Today, high levels of certification and training are part and parcel of the glass, construction, printing and manufacturing industries. Industry operators know all too well that the days of the sector setting its own standards are long gone, and it is now governed by stringent regulations to which those manufacturing and installing windows and doors must adhere. These requirements have given rise to significant investment into staff by industry employers, to ensure that their workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to carry out their work to the highest possible standards.
When it comes to individuals carrying out key roles such as installation, assurance for employers and homeowners that installers can fulfil their tasks to the highest of standards must be provided, and this comes through independent certification.
Headquartered in Sheffield and incorporated in 2002, GQA Qualifications functions as an awarding body working within the glass, construction, and printing industries. Its mission of “Quality through Qualifications” is gaining traction each year, having been originally set up by the glass industry to improve quality levels within the manufacturing, processing and installation of glass and related products, which is achieved by providing robust, industry-specific knowledge and competence qualifications. The organisation does not have any owners or stakeholders in the traditional sense, and all surpluses are returned to industry to help raise standards further and support other initiatives which will benefit the sectors they operate in for the long term, including educational programmes and campaigns to raise awareness of the industry to help tackle skills shortages.
The company marks its 20th anniversary milestone in January 2022, and some members of its workforce and some of its approved learning centres have been with GQA since the beginning.
GQA’s very ethos is that working towards qualifications and encouraging learning opportunities are vitally important if the fenestration industry is to continue to improve and to set the highest standards. These are also seen as vital elements in making the sector appealing to young people looking for a career after education, and helping to address the skills gap that has been prevalent in the construction industry for many years.
Over its 20 years of existence, GQA has enjoyed significant growth as it has carried out its mission. A major advocate of vocational careers and qualifications for the industry, it has seen its offering grow from an initial 11 qualifications to 238 different certifications today, and increased its workforce from a team of seven to a team of 21. Its training is delivered through a vast network of centres that has grown from 15 upon its foundation to over 200 to date; a network which now consists of training providers, FE colleges and employers.
This growing network is certainly playing its part in upskilling the British population and improving lives. Since its 2002 establishment, GQA has issued a staggering 142,000 individual qualifications to different people looking to move into the industry in pursuit of a career.
As GQA Qualifications CEO Mick Clayton [pictured] reveals, what was key to laying down the foundations for such growth from an operational perspective was managing cash flow within the early days of the company’s lifespan.
Clayton said: “By quickly implementing a series of strategic plans, we have been able to increase and diversify income streams while remaining true to our mission and employer base over our 20 years of life.”
As an organisation which prides itself on people development, GQA was also involved in the development of the fenestration industry’s minimum technical competencies in 2011. This proved to be one of the company's most key engagements to date, since the technical competencies were subsequently approved by the government as a minimum level of assessment, intended to provide a stepping-stone to a fully qualified workforce.
Indeed, over its two decades of providing certification, GQA has heavily lobbied both industry and government in pursuit of heightened quality standards for the sectors it serves. Such action has been necessary, for the majority of industry employees either work for SMEs or are self-employed. Although some do access qualifications voluntarily, others will only do so if mandated, and regulatory intervention is therefore needed. Putting this intervention in place has been a key aim for GQA over the years, as its credo is that qualifications are key to training, retraining, personal recognition, and ongoing compliance.
Even now, GQA continues to lobby industry and government to place qualifications at the heart of not only schemes like CSCS, but also part of improving the sector at large.
It has been a long and sometimes difficult battle when it comes to putting this mission into practice, but Clayton is immensely proud of the company, its workforce, and its achievements, and has no plans to stop now.
“As we enter our 20th operational year, I am very proud of what GQA has achieved and how it has grown. It is clear that the appetite for learning has never been greater amongst the tradespeople in our industry and despite the challenges of the pandemic I see significant growth in this during 2021.
“For GQA, as a leading awarding body, it is something we are delighted to see, and it is fantastic that that desire for self-improvement is leading people to think more about formal achievement in the form of qualifications or taking accredited courses.”
Moving forward, Clayton emphasised that GQA Qualifications remains committed to enhancing the skills of the sector workforce to guarantee the best quality of service every single time and provide more opportunities for young people.
“We are committed to seeing our industry hone the skills of its tradespeople so that homeowners and commercial clients can always be confident of receiving the best quality of workmanship and service, and to making our industry a genuine career choice for youngsters leaving the education sector”.
