Building Our Skills is expanding its national network of practical training centres with the addition of two new academy sites.

The first is via a partnership with Build training, located near Heathrow airport, and the other through collaboration with Glass & Fenestration Training Solutions (GFTS) in Cornwall.

Build is an independent training provider, working with learners of a broad range of ages from 16 up to 75 to facilitate their entry into the construction sector.

Build’s head of centre, Marcia Wootton and Jane Gunn, Build’s head of construction jointly commented: “We’re passionate about the fenestration industry and want to help address the skills gap from which it is suffering. In particular, we can help to encourage younger people into the industry by ensuring they see the real career opportunities it presents.”

Glass & Fenestration Training Solutions (GFTS) offers a broad range of apprenticeships, training and qualifications across the whole of the country in many aspects of the fenestration industry. These include glass processing, installation and surveying, curtain walling, glazing, fabrication of glass supporting systems and associated qualifications.

Samantha Tinker, GFTS’s Director of business and quality said: “Qualifications and good-quality training are a means of helping learners to carve out a career in the industry and help business managers to retain their staff and compete competitively.”

In addition to its original practical training academy at Sheffield and the two new practical training centre, Building Our Skills is looking at adding further sites, including the next proposed one in the Scottish Borders. All practical training content is formally GQA accredited giving learners a skills card to carry with them to show their achievements, and which can be added to as they enrol for further, more advanced courses.

The expansion of the delivery network for practical training follows the acquisition by Building Our Skills of the digital assets and course content of Profitter which includes a range of courses including an introduction to fenestration for beginners, intermediate and advanced courses, along with specialist opportunities and surveying.