Pictured: Amy Bell, apprentice at Fibreline
Fibreline Ltd, arguably the UK’s largest independent suppliers of cushion fillings, has backed a British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM) campaign, which shines a spotlight on sustainability and education in the sector.
BFM’s Future of Furniture highlights career pathways and opportunities in the furniture sector, and celebrates the strides its members are making in education through its Future of Furniture Awards.
Fibreline Ltd is a family-owned business based in Keighley, Yorkshire, and features in a new video focusing on the company’s degree apprenticeship scheme.
Bradley Picken, apprentice at Fibreline
“We’re a family-owned business supplying the trade with upholstery cushions for sofas and chairs in the domestic marketplace," says Richard Prudhoe, Managing Director at Fibreline.
“The BFM’s Future of Furniture campaign is crucial to us, we’re very pleased to support it. We believe there is a future for the furniture manufacturing sector in the UK.
“We’ve always offered an apprenticeship scheme and around five years ago we felt it was time to up our game, so we decided to offer a degree apprenticeship scheme.
“We’re very keen to make sure our apprentices have the ability to study and be supported by colleagues and other apprentices within the business.”
The video – available to view at https://youtu.be/TXKGxvpWSrA – features interviews with degree apprentices at Fibreline, Jacob Martin, Amy Bell and Bradley Picken.
Jacob said: “I think that being able to have the university degree is great, but having the experience on top of that really makes it worth doing.
“It’s definitely important that we get a pipeline of young talent coming into the industry and BFM’s Future of Furniture initiative is a great way to showcase what we do.”
Jacob Martin, apprentice at Fibreline
The short film will be featured on a dedicated Future of Furniture page on the BFM’s website which includes stories and case studies from Association members.
The page also has information about the Future of Furniture Awards, which recognise exemplary work by BFM members in engaging and igniting a passion for talented trainees to work and thrive in the furniture manufacturing sector, as well as members who are taking strides in sustainability.
BFM Managing Director, Phil Spademan adds: “Our Future of Furniture initiative is driving conversations about what the sector can do to attract new talent through education opportunities and how we can work towards a more sustainable future for our member businesses and the communities they serve.
“We’re delighted Fibreline Ltd is backing our campaign and demonstrating the ways in which the furniture industry can step up when it comes to education.”
