CFA Guest Column: ‘Future Fitters’ Campaign

In spite of all the hard work carried out in recent years, the skills and labour shortage affecting our industry is now biting deep. Prior to the pandemic, there was a skills and labour shortage of 11%, which has now worsened to 16% this year. Brexit, Coronavirus, changes to standards, apprenticeships and funding have all contributed to this – and one can only conclude that, were it not for the work carried out by the CFA, the training bodies and manufacturers, the situation would be a lot worse.

CFA is now resolving to do more and calls on contractors to join the new ‘Future Fitters’ campaign, by:

• Taking on new entrants to the industry; and
• Becoming STEM ambassadors.

The Future Fitters booklet can be downloaded from the CFA website. It outlines the core objective of the campaign: namely to identify and increase the number of floor fitters (of all ages) entering the UK commercial and domestic floor laying industry.

It aims to do this by providing training and support for individuals to become skilled, competent and qualified installers. The booklet provides signposting to some of the main resources designed to help individuals understand the opportunities and benefits of a career in floor laying. It will also help flooring contractors identify and employ the most suitable candidates for their businesses.

The Future Fitters concept is based on four key pillars:

1. The Pipeline

This is all about increasing the number and quality of potential floor layers whom companies can consider for roles within their businesses. Part of the job here is to encourage young people to put a career in floor laying higher up their list of ideal careers – at the moment we too often seem to play second fiddle to other trades when it comes to young people’s priorities and aspirations.

This is where the STEM Ambassadors scheme comes in. Both Richard Catt, CEO, and Shaun Wadsworth, Training Manager, have signed up as STEM Ambassadors and are encouraging as many others as possible to get involved, going into schools and colleges and spreading the word about our fantastic sector. Nothing helps spread the message more effectively than word of mouth from people who actually know our industry. Full information is available on the STEM Ambassadors website and CFA can offer added value to members with support material and simple presentations that will help get the message across about the opportunities in our sector.

We are also working to improve the flow of new entrants to the sector via our own social media and by supporting and populating websites such as GoConstruct where information about careers in flooring can be found.

2. Increase demand from employers

A key issue is that there are insufficient new entrant positions for floor laying roles, with structured training and qualifications attached. So, we are also keen to encourage flooring contractors to invest in offering opportunities for new entrants, of any age, to our sector.

3. Expand localised training provision

Another barrier is the limited number of training providers available (particularly for apprentices) across the country. The CFA provides a point of contact for any college or commercial provider considering offering apprenticeship delivery, and we can support them with practical advice, signposting and contacts.

4. Identify new industry/financial support

The CFA Training Guide includes a section on financial support available for trainees in floor laying, and we continue to seek new avenues and funding to help support the training and development of skills and labour. There are many courses offered by CFA manufacturer members which are free of charge, and all CFA members receive a discount of 15% off all training delivered by FITA. ALL apprentices are eligible for basic government funding to cover the cost of their college courses and CITB-registered companies can obtain additional grant funding and enhancements.