A sound base for industry development

“Seven years ago, skilled operatives had no route to gain a qualification as the NVQ did not exist.” says Helen McGachie, CEO of resin flooring association FeRFA.

Now, almost 80% of FeRFA members have qualified operatives, and in November, the first group of candidates to complete their apprenticeship in Surface Preparation and Profiling received their NVQ Level 2 awards.

This Specialist Apprenticeship Programme was launched two years ago following the success of the In Situ Resin Flooring scheme. Both have been developed by FeRFA and CITB-ConstructionSkills, and together they mean that all specialist contractors in this sector are now able to qualify their operatives through recognised apprenticeships.

Tracey Glew, managing director of The Preparation Group said: “After working extensively with FeRFA and lobbying over the past seven years to gain recognition for Surface Preparation as a specialist skill area, we are delighted that four of our employees have achieved their qualifications.”

“Training is a top priority for FeRFA,” Helen McGachie says. “We believe that everyone who goes on site should be appropriately qualified enabling them to hold the right card for the skill they undertake."