Member Article

Yorkshire Windows director calls for higher standard of industry training

THE director of one of the north’s leading double glazing companies is calling for the industry and the government to become more actively involved in training the next generation.

Yorkshire Windows is one of the region’s best known names in uPVC doors and windows, composite doors, bi-fold doors, conservatories, orangeries, garage doors and roofline products.

Director Ian Chester says the company is experiencing a strong recovery, as homeowners emerging from the COVD-19 pandemic invest in their property.

But he warns that this increased demand has highlighted an increasing industry skills shortage.

“All our installers are fully experienced and come with many years working in the industry,” Ian said.

“But what we really need is an industry approved training scheme to attract younger people into the business and ensure sustainability for the years ahead.

“The truth is that there is no official training - it’s all based very much on learning on the job and there is no college course in the same way you can study subjects like bricklaying, joinery, plumbing or electrical work.”

Yorkshire Windows is part of CERTASS, the multi-award winning specialists in certification for the building industry.

CERTASS is a UKAS approved certification scheme that checks individual contractors and companies competence against set standards.

Ian believes, though, that the best training for future generations would start in the classroom.

“There is an industry standard and CERTASS is doing very good work in getting recognition but we need to be doing much more if the industry is to improve its reputation for good work,” he said.

“Double glazing has been around now since the 1980s and it is time we changed perceptions of the trade.

“Change like that only comes from the top, though, and we need government support in giving us a course that meets the most stringent industry standards.

“All the talk now is increasingly around greener energy and our industry is key to that so let’s make sure we have a new generation of people capable of making a difference.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Highfield .