02/05/2025
The UK Government is considering some significant amendments to building regulations which will impact BWF Members and the wider woodworking and joinery manufacturing industry. A consultation of ...
The Wood Industry Training Forum (WITForum) has launched an innovative On-Site Assessment and Training (OSAT) programme aimed at providing bespoke training solutions with qualifications, in some cases fully funded via grant support.
This BWF-led initiative covers a plethora of subjects, including joinery manufacture, wood machining, joinery management or supervision, and health & safety – all offering a recognised NVQ qualification at levels two, three or five on completion.
OSAT brings the trainers into the company. To meet the anticipated nationwide demand, BWF are working with specialist training provider Didac Ltd. The competitively priced programme draws upon funding from CITB-ConstructionSkills and the Skills Funding Agency with the net result being courses free or heavily subsidised for many companies.
Dave Campbell, BWF Training Manager stated “This programme was created in direct response to member requests. Joinery firms need the right workforce skills to meet the requirements of the business, allowing them to increase productivity, growth and recognise competence, but cannot always afford to release people to train or match the specific training environment to the work that people are actually doing”.
Funding for the subsidised scheme is currently secured for 2012 only and limited numbers for funding mean joinery firms are urged to apply quickly.
Andy Tompkins Managing Director of BWF Member Tompkins Ltd said “This is a great initiative and BWF in motion: our trade body listening to what we want and going out and delivering it. We will certainly be in the queue to put our people through this programme”.
Funding for the subsidised scheme is currently secured for 2012 only and limited numbers for funding mean joinery firms are urged to apply quickly.
Further details of the OSAT scheme, funding eligibility and application information are available on the OSAT Pages.
The OSAT programme is part of a larger project by the BWF and CITB-ConstructionSkills to raise standards through qualification in the joinery industry, where specific employer and new entrant guidance will be released later in 2012 to secure an increase in apprentices within the trade.
