Passionate about people

The Builders merchants Federation is passionate about the people within our industry, which is why we are delighted to have the opportunity to support the TTJ Awards this year.

We are the industry's major training provider so our sponsorship of the TTJ Career Development Award is particularly appropriate. With separate categories for those under and over 25, this award recognises not only those in the early stages of their career but also those who continue to enhance their knowledge and understanding and apply this learning within their business.

While these awards recognise individual achievements, companies that actively encourage their staff to meet their career goals are the ones that really benefit. Businesses with a career development culture have better rates of staff retention - and they not only retain their people, but also the skills and knowledge that give them a competitive edge.

Like the TTJ, the BMF encourages lifetime learning. Ours is an industry that traditionally many have joined straight from school. Indeed, the BMF's current chairman, Peter Hindle, started as a trainee in a merchant's yard at the age of 16. He has enjoyed an enormously rewarding career spanning 43 years and has gone on record to say he wants to see more 16-19 year olds entering the industry today. Peter will be a huge asset to the BMF's upcoming recruitment campaign, which will spread this message to schools and colleges. We want to make sure that education professionals are aware of the rewarding, diverse and challenging career opportunities offered by builders and timber merchants and that they actively promote merchanting as a career choice for practically minded school leavers.

Over the years the BMF has seen many young people flourish through an apprenticeship. Often they have joined the industry with few, if any, formal qualifications, but bags of enthusiasm and a "can-do" attitude. They quickly discover that education in the workplace is very different from their experience at school and have thrived in an environment where they can immediately put their new learning and skills to practical use.

I know past winners of the TTJ Career Development Award are amongst those who have applied their training to live work projects and quickly won recognition and earned a well-deserved promotion. Lifetime learning will undoubtedly speed their progression, combining a job they enjoy with study for academic qualifications to improve their skills and further their careers.

The BMF has consistently worked to develop specialist courses to support those stepping up to managerial level and beyond. For example, the BMF Diploma in Merchanting is one of our biggest success stories in recent years. This is more popular than ever, with 60 people currently studying and regularly coming together in six regional groups across the country.

This qualification can now be followed by a Foundation Degree in Merchanting, awarded by the University of the West of England. Introduced in 2012, the projectbased syllabus develops an understanding of sustainable products, which is increasingly important in the timber sector.

Earlier this year the BMF launched two further levels of qualification for experienced managers. A Postgraduate Diploma in Merchant Leadership and Strategy, which starts in October, will be run and awarded by Birmingham City University. Candidates who successfully complete this course will be able to challenge themselves further and move directly onto study for an industry-specific Masters degree.

We are particularly excited by these latest qualifications. Raising the lifetime learning bar to this level demonstrates the maturity of our industry and will help us attract and retain the best talent.

Which brings us back to the TTJ Awards, a celebration of the best in the industry that the BMF is delighted to support.