Building Our Skills - Making Fenestration, Glass and Glazing a Career of Choice has won the support of VEKA plc.  The major PVCu window systems manufacturer is to take part in two of the campaign’s programmes in order to help it attract new recruits into the industry, and even the company’s MD is personally getting involved.

The next few months will see VEKA active in Building Our Skills’ ‘Inspiring the Future’ campaign and new ‘Inspiration Days’ programme. The Inspiring the Future Campaign asks employers to go into schools and talk to young learners about the possibilities for their future careers and what they could achieve. It is intended to make both them and teachers more aware of the broad range of career paths on offer in the fenestration industry. VEKA plc MD, Neil Evans, is setting a great example by taking part in school visits.

The Inspiration Days initiative is designed to open up industry factories and facilities for school visits. The programme has been devised in order to enable young people to see first-hand what goes on inside businesses. It gives them the opportunity to talk to employees and see what job roles are on offer. The process can inspire them at a time when they are working out which career path to choose.

Commenting on the company’s pledge to support Building Our Skills, VEKA’s MD Neil Evans, said:

“Attracting new recruits is absolutely the right thing to do in order to help address the industry’s skills shortage, and reaching young learners of school age is a key part of achieving this. Here at VEKA we share Building Our Skills’ aims of showing young people what working in the industry is all about and demonstrating the wealth of roles on offer. I’m firmly behind staff members going into schools to talk to pupils as a great way of inspiring them and hopefully getting them to choose the fenestration industry when they’re ready to make their career choice. That’s why I’m doing my bit. In addition, we’re looking forward to demonstrating the opportunities that the industry affords by hosting school visits.

“I would encourage other companies to get involved in Building Our Skills’ Inspiration Days and Inspiring the Future programmes. Throw open your doors to young learners and encourage your staff to visit schools. Let’s all get behind Building Our Skills’ admirable work in order to help future-proof our industry.”

Mark Handley, Building Our Skills’ Partnerships Manager added:

“We’re so grateful to VEKA for its support. The company is a prestigious leader in its field, and I’m confident that its partnership with us will inspire other fenestration industry employers to follow suit.

“I believe that the sky’s the limit in this industry for anyone with a decent work ethic and willingness to learn through the right training. We’ve heard so much over the past few years from people in the industry about the skills shortages. It’s sad and it’s frustrating, because there’s such a huge variety of roles available, and a big part of the problem is that so many would-be employees just don’t know about them. For the vast majority of youngsters they’re unaware of what’s on offer.  So many people think that this industry is only about selling windows! The reality is there are over 50 career paths available, and VEKA’s involvement will help to communicate this fact to young people.”

For details of how to get involved in either the Inspiring the Future Campaign or the Inspiration Days programmes head to https://buildingourskills.co.uk/ or email sayhello@buildingourskills.co.uk