BiKBBI News
BiKBBI APPRENTICESHIPS, THE STORY SO FAR …
Stephanie Gray, Education Officer, BiKBBI
Michael Burke Apprenticeship Ambassador, BiKBBI
Despite the fact that the BiKBBI’s is rapidly growing as an organisation, Apprenticeships remain at the core of its activity. Things are moving at a pace and The Installer Magazine is also attracting new readers with every issue, and so we thought that it would be prudent to give a brief resume on just where the BiKBBI is at with apprenticeships and how we arrived at this point since 2018. The BiKBBI began 2018 by recruiting Stephanie Gray as Education Officer to act as liaison between the college, government departments, students and employers. Stephanie’s immediately set to work with PROCAT to complete curriculum development and engage both pupils of school leaving age, as well as potential employers. The institute updated the industry on its progress throughout this process and beyond, both via its social media platforms and The Installer magazine of course. Since January 2018, the BiKBBI team have personally engaged over 2,000 students, introducing the KBB industry to a completely untapped demographic. In July 2018, a real milestone was achieved when the UK’s first BiKBBI Approved Training Facility at PROCAT was opened, this was a demonstrable step forward for the Apprenticeship programme. Around this time things moved at apace and in August 2018, the BiKBBI formed a strategic partnership with Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club, with the objective
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to open the UK’s first Apprenticeship scheme for females and this should be realised this coming September with the support and backing of the club. The following month, n September 2018, the BiKBBI Apprenticeship Programme officially began and 16 school leavers embarked on the foundation learning for a career in KBB installation. This was an historic moment for the organisation and indeed the industry and it was hoped that this Apprenticeship will become the blueprint and forebearer to roll out the initiative nationally.
