4 minute read
DEVELOPMENT
WHY DEVELOPING SKILLS IS VITAL FOR YOUR CURRENT WORKFORCE
Whilst apprenticeships are an important part of the industry’s future, it is vital that the skillset of the current workforce is not overlooked.
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With fast changing legislation, ever evolving product and tighter regulation on the operational delivery of kitchen, bedroom and bathroom installation apparent, it would be naïve to think that CPD (Continual Professional Development) is unimportant for today’s installer population.
With many industries already adopting CPD as part of everyday life, the KBB industry is falling short of its potential, according to BiKBBI.
In a recent survey amongst members, only 8% of those participants (844 installers) had actively been involved in CPD over the last 5 years. Worse still, of that 8%, all of those who had undertaken CPD, had done so as part of their obligation to gas and electrical regulation, suggesting other industries, including the gas and electrical industries, are more tuned into CPD.
BiKBBI Compliance Manager Christine Masson commented by saying: “The Consumer Rights Act is an example of CPD that shouldn’t be ignored. Tighter regulation on tradesmen is in force and we’re already seeing installers unknowingly fall short of new laws in place to protect the consumer.”
BiKBBI introduced an online CPD portal, in association with The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSi) and Virtual College last July. The portal provides installers, members and non-members, with access to a number of online courses, specifically designed for tradesmen.
“Our bite-sized, low cost online courses can be completed in a tradesman’s own time, will provide important learning to help them improve and protect their businesses as well as providing a recognised CPD qualification, endorsed by both BiKBBI and CTSi” according to Christine.
BiKBBI’s CPD portal (www.iacademy. bikbbi.org.uk), sponsored by Blum, covers
Christine Masson, BiKBBI Compliance Manager
a number of subjects including CTSi’s TradeSimple courses, general business administration, health & safety and compliance.
The online courses start from as little as £15 and will be developed over time to incorporate training and development opportunities from third parties, including BiKBBI Corporate Members, typically made up from suppliers and distributors of KBB product and components.
For more information on BiKBBI’s training & development packages, please contact us:
www.bikbbi.org.uk christine.masson@bikbbi.org.uk 01375 659 524
SPONSORED BY celebrating 20 years
The kitchen, bedroom & bathroom market specialists in: Public Relations Advertising Publishing Marketing
SHARE THE FRESH AIR
Yorkshire based Westin is a manufacturer of high-quality cooker hoods and extractors and says that it likes to share the experience of fresh air in every kitchen by ensuring that anyone involved in kitchen design can buy a Westin cooker hood.
As a specialist in cooker hoods, Westin’s philosophy differs from competing appliance suppliers by taking pride in its personable and friendly approach to every customer; in fact the customer service team will always make time for enquiries from kbb installers who may have an onsite problem.
The company say that the only criteria to be a Westin customer is that they require a beautiful cooker hood that has top performance, great looks and reliability; in fact, quite uniquely, the Westin team says that it is not necessary for kitchen retailers to put one of their hoods on display, commit to an annual turnover, or even open an account as they manufacture cooker hoods for customers not dealers.
Even though Westin appreciates that not every kitchen design can accommodate one of its hoods, it says that it’s really important to them that one is made available to every trade customer where there is an opportunity for them to purchase one. Their credo is that everyone should have access to fresh air from Yorkshire.
Ann Onions, Westin Sales & Marketing Manager
In addition to the ‘Westin for all’ opportunity, as the only British manufacturer of cooker hoods the company is keen to support the market further by announcing that there will be no price increases to their cooker hoods in 2017! In these times of post-Brexit price increases it’s a bold and very user-friendly commitment. 2017 prices will remain as per its March 2016 price list.
Westin Sales & Marketing Manager, Ann Onions says, “Anyone designing a kitchen incorporating a Westin hood can now quote with confidence for projects well in advance secure in the knowledge that the pricing will not change.”
www.westin.co.uk
Ann Onions, Westin Sales & Marketing Manager
