Skills and Training – Investing in the future

By Tony Batchelor, BWF Training Manager

The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) continues to focus on supporting the development of a highly skilled and competent workforce for the existing and future woodworking and joinery manufacturing industry. This involves not only promoting the industry as a rewarding and progressive career path to young and future talent, but also driving initiatives to help retain and develop existing talent through continuous learning and upskilling.

As part of our ongoing efforts to continue to support and promote career development, we’ve recently launched the BWF Employee Training Hub and a reinvigorated Timber Futures platform.

NEW BWF Employee Training Hub

Maintaining a strong focus on retaining and upskilling the talented people we already have remains fundamental to the growth of our industry and that is why we have chosen to invest in the BWF Employee Training Hub.

Designed specifically for woodworking and joinery manufacturing businesses, the BWF Employee Training Hub provides details of the many training courses available, from safe use of woodworking machinery courses, manual handling refresher training, through to on-site National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) achievement.

Exclusive Member Training Funds

The BWF Employee Training Hub also features a useful section on funding. The BWF Wood Industry Training (WIT) Forum continues to work with relevant funding partners to provide access to funding support for eligible BWF members to train and upskill their workforce. One such example is the recently secured BWF WITForum GET Fund which supports eligible BWF training group members to undertake a wide range of sector related CITB grant eligible funded short duration training courses. The level of funding support will be dependent on the type of course required and the funding will be available on a first come, first served basis. To find a short course, use the A to Z Course Finder. To check eligibility for funding, please fully complete the online training enquiry form.