The timber industry should be fully signed up to training body ProSkills by the end of the year.
A meeting between the pan-industry Norton House Timber Industry Group and ProSkills on July 15 was “extremely positive”, according to Norton House chairman Keith Fryer.
Mr Fryer said £20,000 was needed from group members as an upfront payment to ProSkills, which he said should be straightforward to raise.
But he said it was important that a full range of timber-related organisations financially supported the move, not just The Timber Trade Federation and its regional associations, in order for it to be a genuine pan-industry supported training venture.
Mr Fryer said the timber trade’s internet training portal, The Doorway, was likely to be integrated into a timber section of Proskills’ website, though further discussions will take place on specific initiatives.
“ProSkills is the vehicle for the industry to use to achieve the results it wants,” said Mr Fryer. “But it is the industry that needs to drive it.”
The latest meeting follows the Norton House group’s unanimous decision to engage ProSkills as the Sector Skills Council for the timber industry, accelerating the work undertaken by UK Woodchain.
