and the health and safety requirements that go alongside them. Not only to provide good customer service, but to help ensure that the products are being used in the correct way.


Grahan says that Weber has run training courses at its own Technical Academy in Flitwick, Bedfordshire for decades. “To make training more accessible to a wider audience, we’ve recently launched a new initiative to bring our courses to businesses all over the UK. “Working in conjunction with our Partner Colleges, our distributor networks can access one-day courses on the latest information on tiling, flooring, renders and external finishes. The training will be held at colleges and other training academies within the wider Saint-Gobain group,” she says.


Having access to facilities, speaking with experts and getting 14


hands-on experience with construction products is a vital part of learning and developing new skills.


Utilise manufacturer-led support


Graham says that Weber supports the distributor networks with a range of training. “Staff can visit our Technical Academy to get some hands-on practical training of the products that they sell, helping them to get a better understanding of the tradespeople they’re working with and feel more confident when dealing with product queries. “We recognise that we are one of many brands that they may hold stock of, so we try to build the connection with our products with fun training, which is both relevant, memorable, and relatable,” she explains.


Taking staff out of a busy merchant can sometimes be difficult to arrange, so the Training Academy also offers in-store training via the area sales managers, who come to the branch to give up to date information on new products and systems, and for stores where face-to-face training isn’t possible, there is also the option of digital training online.


Graham says: “For the UK construction to thrive in the years to come we must work together and work smarter. A key part of this is making training and knowledge a priority, whether that be on-site, in the classroom or in the digital world. As an industry we must deliver high-quality work and, as the people working in it, we have to truly care about what we do.” BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2023


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44