The timber industry was urged to “take possession” of its new National Vocation Qualifications at their launch at Ecobuild.
It was also announced at the show that the first two companies had put forward employees to start the NVQ courses.
The qualifications have been 18 months in development under the auspices of the timber sector skills council Proskills, working with a wood industry board (WIB) and qualifications reform group comprising representatives from the industry.
The first three are NVQ level 2 diplomas in merchant supplies and sawmilling, and a certficate in tooling technologies.
The official launch took place on the stand of Howarth Timber Windows & Doors, whose training and quality manager Peter Kelly chairs the WIB.
Unveiling a leaflet on the qualifications from their awarding body PIABC, Proskills wood industry lead Helen Hewitt said they were the result of the industry working in partnership.
“It has been a huge amount of work, driven by employers, and I now urge the wider timber sector to take advantage and take ownership of them for the benefit of their own businesses and their industry,” she said.
Fellow WIB member, Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White, said that the NVQs were “something the industry has wanted and needed for sometime” .
“We owe a large debt of gratitude to Proskills,” he said. “This industry needs this high quality training.”
Howarth marketing and development manager Neale Brewster agreed. “The timber sector must rebuild its skills base,” he said.
More NVQs will now follow, and Proskills is also working with the industry to develop a new “apprenticeship framework”.
Jon Gibson of training provider Didac, which also contributed to the development of the qualifications, said it would soon start trainees on the courses from Howarth and T Brewer & Co.
“The courses take six to nine months, so we should have the first people hodling the NVQs this year,” he said.
