North West Skills Academy is delighted to announce our new partnership with British Gypsum to deliver a six-week site ready skimming course.
Why has this course been created?
The Construction industry is facing a skills shortage for several trades. A Manpower Group Talent Shortage Survey showed that for five consecutive years skilled construction trades topped the list of hardest positions to fill, plasterers are a major part of that skills gap.
David Hall, Training Partnerships Director at British Gypsum explained ‘’Following a very successful 6-week pilot site ready skimmers course delivered during 2019. We are now looking at addressing the skills shortage for plastering skimmers nationally and are now rolling this out with training providers and we are extremely pleased to announce our partnership with North West Skills Academy with course delivery.
A key approach is targeting Plastering diploma students from colleges who are without jobs and this is an area the North West Skills Academy and British Gypsums thinking are totally aligned to address the skills shortage for plastering skimmers, we look forward to a successful relationship.”
The course is aimed at supporting college leavers who have completed a level 2 Diploma or similar programme, sub-contractors in upskilling their plastering labourers, general labourers, dry lining tapers or employees working in similar roles, with the skills required to undertake the skimming of plasterboards on-site. Helping them to be prepared, skilled and experienced for work on modern building sites.
The course will provide attendees with the skills needed to make an immediate contribution on site upon completion of the course. This will be proven in the fact that every person who completed this course will leave with their Red CSCS Card, which will enable them to begin working on building sites across the UK.
Why has British Gypsum partnered with North West Skills Academy?
As one the UK’s leading construction training providers, NWSA are well positioned to support British Gypsum on a national basis. This project will give people who want to enhance their skills in the trade the chance to work with two highly established companies within construction, allowing them to get ahead in their career. NWSA will be supporting all attendees at all course venues to go onto achieve their NVQ Level 2 in Plastering via on-site assessment.
Although North West Skills Academy offers construction training in over 25 trades, the company was created by plasterers with a history of expertise and many years’ experience. The Company Director Samuel Riley and Operations Manager, Stephen Finch are both Plasterer’s by trade.
Samuel Riley, Director at North West Skills Academy Ltd, “I served my apprenticeship and ran my small business using British Gypsum products and to now be in partnership with them to develop future plasterers really is an honour for me and the team at NWSA. There has always been a gap for plastering course leavers who can’t gain employment. It has always been something that has bothered me. This partnership solves a problem and that’s the type of work I like to be involved with. I look forward to seeing many new skilled plasterers enter the industry with the exact skills that today’s employers need for modern site work.”
North West Skills Academy has centres throughout the UK which are ready for learners to complete the course in an authentic construction environment supported by industry experts. In the past six years the company has upskilled more than 4,000 tradespeople and helped them to get site ready and improve their careers.
Who is suitable for the course?
College or Training Providers who are delivering Plastering Courses for their students. This course allows students who would like solid progression opportunities to prepare them for working on site.
Construction Employers who may be struggling to employ people who are ready to skim on site. This course gives prospective employee’s real-life training and instruction which can be transferred from the training centre direct to site.
Individuals or Sole Traders with good basic trowel skills who would like to progress in their careers and gain skills required to get more frequent and better site work. If you’d like to work with British Gypsum and North West Skills Academy on a course that you will leave fully confident to carry out skimming work on site. Please contact Stephen Finch, Operations Manager at North West Skills Academy by calling 07903 615712 or by e-mailing [email protected].
