Fenestration Digital Edition 47 MAY

Hello and welcome to this month’s edition of the Fenestration Digital magazine.

It is a busy month with awards and expo activity. And one area that is set to dominate the landscape for the coming months is the residential aluminium market.

This part of our sector shows no signs of slowing when it comes to increasing market share, and although business activity in 2023 may be slower than during the pandemic years, there remains robust growth in the residential aluminium market.

As the market slows and companies across our supply chain look for new ways to generate revenue and maximise profits, it is the higher end of the market that is going to benefit. Aluminium fits right into this category. Homeowners are becoming more aware of aluminium windows and doors as an option for their projects, and social media is ensuring that this product group is getting very good exposure at the moment.

There is a lot going on in our wonderful sector at the moment and we hope you enjoy this edition of Fenestration Digital!

ATT FABRICATIONS CHOOSES SHEERLINE FOR TRANSFORMATIONAL ARCHITECTURALLY LED

County Durham-based ATT Fabrications have collaborated with THF Homes to enhance an architecturally led new build design using Sheerline’s range of advanced, thermally efficient aluminium windows and doors.

This impressive new build project features three sets of Prestige Bi-Fold Doors, two Prestige Composite Door Frames and 15 Classic Beadless Windows – which were specified in a flush frame with stepped sashes. These products were selected because they fit the client’s brief of being attractive, thermally efficient, and featured the super slim sightlines Sheerline is known for.

Another feature that helped Sheerline’s Classic Beadless Window stand out from the competition is the patented jointing method. This unique method of construction simplifies the fabrication process, eliminating the need for crimping and specialist machinery. While also reducing the misalignment of frames and locking in quality.

As well as helping the client achieve a sleek, modern, airy aesthetic, this combination of products was selected to ensure there was a consistent look across the property. Sheerline prides itself on offering a perfectly matched range of aluminium windows, doors, bi-folds, and roof lanterns.

Perfectly matched doesn’t just refer to the brand’s styling, it also extends to colours (with custom and dual options available), high performance U-values and energy ratings, security, and guarantees. When a manufacturer reaches this level of consistency, it gives homeowners extra peace of mind. All products on this project were chosen with Cream exteriors and Hipca Gloss White interiors.

ATT Fabrications has been trading as a large, high-volume fabricator for many years. Based in the North East of England, the company supplies large DIY chains, trade, as well as directly to the public from its’ factory in County Durham.

The company manufactured all the windows and doors supplied and were particularly impressed with Sheerline’s product range, short lead times, and the fact the team were extremely responsive to their enquiries, offering a high level of support at all stages of the project.

Providing an agile and responsive service is a key part of Sheerline’s ethos and strategic approach to customer service. The brand provides online and on-site support to fabricators and installers, as well as advice to homeowners to ensure all its’ customers get the most out of their products and benefit from the unique features of the Sheerline range.

Andrew Devlin, Managing Director of ATT Fabrications, commented: “We’re delighted to have supported THF Homes as

part of a project to design and build a stylish home on an exclusive development in the picturesque village of Lanchester, Country Durham. The property needed the wow factor as all the homes in this development are valued at £1 million plus.”

“This task was made easier thanks to Sheerline and its’ Classic System because it suits the traditional style of the build while adding a contemporary feel. Both THF and the installers appreciated the fact the windows came preglazed using the beadless system,” he added.

Roger Hartshorn, Sheerline CEO, commented: “That ATT Fabrications chose Sheerline for this project is fantastic – the finished result is a refined, modern looking home that encapsulates everything we offer as a brand. That our aluminium windows, doors, and bi-folds were selected highlights the versatility of our products.”

“Our proven ‘whole-house’ solutions enhance new build and renovation projects aiming to achieve an ultra-modern, super sleek aesthetic, but we’ve also got products that provide a subtle upgrade for traditional, character, and heritage properties, so homeowners can retain their property’s charm without compromising on thermal efficiency or security.”

To find out more about Sheerline’s perfectly matched aluminium windows, doors, bi-folds, and roof lanterns, visit the website here: http://www.sheerline.com or contact the team on 01332 978000 or via email: info@sheerline.com

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MORE THAN HALF OF TICKETS SOLD OUT FOR #NFA23 WINNERS EVENT

Just a few weeks into the voting for this year’s National Fenestration Awards, more than half of the tickets for the Winners Event on October 28th have now been sold.

After a nominations phase which saw thousands of submissions from across the sector, the tenth anniversary campaign has seen a record number of votes cast in just the opening few weeks of the voting phase of this years competition.

October 28th sees the industry come together at the prestigious Doncaster Racecourse for a day of live racing, entertainment, food and drink, networking, and of course the all important awards presentation.

To find out more about the Winners Event in October, as well as reserve your tickets, visit: www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/ winners-event/

To take part in voting in the 2023 National Fenestration Award, visit: www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/vote/

To find out more about sponsorship opportunities, visit: www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/ sponsorship/

Stay connected with the NFAs:

Web: fenestrationawards.co.uk

Email: info@fenestrationawards.co.uk

Twitter: twitter.com/NatFenAwards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ NatFenAwards

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/ company/5172620

The industry is now voting across 33 categories to choose who they think should be crowned the winners for 2023.

The National Fenestration Awards, established in 2013, set out to find and reward the very best people and companies in the UK fenestration sector in the most inclusive and fair way possible. Since then, the awards have grown to become the biggest in the industry. The wide array of categories ensures as much of the sector is represented, and allows everyone who works in fenestration, whether they are CEOs or factory floor workers, to take part.

The NFAs said: “to have more than 50% of the tickets for the awards presentation sold out at such an early stage is fantastic and is a testament to the growth and popularity of the awards. The tickets are on a first come, first served basis, so when they’re gone, they’re gone!

We’re looking forward to seeing so much of the industry there on the day and night. There are some fantastic plans in place for the event and we can’t wait to announce the winners on October 28th!”

ANNOUNCED AS MEDIA

SPONSOR OF NATIONAL FENESTRATION AWARDS

Manchester-based UAP, the specialist in locks and hardware for doors and windows, has joined the National Fenestration Awards as a media sponsor.

Established in 1996, UAP has more than 3,000 product lines and is one of the largest hardware companies in the UK fenestration market. The company has grown rapidly in recent years and now operates across seven brands: UAP Fullex, UAP Locking Systems, UAP Intelligent Hardware, UAP Firemongery, UAP TradeLocks, UAP Security Hardware, and online specialist X-Fort.

Speaking about its sponsorship, UAP’s CEO David Jennings said: “It’s great to be joining the National Fenestration Awards in its tenth anniversary year. Over the last decade, the awards have gone from strength to strength, demonstrating innovation and success throughout the fenestration industry. We’re looking forward to showing our support and recognising the achievements of companies and people working across the sector.”

A representative from the National Fenestration Awards commented: “Having UAP on board is great news and further contributes to the growth of the awards this year. UAP is an impressive company and we’re delighted to be

working with them in this special year!”

Both the finalists and winners of the National Fenestration Awards are determined by nominations and votes from individuals working in the fenestration industry. This process has seen UAP’s products and people shortlisted in five categories this year.

Voting for the winners of the 2023 National Fenestration Awards is now open, with anyone working in the UK fenestration sector able to participate. The closing date for voting is September 29th, with winners being announced on October 28th at a sparkling awards presentation at the prestigious Doncaster Racecourse.

To find out more about the shortlists and to take part in the voting, please visit:

https://www.fenestrationawards.co.uk/ vote/

Further information on UAP’s wide range of fenestration hardware can be found at: https://uapcorporate.com/

To buy tickets or sponsor this great event, please visit: fenestrationawards. co.uk

Stay connected with the NFAs: Web: fenestrationawards. co.uk

Email: info@ fenestrationawards. co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter. com/NatFenAwards

Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ NatFenAwards

LinkedIn: https:// www.linkedin.com/ company/51726620

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2023 NATIONAL FENESTRATION AWARDS AS CATEGORY SPONSOR

REHAU, one of the leading PVCu systems companies in the UK, are to join the National Fenestration Awards for 2023 as official sponsor of the Machinery Company Of The Year category.

REHAU found success during the 2022 National Fenestration Awards campaign, being voted winners of the highly competitive Systems Company category. They now join the National Fenestration awards in their tenth anniversary year, which promises to be the biggest and best yet!

Speaking on REHAU joining the NFAs as a category sponsor, the NFAs said: “REHAU are a world-class systems company, serving not just the UK but markets around the world. Their success last year is a testament to fantastic products and service they bring to UK fenestration, and we are very much looking forward to working with REHAU during this

very special tenth anniversary campaign.

REHAU’s Head of Marketing, Stephen Beresford commented: it’s fantastic to be joining the National Fenestration Awards as official sponsors of the Machinery Company Of The Year category. We are so proud of our success last year and are excited to be part of one of the most inclusive awards platform in the sector. The Machinery Company category is certainly an important one and we are sure this is going to be a hotly contested as always!”

REHAU are marketleaders in PVCu window and door products, but also supply high quality products to the curtain walling, plumbing, heating and furniture surfaces sectors. Established in 1948 in the town of Rehau in Bavaria, the company has grown and expanded throughout Europe and the UK to cement itself as one of the

leading building products suppliers. Voting for the winners of the 2023 National Fenestration Awards is now open, with anyone working in the UK fenestration sector able to participate. To find out more about the shortlists and take part in voting, please visit: The closing date for voting is September 29th, with winners being announced on October 28th at a sparking awards presentation at the prestigious Doncaster Racecourse. To find out more about tickets and how to sponsor this great event, please visit: You can find out more about REHAU’s award-winning range of window and door solutions by visiting their website:

https://www.rehau.com/uk-en/

SIGMA HINGE FAMILY SET TO EXPAND

VBH, the hardware manufacturer behind the greenteQ range, has announced that the Sigma door hinge ‘family’ is being bolstered by two exciting new additions this spring.

Sigma is the umbrella name for the entire greenteQ resi-door hinge range that, until now, includes three models to suit PVCu and composite doors.

Firstly, the company has recently launched a new butt hinge for aluminium entrance doors. The hinge will carry sashes weighing up to 90KG and is available in white, black, anthracite grey and F1 silver anodised finishes. VBH advise that no jigs are required to fit the hinge, known as the Sigma Aluminium Butt Hinge.

Following closely behind is the Sigma Velocity Hinge for rebated doors. The 2-knuckle construction T-Hinge design provides an alternative to the popular Sigma Flag hinge, which VBH advises is still immensely popular with fabricators and installers.

Building on the jigless theme of the Aluminium Butt Hinge, once Velocity’s frame part has been positioned and fixed using a jig and the supplied screws, the sash part is ‘selflocates’ prior to fixing. This, coupled with the fact that the hinges are supplied preassembled means that fitting is reportedly very quick.

Rob Norman, Business Development Director at VBH, says, “Like the original Sigma Flag, Velocity carries 100KG doors and provides full 3-D adjustment. It’s been developed in response to calls for a compact unit that speeds up production times on the bench.”

Sigma Velocity has been successfully tested to PAS24:2022 as part of a PVCu door assembly, and is approved for use on installations that are covered by the Q-secure consumer security guarantee.

Velocity is available in eight colours of VBH’s greenteQ Suite of matching resi-door, patio door and window furniture, which comes with a minimum ten-year mechanical and surface guarantee on all finishes.

Rob adds, “The greenteQ ethos is all about giving our customers great quality, useful features and choice. The Sigma family is no exception to that.”

To find out more about greenteQ Sigma Velocity or Aluminium Butt Hinges, or any other hardware in the VBH range, contact the company on 01634 263263, email at sales@vbhgb.com, or send them a Tweet @vbhgb.

A CHANCE TO PUSH FOR VAT RELIEF ON NEW WINDOWS AND DOORS

The fenestration sector finally has a chance to communicate with the Government on one of the most pressing issues we have argued for years: VAT relief. Following on from the Windsor Framework, the Government is now looking to consult on what the public and business think should be included for VAT relief as part of wider efforts to bring the UK’s housing stock up to scratch to meet 2050 net zero deadlines.

This is our sector’s chance to mobilise and speak loudly with one voice on behalf of our sector.

VAT relief for windows and doors

On March 15th of this year, the Government launched a brand new consultation: Call for evidence: VAT energy saving materials relief – improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

The Government is asking for feedback

from the public and businesses as to what they think should be included in VAT relief. This is something our sector has longed to talk about for a very long time, and this opportunity may not come around again for a very long time.

To view the entire consultation document, please follow this link: https://www.gov. uk/government/ consultations/ vat-energysaving-materialsrelief-improvingenergy-efficiencyand-reducingcarbon-emissions/ call-for-evidencevat-energy-savingmaterials-reliefimproving-energyefficiency-andreducing-carbonemissions#reviewingthe-list-oftechnologies-eligiblefor-vat-relief

The part that matters to UK fenestration is Section 3 – Other Technologies. This is the section of the consultation where the Government is asking if there should be other technologies (products) that should

be eligible for VAT relief. As we well know, the difference energy-efficient windows and doors can make to a home is one of the single biggest improvements a homeowner can make to their property. It can have a much bigger benefit than some of the other technologies that currently qualify for VAT relief.

Under this section of the consultation, the Government is asking for answers to five questions:

• How would you describe and define this technology for the purposes of the ESMs relief?

• How does the suggested technology meet each of the 3 objectives in Chapter 2?

• Can you explain how this technology operates and does it work in conjunction with other technology? If so, how?

• What is the typical cost of installing this technology in residential accommodation?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of including this technology within the relief?

The answers required to the above questions will not be one-word answers. But this is a rare opportunity for our sector to really press home the advantage our products bring

to every home in the country. We have the evidence. We know the U-Values of our windows and doors. We know through various reports the difference energy efficient windows and doors can make not only in reducing carbon emissions but energy costs as well. There are now a number of energy calculators provided by various suppliers which we can refer to.

Responses to the consultation can be sent to: esmcfe2023@ hmrc.gov.uk

Time to mobilise

Our industry is still at odds with itself over trickle vents. The last set of revisions to Building Regulations came into force in June 2022, but the fallout is still being felt and we are as much to blame as anyone else as we showed such a pitiful engagement rate with the consultation that came before those particular revisions. Now is not only an opportunity to fight for our corner for VAT relief but to also show the Government that we can actually engage with something significant. That we can come together in one voice on a single issue and show maturity. Something we have failed to do on so many other things in the past.

For this consultation to be effective and to garner a chance at the Government considering our point

of view, we have to mobilise. Not just a few animated voices or companies. We have to send in thousands of responses to get the attention of the right people. We need to get the word out about this consultation to as many companies in our sector as possible, and then again to all the staff within those companies

to maximise the responses.

We have to fight for this opportunity. The benefits for both the consumer and the fenestration sector are immense. A price cut for homeowners at a time of severe inflation would certainly be welcome, and would no doubt raise demand for replacement windows

and doors. For the industry, higher demand at a time when things are slowing down would also be welcome. It would help secure and create new jobs, as well as put new emphasis on our sector and maybe shine a slightly more positive light on what we do and how our products can play a central role in meeting

the UK’s net zero targets.

So if you are in the UK fenestration sector, please take a few minutes to click the link above, read the consultation and submit your responses as soon as you can. The end of the consultation process in May 31st 2023, so we have no time to waste!

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NEW GREENTEQ HARDWARE CATALOGUE

Hardware manufacturer and supplier, VBH, has published the latest edition of its popular greenteQ hardware catalogue.

The catalogue features items from the company’s own greenteQ hardware brand, which has expanded rapidly since its launch in 2009. At over 100 pages, Issue 6 is the largest edition yet, and covers hardware and ancillaries for PVCu, composite, aluminium and timber residential doors, ‘Lifestyle’ patio doors and windows.

Ben Shephard, marketing assistant at VBH says, “It’s been a while since we published a greenteQ catalogue, and we are very glad to get Issue 6 out there, as the greenteQ brand is now

so popular across all sectors.

“There are many changes from Issue 5 so I would urge everyone involved in buying hardware to take a look, as there will be something in there for you. For example, many people are unaware that we offer a selection of adhesives, cleaners and lubricants from stock, so customers can buy their construction chemicals with their hardware.”

Highlights of the new additions to the catalogue include the iQ range of window and door locks that work with Kubu to link windows and doors to a smart home network, the Orion TS007 3 star cylinder, Sigma

door hinge and Clearslide sliding door gear. There are also the Q-Smart electronic fingerprint door handle, new additions to the Clearspan range of bi-fold door gear and many other new products besides.

Ben adds “Cataloguing the greenteQ range is an ongoing project, as our greenteQ New Product Team is constantly adding new products to the range. This is great for our customers, of course, as they always have the latest in ‘hardware tech’ available to them, but we in the VBH Marketing Team certainly feel the pain of the guys painting the Forth Rail Bridge!”

Download a copy of the new catalogue from www. vbhgb.com, or to find out more about the hardware in the VBH range, contact the company on 01634 263263, email at sales@vbhgb.com, or send them a Tweet @vbhgb.

ORION HAS THE POWER TO PROTEQT

VBH, the hardware manufacturer behind the greenteQ range, advises that the door industry and the Great British public at large have welcomed its Orion TS007 3 Star profile cylinder with open arms.

Orion is the top-level profile cylinder in the greenteQ range, which also includes the entry level 6 pin Gamma, and TS007 1 Star Q-Star models.

As a 3 Star rated cylinder according to the TS007 Kitemark, Orion offers protection against drilling, picking, bumping and snapping, all without the need of additional hardware such as a security handle or cylinder guard.

Orion comes with five keys as standard, and is available in nickel, brass, key/key and thumb turn variants, all of which can be keyed alike for multidoor installations. Each Orion cylinder is supplied with a full 10-year performance guarantee. However, VBH advise that it is, perhaps, the additional proteQ10 anti-snap guarantee/ Key Security Scheme that has grabbed the attention of

fabricators, installers, locksmiths and the general public alike.

Hayley Martin, Media Coordinator at VBH says, “Being involved in promoting Orion is a dream as it pretty much takes care of itself!

“The snap guarantee element is very simple. We will pay the homeowner £2000 if the Orion cylinder is snapped and a break in is successful as a result. We’ve had no claims yet. The Key Security aspect is really popular. When the homeowner registers their guarantee online, they are prompted to set up a password. Once the password is set, additional keys can only be cut when the password is given. This has proved a real hit.”

The door manufacturer or installer do not get involved in any registrations, claims or additional key cutting. Orion’s five keys are supplied with a card that tells the homeowner how to register for their guarantees and Key Security scheme online. VBH advise that it takes just a few seconds and is very secure, with no eyes

on the password. The site also has details on how to obtain additional keys.

Hayley adds, “We’ve had well over 6000 registrations from launch, which represents a lot of customers with that secure feeling that greenteQ Orion and proteQ10 bring!”

The Orion cylinder range is a finalist in the Best Door Component category of the 2023 National Fenestration Awards. The winner will be announced in October. VBH is a finalist in twelve categories, including Best Hardware Company for the 5th year in succession.

To find out more about greenteQ Orion 3 star profile cylinders or any other hardware in the VBH range, contact VBH on 01634 263263, email at sales@vbhgb.com, or send them a Tweet @ vbhgb.

GQA HELPS BOHLE RAISE INDUSTRY

Close collaboration with Bohle, the components manufacturer and supplier, showcases the benefits of GQA’s ‘Accredited Training’ service, and is helping the company to raise standards in UV bonded glass technologies and practices. GQA is the fenestration industry’s leading awarding and qualifications-writing organisation. Its Accredited Training service is aimed at employers in the industry who want to have their in-house training endorsed by GQA Qualifications and gives them the opportunity to deliver training that focuses on candidates’ particular needs

INDUSTRY STANDARDS

specific to their role with the employer.

When Bohle wished to develop an optional unit on UV glass bonding as part of a pre-existing Level 2 and 3 NVQ Diploma in Glass Processing, the company turned to GQA’s specialist service to put it in place. This optional unit is now helping Bohle to shape accredited training in UV glass bonding offered by the company today.

Amanda Carr is Bohle’s UV Bonding UK Technical Specialist and is a qualified trainer and assessor in adult learning. She explains:

“Working with GQA hasn’t just resulted in a qualification tailored perfectly to our customers’ and partners’ needs, it’s really given us the opportunity to promote the benefits of UV bonded glass technologies as a whole. Offering accredited training with a specific standard against which learners can be measured is ideal. This approach is helping to raise standards in this part of the fenestration industry, and needless to say it’s a very positive thing for Bohle with which to be associated.

“I really

appreciate the impartial support we’ve received from GQA to help maintain and improve industry standards. It’s great that we have such a comfortable relationship with the organisation that results in a productive, open dialogue. Insights from GQA on how we can develop and improve our training offering are invaluable. We’re looking at more ways we can work with the organisation to support our customers further through accredited training. In particular, the area of glass handling is a focus, and we’re also assisting the GGF to achieve standardisation of approach where possible.”

Commenting on its Accredited Training service, GQA’s EQA/Technical Officer, Martin Sadler says: “Using our Accredited Training service means that employers can develop their own training to suit their employees or their customers’ needs with the GQA stamp of approval to show the quality of the training delivered. The GQAbranded certificate we offer is an important tool and highlights the third party endorsement we bring. We can also help to develop specific courses in the consultation phase of our collaboration.”

In addition to its Accredited Training service, GQA also offers one in ‘Bespoke Qualification’. Together, the two specialist services are

helping the fenestration industry to develop training solutions tailored to the specific needs of employers and their staff. The two initiatives mean that employers can create and accredit in-house developed training courses and learning programmes in addition to utilising existing qualifications.

GQA’s Bespoke Qualification service is aimed at employers who wish to be able to offer those staff and customers undertaking very specific roles the opportunity to work towards gaining a qualification where one does not already exist. The service is perfect for niche specialist areas, which do not lend themselves to meeting the required content of a standard regulated qualification. GQA has close to 200 qualifications covering a broad variety of sectors. The fenestration industry, just like any other, needs training solutions tailored to its specific needs. The organisation’s services are helping to facilitate this, and are contributing to raising standards and assisting in shaping careers.

More information on GQA is available at

www.gqaqualifications.com.

GQA PODCAST TACKLES

CONSTRUCTION

GQA Qualifications has teamed up with some of the construction industry’s heavy hitters to produce a podcast tackling the subject of competence in the supply chain. Called ‘Raising the Bar’, the podcast is the first of a planned series by the awarding and qualifications-writing organisation which aims to debate some of the key issues affecting the building industry today. Taking part in what proved to be a wide-ranging and lively exchange of views were staff from the tier one construction group, Wates; AluK, specialists in the design and testing of aluminium products for the fenestration industry; Century Facades, responsible for some of the country’s tallest glazed buildings; GQA’s Technical Officer and its Strategic Relationships Manager.

The latter, Dan Brown, explains why the topic of competence was selected by GQA for the first podcast:

“The subject of competence lies at the heart of so much of what is currently shaping the changes we’re witnessing in the construction industry. How do we define it, prove it and maintain it? Why is it so important? These are big questions. They’re being asked more and more in this post-Grenfell landscape at a time when the Building Safety Act is currently overhauling the regulation of construction products and the construction of higher-risk buildings in the UK.

“The podcast sheds light on what built environment professionals can do to address these questions and provides

fascinating insights from both ends of the supply chain. I’d say this is required listening for sub-contractors, product manufacturers and installers. There is a facades bias to the podcast, but the general principles underpinning how to define competence, measure it and maintain it are valid for all areas of the building industry.”

Here are some of the conclusions drawn by speakers in the podcast:

* The key to preventing mis-selling, incorrect installation and shoddy site practice is to drive up competencies

ISSUE OF COMPETENCE IN CONSTRUCTION

through accredited training and the achievement of qualifications.

* The most sensible way of proving competence is by means of independently accredited training that makes good use of end point assessment. Proof of attendance alone is not enough.

* With the Building Safety Regulator now having the power to prosecute not only a corporate body but also individuals identified as not meeting their responsibilities, contractors are going to be taking the ‘who are we

safest with’ approach. This means that early adopters of accredited training for staff in order to prove competence will find it commercially useful because they will be at the front of the queue when it comes to handing out contracts. A knock-on effect of this will be that proving competence will take precedence over securing the lowest price.

* People at all levels should be willing to upskill and have their competence tested. Better informed people make better decisions.

* Accredited training must be fit for purpose, ie functional and not job title focused. If no qualification is in place in a particular area of the industry, then new accredited training can be tailored to suit it. This should be carried out annually in order to prove continued competence.

IIn addition to questions being posed to the podcast’s panel of experts by GQA, questions were also submitted by other construction industry members. The questions covered changing product specifications, why training is important in the construction industry, how the introduction of a Building Safety Regulator will affect competence, and how competence can be better engrained at the procurement stage. To listen to the podcast go to https://omny.fm/shows/the-big-green-q-a. Anyone wishing to provide feedback about the podcast can email dan.brown@gqaqualifications.com.

GQA Qualifications is a multi-industry awarding body writing vocational based qualifications to support a wide range of career paths.

Accredited training leading to qualifications

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Learn about Building Regulations, working safely on site, how to remove windows and doors from buildings and replace with new ones

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MORLEY GLASS SUPPORTS SCHEME TO HELP YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS UNLOCK THEIR POTENTIAL

Uni-Blinds® integral blinds manufacturer Morley Glass is partnering with a Leeds-based product designer and business owner who has created an innovative programme to help young people develop their creative and entrepreneurial skills.

The Creative Enterprise Challenge is the brainchild of Sami Lovett, founder of Just Lovett Design, who wanted to create a “real life ‘The Apprentice’ meets ‘Dragon’s Den’ experience” for young people aged 12-18. With the support of Morley Glass, the programme’s main raw material – wood – is provided free of charge, and additional sponsorship make it accessible to all.

Running during the school holidays, the programme takes the best aspects of these successful TV shows and blends them with practical skills workshops led by Sami, where two teams of five compete to develop a winning product from scratch. Over the course of five days, the students are tasked to meet a sustainable design brief that involves designing a brand, product, marketing video and start-up business plan.

The young people develop their creative skills, as they are required to make their own products using recycled materials. These include high quality wooden boxes, which were previously used for transporting integral blind systems, along with plywood sheets provided by Morley Glass. Sami teaches the students handicraft, graphic design and digital fabrication skills and they learn essential business skills too, enabling them to cost out their products with a view to making a profit at retail.

At the end of the week, each team presents in ‘Dragon’s Den’ style to pitch their creations to an expert panel of judges who are successful entrepreneurs themselves. And if the teams are happy with their finished products, they can then go on to sell them to their previously identified target market should they want

Ian Short, MD of Morley Glass said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be supporting Sami and the Creative Enterprise Challenge because it brings together two things that are close to my heart – sustainability and developing our entrepreneurs of the future. The programmes that have run so far have shown just how capable young people are at being able to take a brief, work as a team and create finished products of amazing quality that have blown the judges away.

“Whilst we initially started our partnership simply as a supplier of wood after Sami contacted us, we quickly saw the potential of her programme and wanted to do more. That’s why we offered to provide funding that has ensured places on the Creative Enterprise Challenge have been subsidised to date, and we hope to continue supporting Sami as her scheme grows.”

Sami is a successful product designer and workshop instructor who founded her Just Lovett Design business five years ago. She also runs Just Lovett Workshops where she empowers people to get creative to boost their wellbeing.

Sami added: “The Creative Enterprise Challenge aims to educate and inspire children, who will walk away at the end of the week with so much more than a product and a business plan. We’ve seen the transformation that’s possible in just one week, with the children often starting out a little nervous, but by the end of the week they’ve made new friends and really built their confidence.”

Further details about the programme can be found at www.justlovettworkshops.co.uk/creative-enterprise-challenge.

SHADING FOR EVERY DOOR

Our bespoke integral blinds are made to measure to suit all window and door applications (including bi-folding and sliding doors).