Wetherby has invested in a new purpose built training facility to meet the demand for skilled EWI labourers. The launch of the Green Deal and ECO schemes offers a huge potential for EWI projects and Wetherby recognised a need to ensure there are enough skilled trades professionals to carry out the work.
Having hosted training courses from its head office near Wigan for a number of years, Wetherby has recently enhanced its training offer by constructing a purpose-designed training facility at a new site in Merseyside, which has enabled Wetherby to triple its output of trained operatives. The new training centre houses two large classrooms and a practical training area to enable the trainees to experience on site conditions.
To mirror the situations that they may encounter on site, there are a variety of wall construction types set up that the trainees need to successfully apply EWI to including curved walls, gable ends with scaffolding and walls with bay windows and reveals.
The training courses offered by Wetherby are available to those just starting out in the industry, as well as installers already operating in the sector who are looking to upskill to take advantage of the EWI opportunity. The Level 1 course covers the installation of the insulation board, while Level 2 includes teaching specialist external rendering skills including the application of dry dash, silicone and brick-effect finishes.
Each trainee that passes the course will be issued with an operatives card, which fulfils the PAS2030 requirement that is a prerequisite to undertake installation works on Green Deal schemes.