GGF flying the flag for fenestration

The Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) will be flying the flag for the fenestration industry in front of thousands of students at the National Apprenticeship & Education Event, which will take place at Millennium Point, Birmingham in March 2023.

The GGF will be partnering with Building Our Skills – the industry organisation that’s committed to attracting new entrants to the sector and upskilling the existing workforce – for the event, which is designed to showcase a broad spectrum of career opportunities to young people.

The National Apprenticeship & Education Event attracts students from over 2,000 secondary schools, including independent and grammar schools up to sixth form level, giving them a unique opportunity to discover and learn more about a wide range of future career paths, which will now include all that the fenestration industry has to offer.

The GGF’s group chief development officer, Anda Gregory, commented: “Attracting and retaining new talent remains one of the biggest challenges for all businesses operating in fenestration and key to addressing that is getting face to face with students so that we can open their eyes to all the incredible opportunities within our industry.

“The National Apprenticeship & Education Event is one of the largest careers events in the UK, and our presence there will demonstrate the scale of the commitment by the GGF to increase the profile of the industry in front of thousands of schools and colleges.”

Exhibiting at The National Apprenticeship & Education Event in March is just one of the proactive measures the GGF is taking to attract and nurture new talent into the industry.

In 2022, the federation welcomed the first candidates to its Skilled Pathways Scheme.

Working in partnership with Total Support Training and GQA Qualifications, the new programme funds training up to £4,000 per GGF member company and is designed to offer a clear and focussed career trajectory for candidates.

“The skills shortage is not exclusive to our industry,” concluded Anda. “There are countless other sectors all competing for the next generation of talent, so it’s absolutely vital that we tackle the issue head on in order to engage and excite as many young people as we can.

“The National Apprenticeship & Education Event and initiatives such as the Skilled Pathways Scheme are designed to enable us to do just that.”