As the construction industry continues its struggle with skills shortages, the trussed rafter industry is working hard to upskill employees with sign-ups for specialist training quadrupling.
The online training course, run by the Trussed Rafter Association (TRA), in association with Edinburgh Napier University, is proving popular with trussed rafter designers.
Two beneficiaries of the training programme are Gabor Vince, from Taylor Lane Timber Frame, and Frank Kyne, from Wyckham Blackwell, who are the highest scorers for the Introduction to Trussed Rafter Design online course.
As a reward for their hard work, Gabor and Frank have been given the opportunity to visit a Swedish forestry and sawmilling operations courtesy of Vida Wood UK.
Gabor said: “It’s great to be rewarded for doing a course that, for me, was fundamental to my professional development.
“Going to Sweden will be a real eye-opener getting out into the forest to witness how it all works through the whole felling and logging process, and seeing how the timber is processed at the mill.”
Frank added: “The course for me was very useful and a great test of my skills. Being able to do this all online was really important to me as I would never have found the spare time to complete this otherwise.
“I can’t wait to go to Sweden and see how my work and my colleagues’ work weaves into what’s happening out in the forest and the mills. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”
Nick Boulton, TRA chief executive, concluded: “Training for TRA members is going from strength to strength, and it’s remarkable how well the course is doing. It’s a credit to the TRA members and their employees for wanting to be better at their job to provide a better service for their customers.”
The online training course is available in two elements: Part 1 Essentials and Part 2 Advanced. Part 1 is suitable for new staff and designers, while part 2 is aimed purely at designers.
TRA members can claim up to two units of training completed per site within three months of registering. With each unit costing £175 per candidate or £300 for both, these are great saving for members.
The course is just one element of the TRA’s commitment to training and recruitment in the trussed rafter industry.
At the TRA AGM in May where the theme was: ‘The next generation’, TRA chairman, Jonathan Fellingham, announced he is heading up a project to look at the recruitment of the future pipeline of trussed rafter designers and fabricators, calling on TRA members to get involved.
To register candidates, please send the candidates full name and business email address to info@tra.org.uk where you can also find out further information about the training package.
