A national trade body is launching its summer 2022 apprenticeship programme, developed to tackle a skills gap in a specialist area of construction that often goes under the radar as a potential career choice. The property care sector can offer a lifetime of learning and a varied, interesting and rewarding career, but it is not as widely known or recognised as other trades.
To tackle the issue, the Property Care Association (PCA) launched its damp and timber apprenticeship in 2015, to develop a new generation of professionals with the important skills necessary to preserve and protect properties nationwide.
Open to both PCA members and non-members alike across the UK, the programme takes a company employee or apprentice working in the damp, timber and building preservation sector through the award of the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 Diploma in ‘Insulation and Building Treatments (Wood Preserving and Damp-proofing)’ Qualification.
The programme is structured in a modularised manner, through a mix of formal instruction “off-the-job” training, followed by supervised “on-the-job” training. It offers an insight into subjects including wet and dry rot, wood boring insects, rising damp and timber treatments.
Jade Stocker, PCA Training Manager, said: “The damp and timber apprenticeship is delivered over a period of 18 months, with the programme divided into two main sections, training and assessment. Over the first 12 months, all apprenticeship training is delivered at our Practical Training Centre in Huntingdon, which is specifically kitted out for hands-on training.
“Apprentices visit us five times over the first 12 months in four-day blocks. Once all apprenticeship training has been completed, a specialist assessor is assigned for the candidate, with six months allocated to complete the assessment process.”
The PCA is now taking bookings for its June intake.
Jade added: “Since its launch in 2015, the apprenticeship has achieved one of the highest retention rates in the construction sector. We look forward to welcoming our new trainees in June and supporting their training and development journey into the property care sector.”
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