INDUSTRY UPDATE THE KBSA COLUMN
Kbsa – AI Speaker Announced For KBB Industry Conference
T
he Kbsa has announced that Alan Coleman, National Sales Manager for the Kitchen Division at Cyncly, will
present at the KBB Industry Conference 2024. Alan’s presentation will cover Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the design
process. He will discuss how AI is transforming design processes, look at the benefits, provide tips for how to get started with AI as a designer, and conclude with a review of future trends and opportunities. Kbsa chair Richard Hibbert says, “We are delighted that Alan will be
speaking on AI. AI was one of our most popular topics at last years conference and even more relevant this year. “With a decade of experience in software sales and digital marketing,
Alan offers insights into sales strategies and market trends, making him a knowledgeable speaker on the future of AI.” The KBB Industry Conference 2024 takes place at the Belfry Hotel
and Resort, West Midlands. It will include the popular retailer dinner the evening before the conference on Tuesday 08 October, with the Kbsa Designer Awards dinner following the conference on the evening of 09 October. “Tickets are selling fast for this year so we would advise booking
soon to be part of what will be a must attend event for 2024,” concludes Richard. More details and booking forms can be found on the dedicated website:
www.kbsa.org.uk/conference-2024
BiKBBI – Skills England: Will new government’s plans deliver results for KBB installation skills gap?
launch of Skills England, an initiative intended to bring together the country’s fractured skills landscape and create a national ambition to boost the nation’s skills. BiKBBI has been working with its partners and the Department for
J
Education to tackle the skills gap in the KBB installation sector for more than a decade now, so a renewed focus on skills from the government is welcomed. But what does it actually mean, and will it have any impact on our sector? Whilst it is early days and we are yet to fully understand the inner
workings of the initiative, in order to drive positive change for the installation sector and the wider KBB industry, Skills England will need to look beyond uniting businesses, training providers and unions, and make bold reforms to the existing flawed system in order to affect change. One key area of the existing framework that requires reform is the lack
uMore details are available from The KBSA
www.kbsa.org.uk or call 01623 818808
52 BKU AUGUST 2024
of incentivisation for employers to embrace apprenticeships, and in particular small business employers, which constitute 99.2% of the UK’s total business population. Our extensive work on apprenticeships in the sector continues to highlight the challenges and barriers that make apprenticeships an unviable option for thousands of micro-SME installation businesses, despite their recruitment needs and hundreds of education leavers currently wanting to embark on a career in the KBB sector. Supporting these businesses with a reduction in red tape and financial support to effectively deliver training is critical. The Prime Minister has already alluded to a potential review on how the apprenticeships levy can be accessed and utilised which, in my opinion, if the first step to success when it comes to closing the skills gap.
Damian Walters Chief Executive Officer, BiKBBI
ust weeks after taking the helm, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his new Education Secretary announced the
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