Building Our Skills gains industry backing for series of careers fairs

Having announced its intention to launch a series of bespoke industry careers fairs in 2024, Building Our Skills – Making Fenestration, Glass and Glazing a Career of Choice has garnered backing from an impressive array of industry supporters. 

Launch partners for the initiative include many key industry names including Rehau, Schuco, GGF, Bohle, FIT Show, GQA Qualifications, Liniar, CNC Recycling, CORGI Fenestration and VEKA among many others. The aim of these fairs is to engage directly with the education sector and show school children aged 14 upwards the vast array of career opportunities that the sector can offer.  In fact Building Our Skills is aiming to showcase 50 distinct careers at each of its fairs.

Two pilot events are to be held in March 2024 as a part of National Careers Week in South Yorkshire at the Oakwell Stadium, home of Barnsley FC, and in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City Football Club. Building Our Skills is working in conjunction with the local authorities in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester to bring these events to fruition.

Advocates include Lyndsey Morgan and Helen Brown, Department for Works & Pensions‘Support for Schools (S4S)’ Schools Advisers in South Yorkshire, who agree that the introduction of bespoke careers fairs co-ordinated by Building Our Skills is a great idea. They say:

“Having met with Building Our Skills at the FIT Show earlier this year, they helped to open our eyes to the breadth of career opportunities offered by the Fenestration, Glass and Glazing industry. People tend to associate the industry only with manufacturing and installation, but really there are so many more career pathways in the industry, from marketing, IT and customer services through to finance, sales, social media and much more. Building Our Skills’ idea to introduce a series of bespoke careers fairs is a great idea so that youngsters can find out more about what the industry is all about and hopefully be inspired to join it. In our roles we’re aiming to assist young people in choosing the right career path for them, and in so doing bring them into closer contact with real-life companies and industries so that they can make informed choices. This means that our aims are aligned with those of Building Our Skills, and we are delighted to be involved with these events.”

Mark Handley, Building Our Skills’ Partnerships Manager adds: 

“Our aim is to show the industry to over 1,000 school children and their teachers over the course of the two events. If the two pilots are successful, these will become annual events enabling us to keep in touch with those who attend as they get closer to thinking about their careers. It is also our intention to expand the number of events into other areas of the country where we are working with other local education authorities”.

For more information about the careers fairs and to complete an expression of interest form visit www.buildingourskills.co.uk or email us sayhello@buildingourskills.co.uk