The British Institute for Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) has welcomed today’s news of new investment in skills training and apprenticeships, but warned the Government to ensure that it supports trades facing the biggest skills gaps.
The Institute has responded to the news in the Budget that funding for apprenticeships will increase to £2.7bn by 2024/25.
BIKBBI CEO Damian Walters said:
“Vocational training has been undervalued for far too long, so the money pledged by the Chancellor today comes as good news. However, it will be money wasted unless it works to support trades that everybody relies on that are facing the prospect of huge skills gaps.
“Research we carried out earlier this year found that around a third of kitchen, bedroom and bathroom installers are planning to retire in the next decade, creating a shortfall in people with the skills to provide a service that all households rely on. Coupled with the record high demand that we’re currently seeing for installers, this creates fertile ground for unqualified, unscrupulous operators to move in. This would be disastrous for consumers and the industry alike.
“In response we have this week announced a groundbreaking programme that will create apprentice opportunities for hundreds of school leaders, allowing them to develop the skills and experience needed to build rewarding careers. But the full value of this will only be realised if Government investment supports skilled trades like ours and does not simply subsidise recruitment into jobs that don’t have skills needs or training programmes for people already at work. The Government needs to make sure that today’s investment has the maximum impact by putting in place measures that ensure it follows industry standards in sectors that offer rewarding careers in every community.”
● The British Institute of Kitchen, Bedroom & Bathroom Installation (BiKBBI) is the UK’s first and only Government sanctioned institute dedicated to Kitchen, Bedroom and Bathroom (KBB) installation. It works with professional installers, retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of kitchen, bedroom & bathroom product to define industry standards, support skills development and provide the industry with a national and collaborative voice.
● BiKBBI’s accredited national membership is made up of over 6500 installation businesses, together with a network of local, regional and national specialist retailers and a growing number of major national and international manufacturers and suppliers.
Thanks to this the organisation is able to provide consumers with reassurance of compliance in every element of KBB installation, while representing the shared interests of sole traders, SMEs and major national and international businesses working in one of the most important parts of the UK economy.
On October 26 2021 BIKBBI announced details of a new programme to provide installers with easy and affordable access to apprentices. The programme includes:
● New national network of BiKBBI approved Centres of Excellence to ensure apprentices will receive a first class foundation to their installation career;
● Compelling package of support that enables installers take on apprentices without having to deal with recruitment, employment or training complication;
● Promotional campaign backed by six figure support set to drive interest in taking up apprenticeships among young people across the country.
Full details available at https://www.bikbbi.org.uk/apprenticeships/
EDUCATION | STANDARDS | SUSTAINABILITY | COMPLIANCE |
