Without sustained investment in training, the UK flooring industry risks an even deeper skills crisis, threatening standards and its future workforce
RECENT columns have focused on outlining measures to address the skills gap facing the UK flooring industry. It was one of my main priorities as CFA president when I began my tenure, and one I’ll keep revisiting.
I make no apologies for this. It is perhaps the biggest issue facing the UK flooring industry. While it is already a problem now, if we don’t address the pipeline of talent coming into the trade, it will come to a point where it is an existential risk. It might not affect me personally then, but I’d like to leave the industry in a better place than when I found it.
To attract more people to the industry, we need a fundamental shift in how we promote the flooring trade. It’s often overlooked, lacking the public awareness of careers for electricians, plumbers, and bricklayers. While those within the construction and building trades are familiar with flooring, the general public, especially young people, often aren’t. We need to be more vocal about the benefits of flooring careers.
We also need to improve career pathways, including creating more opportunities for individuals to become qualified and skilled installers through apprenticeships, numbers of which have been stagnant in some areas.
For this strategy to succeed, we also need to ensure that there are adequate provisions for quality training. This is vital to meet the one hour of ‘off the job’ training for every four hours worked requirement of standards-based apprenticeships. It’s also important for maintaining the reputation of the flooring industry as a skilled trade.
Flooring installers need the skills and knowledge to meet customer expectations from the start of their careers, but education shouldn’t stop there. Continuous improvement is more important than ever as technological advances lead to new products and techniques. Installers need to stay abreast of these innovations, as well as broader industry changes. For example, various types of screeds that require specific treatment are now common in new builds. A strong knowledge of new products, such as heavy-duty smoothing compounds or moisture-resistant adhesives, is crucial for selecting the right materials and ensuring a quality installation every time.
To meet the ever-changing demands of the market, training providers must regularly evaluate and refresh their content. Courses should be tailored to professionals at every stage of their career, ensuring that whether a contractor is just starting out or has years of experience, they have the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.
Fortunately, there are many ways for installers to access excellent, and often free, training. Organisations like the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA) deliver a wide range of courses at their training centres in Loughborough and Kirkcaldy. Additionally, some manufacturers, like F Ball, provide free training at their purpose-built centres, believing they have a responsibility to promote industry standards and best practices. The role of training in addressing one of the biggest challenges facing the industry means it is in the interests of the entire flooring industry, not least manufacturers, to ensure that there is widespread access to high quality training.
Many manufacturers’ courses, including FITA, have capacity to train more installers. However, conversations suggest that many working in the industry are unaware of this and perceive a lack of training opportunities. My advice is to make the most of these provisions.
F. Ball also delivers free training at its purpose-built Centre of Excellence as part of its new Floorsight apprenticeship programme, launched in partnership with the CFA, FITA and WEBS training, designed to create clear career pathways in flooring and secure the industry’s future. This is backed up by vital outreach to businesses and schools to recruit apprentices. Other manufacturers and distributors could consider similar schemes to encourage more young people into the trade.
The CFA’s updated Future Fitters guide is designed to simultaneously attract new talent to the flooring industry and empower employers and training providers to secure the future workforce. It offers practical advice on roles, apprenticeship options and mentoring opportunities and aims to signpost clear entry points for everyone from school leavers to career changers.
The industry is also making strides to align standards across the UK. The CFA has been instrumental in boosting apprenticeship funding, training opportunities and rewriting the National Occupational Standards for flooring qualifications. This will raise England’s NVQ Level 2 to Level 3, bringing it in line with Scotland’s SVQ Level 6 and ensuring a more consistent and higher standard of qualification nationwide.
With increasing cost pressures, we know some are reducing numbers of apprentices. This is worrying – we need to prioritise investment in training and skills or the industry could reach a crisis point sooner than feared.
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