At a time when skilled tradesmen are in high demand, Luciana Kola, Marketing Manager at Uponor, explains the benefits that training can bring to your business and how it can give you a competitive edge.
You only have to open a paper or turn on the television today to hear about the skills crisis. Like many sectors, the building industry is suffering and has been experiencing a skills shortage for some time now. This has been exacerbated by the pandemic, Brexit, and an ageing workforce. Despite this, trades are seeing an increase in demand for work which has largely been driven by an increase in consumer confidence, repair and maintenance work, and a renewed interest in home improvements. Now more than ever, we need to ensure training is an integral part of the construction sector if we want to meet the current demand for work, increase productivity, retain staff and attract a new generation of workers by positioning trades such as plumbing, plastering and building as an attractive vocation.
Evolve with the industry
It doesn’t matter if you’re an employer, part of a team or a sole trader, training plays an important part in any business. It can help retain experienced workers, upskill new employees, increase productivity and minimise issues around liability.
Training is not a box-ticking exercise, it should be seen as a continual process. The sector is constantly evolving with new product innovations, working practices changing, and legislation and building standards being updated or introduced, so continuous training is essential if you want to remain competitive and win new work.
The benefits of training
Of course, training can cost, both in time and finances. But when you look at the benefits it brings to a company or individual tradesperson, the return on investment can be vast. Some key benefits of training include:
- Staff Retention – By training employees, you not only increase your offering, but make them feel valued, which helps to boost morale.
- Improved performance – Improving skills and knowledge builds confidence and improves both performance and productivity.
- Increased safety – Training is one of the best ways to reduce errors and ensure staff safety.
- Customer satisfaction – When you know what you’re doing, you do a good job. This can lead to repeat business and referrals from satisfied customers.
- Quality control – By participating in manufacturer training, you can ensure that installations run smoothly, minimising the risk of liability issues later down the line.
The competitive edge
Consumers are aware of new technologies and expect their plumber, electrician or builder not just to be aware of these, but to offer them. Keeping up to date with current best practices and learning new techniques will ensure you remain competitive.
For example, when you look at the heating industry, the popularity of underfloor heating has risen over the past few years as people look for more sustainable ways to heat their homes. In fact, the latest research1 suggests that the market is likely to grow by between 4 – 6 per cent over the next 4 years. This presents a huge opportunity for plumbers to make the most of this growing market by learning how to install the different product options, in particular those that work alongside more energy-efficient heating methods, such as heat pumps.
Learn invaluable skills
As a tradesperson you will understand that product installation requires skill, which is ever more important when you consider an ever-expanding range of products and installation methods. Like many product manufacturers, we do all we can to support our customers by providing specific product training to help you keep up to date with the latest developments in the industry, as well as support those just starting out.
We launched our free on-site installation training programme at the end of 2017 and have so far issued an incredible 2,000 certificates and trained staff from around 300 companies.Manufacturer training such as this is invaluable as it gives delegates an in-depth understanding of how products work, correct installation methods, and important health and safety aspects of carrying out an installation, including the correct handling of tools.
By partaking in manufacturer training, you can have confidence that the products you’re installing are not just high-quality but are backed by the manufacturer. This way, if a problem does arise, as long as you installed the product correctly, you won’t be liable for any potential damage or claims.
Investing in your future
With a skills shortage across the sector, now is the time to invest in both your own training and that of your workforce. The long-term benefits are substantial and will help you to become more productive, more competitive and make the most of the increased demand for skilled trades.
For further information on the training available from Uponor visit https://www.uponor.co.uk/
