The Proskills UK charity will be presenting a seminar on qualifications in timber at Timber Expo in the NEC Birmingham on October 8th, as part of the Proskills Wood Industry Board seminar sessions.
This year has seen a whole host of new qualifications and apprenticeships for the wood and timber industries developed by Proskills, and its MD Jonathan Ledger will be talking through what is available.
This is the first time that these qualifications are available for the industry, allowing employers to qualify their staff to national standards, a proven way to boost performance and grow skills in the workplace.
Jonathan says: “I am very honoured to be representing Proskills UK at this year’s Timber Expo, and I am looking forward to sharing all the latest news on how employers in the timber and wood industries can provide the best skills development opportunities for their staff.
"It’s especially exciting as we have an extensive range of qualifications available – many of which are quite new and cover many essential industry roles. Encouraging newcomers to the timber and wood industries is important for the future sustainability of the sector, and so I will also be sharing exciting news about Proskills' new registered charity status and its MakeIT schools programme. It’s always great to share our good news with industry, but for me it’s an opportunity to talk with employers and to soak up the technological and innovative advances of the timber and wood industries, and I find that Timber Expo is the only place that you can really do this.”
The new apprenticeships in Engineered Wood & Timber Merchanting will enable employers to bring young people into their business, helping to expand their workforce with fresh talent.
Lisa Williamson, standards and qualifications manager at Proskills UK Group, comments: “These are exciting times for the industry, and gives the chance for employers to step forward and qualify their workforces, which will ultimately improve their business. We are very pleased to be presenting these new qualifications and apprenticeships at Timber Expo and are looking forward to hearing the industry’s feedback.”
This is also an opportunity to learn more about the Schools into Industry programme MakeIT!, the only free schools programme which encourages young people to consider a career in the wood and furniture industries. Proskills has big plans for the programme, and more information on how organisations can support the programme will be made available during the seminar.
Also featuring during these sessions will be members of the Proskills’ Wood Industry Board – the British Wood Federation (BWF), accredited training provider Didac, timber merchants T Brewer & Co, and the trade association BM TRADA.
Timber Expo will be held at the NEC in Birmingham on October 7th and 8th. The Wood Industry Board seminars, Training & Talent: Growing Your Business Through People, will start at 10:30 and run through until 12:55.
