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A fitting future for flooring

This month Richard Catt, ceo of the CFA, and Shaun Wadsworth, CFA and FITA training manager, outline their plans to support members and the wider sector in their efforts to recruit new talent.

LAST year we ran an article from a senior Yorkshire-based flooring contractor – who chose to remain anonymous – who explained why the industry ultimately faces ruin if it can’t attract skilled fitters. The CFA took his correspondence seriously and outlined the many ways the association is trying to deal with one of the most intractable problems of our time.

Now the CFA has introduced ‘Future Fitters’– its headline project to support its members and the wider sector in its work to recruit new talent and in particular to encourage floorlayers to enter the commercial and domestic floorlaying industry.

In his column, Richard Catt provides detail on ‘Future Fitter’. He points out that ‘many things have led us here, including long-term underinvestment, changes to standards and funding, and then more recently depletion of the workforce through Brexit and coronavirus. We don’t just need more labour, we need more skilled (qualified and competent) labour. The challenge is multifaceted and includes how to reach more ‘new’ people with whom we can engage and train. These people are outside our current field of vision. Our industry has traditionally been built on mothers and fathers, uncles and aunts passing on the baton to sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews. In reality, that’s no longer enough to meet the needs of our sector and the wider construction industry’.

For his part, in his column, Shaun Wadsworth writes: ‘Many CFA members we’ve spoken to agree it’s often difficult to find good quality people to even consider for roles within their businesses. They may think about being a plumber or an electrician but few, if asked, would probably offer flooring as something they’re considering. Unless of course their dad, mum, uncle, aunt, or friend of the family happen to be involved. What can we do? CFA is offering several solutions.’

The success of ‘Future Fitters’ isn’t just in the interests of the CFA – it’s in the interests of all of us, and the initiative is something we’ll be following closely over the months ahead.

Beginning this year, CFJ is going to start running a feature regarding the technical aspects of LVT installations. We are appealing to readers to send in their questions regarding LVT so that these can be answered by LVT expert, Shaun Baston.

So if there’s anything that’s puzzled you about an LVT installation, or whether
you’ve been inspired to do something particularly innovative or creative with respect to LVT, we encourage you to ask Shaun your question by emailing me at david@kick-startpublishing.co.uk.

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