10 November 2004

BCF to access national apprenticeship funding through BPIF

On Monday 15 November, the British Coatings Federation (BCF) Training Awards will herald the beginning of a new relationship between the BCF and the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) which will, for the first time, allow the BCF to access national government funding for coatings apprenticeships through the BPIF’s national training contract. This will mean a significant increase in the number of apprenticeships available to the coatings industry, which have traditionally been very low, raising current numbers by an estimated 5 times in the short term and indefinitely in the long term. Ruth Exelby, BPIF head of commercial training and Michael Johnson, BPIF chief executive, will join BCF senior managers on HQS Wellington to talk about this joint project and to celebrate the best of this year’s trainees and companies in the British coatings industry. The national contract means that BCF member companies wanting to train will no longer be reliant on finding a local college and administrating the apprenticeship themselves. The BPIF’s national contract will also allow BCF members access this year to 20 funded over 25 adult training places, which the organisation has never before been able to access. In the long term the BCF will also be able to lobby through the BPIF for additional funding for adult training. Both organisations hope to share best practice, open themselves up to new markets and share materials and information. Initially the partnership will centre around training and apprenticeships for the two industries, but it has become obvious from discussions that there is much that will compliment the many overlaps between coatings and print. Head of training at the BPIF, Ruth Exelby, says, “There is so much synergy between our two industries and so many shared interests that it is foolish not to look at areas of partnership. Whilst we can achieve economies of scale for accessing funding we will be able to look at much broader objectives where the sectors come together. One such area is health and safety but just as vital is lobbying to establish our own Sector Skills Council to represent both our industries. We look forward to a productive and longstanding relationship with the BCF.” Carol Walsh, Training and Development Manager at the BCF is very positive about being affiliated with the BPIF, “Our association with the BPIF over training is just the beginning of the possibilities for the two organisations. By working together we can take the lid off what may have been considered the norm for the sector in terms of low apprenticeship numbers and be more creative about the possibilities that lie ahead for the coatings sector”.