June6, 2003
CITB TALKS DIRECTLY TO SMALL BUSINESSES
Ina drive to reach small and medium sized construction firms and their staff,CITB has joined forces with national newspaper the Daily Star and buildersmerchants Travis Perkins to launch the search for Britains Star Builders.
Theinitiative aims to demonstrate the benefits of training and will be positionedas a celebration of construction skills. It will start in the Daily Star onMonday 16 June as a search for Britains Star Builder and will be supported byevents in ten Travis Perkins stores during the same week.
Itis part of CITBs strategy to make communications simpler and increase dialoguewith small construction firms, Fiona Kane, Head of Communications and Marketingexplains: "Weve already simplified the levy process and there are plansin place to simplify further processes. We were conscious that, although thevast majority of the industry, 94%, is made up of small businesses, becausemany dont pay levy, due to their size, they are unaware of how they couldbenefit from CITB.
"Ourresearch showed that builders were very likely to read the Daily Star onsiteand, like Travis Perkins which has a high footfall from small businesses,seemed an ideal way to get our message across."
CITBstaff will be on hand at the Travis Perkins stores to offer free advice on howtraining and qualifications can help builders get on, in either their careersor by improving their business. Further information about CITB grants toregistered companies for training will be available, covering how to access:
Grants of up to 6,000 for training an apprentice
Money to get experienced workers qualified without having toleave the site
Health and safety information and training, and 35 when youpass your H&S test.
TheStar Builder search, of all trades from bricklayers and carpenters to roofersand tilers, will also provide information on how businesses and builders canbecome the best. Builders can nominate themselves, their colleague or theirboss, if they think they are one of the UKs best, highly skilled and qualifiedbuilders. The winners will be featured in the Star on July 1 2003 and will alsowalk away with their ultimate toolkit worth 500.
Workmenand women can also enter when they visit one of ten Travis Perkins branchesacross the UK. Builders going to the stores will also receive a free baconbuttie and cup of tea, a free copy of the Daily Star and offers on goods fromMakita Powertools, Henkel and Marcrist.
NickSmith, Head of Training at Travis Perkins said: "We are delighted to beinvolved supporting the drive towards qualified tradespeople and hope ourcustomers will benefit from the advice and grant available from CITB."
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Forfurther information media should contact CITB PR Officer Leander Perry on 0207367 9803 or leander.perry@citb.co.uk