The Skills Centre is providing a rain-screen cladding Skills Bootcamp in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)
There is a growing skills shortage of qualified cladding removal and installation experts in the UK, especially in London. This is largely due to changes in the labour market following Brexit.
However, the demand for cladding skills has increased after the introduction of new legislation, targets and funding for sustainability and fire safety.
The four-week training course will begin in July and take place at The Skills Centre’s specialist facility in Stratford. The programme will introduce pupils to cladding and provide them with the skills needed to get a job in the sector. The cladding Skills Bootcamp has been created thanks to funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA).
Learners will gain on-site work experience
Learners will gain unit 1 of an NVQ in Cladding – ‘Installing Sheeting & Cladding Rainwater – good on roofs and walls in the workplace’, as well as real-life work experience and a guaranteed interview at the end of the course.
This scheme is part of the GLA’s Skills Bootcamps for Londoners, a £19m initiative which supports Londoners in getting jobs in the city’s key sectors such as digital, green, construction, creative, health and social care.
It is the first of several Skills Bootcamps that The Skills Centre will deliver during the course of the academic year.
The Skills Bootcamps are open to anyone looking to enter the industry
“These Skills Bootcamps are a great way for those who have an interest in joining the construction industry but no background in it to take their first steps towards a construction career,” said Jon Howlin, CEO of The Skills Centre.
“It’s a great scheme which we are proud to be providing for the people of London. These cladding skills are very much in demand, so the learners who leave us with the site-ready skills and competency which will help them hopefully step straight into a job,” he continued.
The Skills Bootcamps are open to all adults aged 19 or over who are full-time or part-time employed, self-employed or unemployed, as well as adults returning to work after a break.
“We are grabbing the bull by the horns, working with local boroughs to spread awareness of the fantastic career opportunities in the cladding sector. We will train you, and our clients will give you the job openings,” said Gareth Davies, commercial director of The Skills Centre.
“This is a huge opportunity for construction companies to tackle their labour skill shortage and to help them with their Section 106 requirements,” he concluded.
