The qualification, accredited by the GQA and delivered by Neil Whitfield Training (NWT), is valued at £1,500 per person but is free for Kestrel-registered UPVC roofline installers.
For all 206 UPVC roofline installers who have qualified, it represents a total investment of £309,000, funded by the government and Kestrel.
Every fitter that completes the qualification also receives the Kestrel Q Card to present to customers, showing their name, qualifications and photograph.
NWT offers the qualification purely through assessment. Neil Whitfield explained: “As assessors, we watch the installation team at work and ensure that they are following best practices when installing UPVC fascias, soffits and cladding. If there is anything that could be done better, we will give them training at the time, but our aim is to provide minimal interruption to the work the fitters are doing.”
Neil, who is a keen advocate of improving best practices within the roofline industry, added: “The investment that Kestrel is making to increase take-up of the NVQ level 2 qualification shows their commitment to improving quality within the industry and is to be applauded. We know from the people we have worked with that this initiative is helping fitters provide a high-quality service to their customers.”
The NVQ 2 and Q Card are just one of the ways that Kestrel is striving to improve quality within the roofline industry. The company recently introduced an industry-leading 35-year guarantee on all of its calcium organic white product range.
Kestrel sales and marketing director Simon Reynolds said: “Despite giving a lot of technical information to installers, you can’t beat face-to-face training. In a time when people are becoming more aware of the need to ensure they employ quality tradespeople, the NVQ level 2 qualification and Q Card offer our installers a head start over their competitors.
“Not only does this qualification give our installers the confidence that they are doing the best possible job, it helps them compete on quality rather than price and offers significant reassurance to their customers.”
For more information on Kestrel’s registered installer scheme go to: http://www.kbp.co.uk/kestrel-installer-scheme