New Trailblazer Apprenticeship assigned £14K funding for delivery

FIS is proud to announce that we have secured £14K funding for the delivery of the new Interior Systems

Trailblazer Apprenticeship in collaboration with a host of industry partners.

This flagship project has been a culmination of three years of work resulting in the development of a Level 2

Apprenticeship. The Interior Systems occupations are both skilled and very diverse in their needs and hence it was very important to develop a model that is fit for purpose and simple for sector delivery. The end result is a Level 2 Apprenticeship that provides a core and two pathway options across a minimum of 18-month delivery.

The working group, chaired by Helen Tapper from Tapper Interiors and vice president of FIS, comprised a broad group of representatives from the whole sector, including manufacturers, sub-contractors, colleges and training providers to ensure all stakeholder perspectives were covered. FIS co-ordinated the development with the Institute for Apprenticeships &Technical Education (IfATE).

Helen Tapper, vice president of FIS said “this is the first time that a ‘Trailblazer’ Apprenticeship has been developed for our sector, following on from FIS becoming a consensus federation. This gives our sector the status and recognition that it so rightly deserves.  It was an honour to chair a group who worked methodically and thoroughly to produce a standard, that is fit for the future of our sector. I am grateful to all group members who so readily gave their time to produce both the standard and the end point assessment”

The working group agreed that a core and pathway options approach was the only way to provide the sector with the right skilled outcomes for each individual entering the industry. The core incorporates the standard skills and knowledge required of any interior systems installer and requires an end point assessment separate to a final one for their chosen specialist area. The options are -:

–      Drylining – methods to install different drylining systems that form the walls and rooms within a building, often used to hide wires and pipes whilst improving acoustics and create space for insulation.

–      Ceiling and partitions – incorporates different ceiling and partition systems within a building. used to

provide different types of working environments, taking account of lighting and other fixtures.

Training providers and FE colleges are now being invited to apply to deliver the standard in readiness for the new academic year.

FIS have already got interest from employers in all regions interested in taking on new apprentices identified through the forward planning of FIS Skills Clinics we’ve run with our members. FIS have developed an excellent network of college and training provision that underpins all the training developed for the sector and are always

keen to add more to this. Hopefully, now this standard is available for delivery and we can widen the network to enable more employers to access and encourage new entrants into the industry.

Iain McIlwee, CEO at FIS said “this new standard will help raise awareness of the fantastic career opportunities and attract the 1500 new entrants needed in the finishes and interiors sector”