Investing In the Future With A Kitchen Installer Training Partnership
Investing in the Future with a Kitchen Installer Training Partnership
At Commodore Design, it’s our people that make the difference between a kitchen supplier and a kitchen partner.
Nurturing talent to help us offer a best in class service to specifiers and developers is integral to what we do; a philosophy which we believe is not only good for business, but also creates opportunity for talented people in the fitted kitchen supplier sector.
Inspiring the next generation of skilled kitchen installers
Across the construction sector, the skills gap has been making headlines for several years. And, as demand for skills has increased, the problem has become steadily worse. The trade kitchen suppliers sector has been just as severely affected by skill shortages as many other areas of the construction industry and we rely on a quality-led approach from talented professionals to meet the high standards we offer customers.
There can be no compromise on our commitment to quality; a principle that is just as true of our approach to installation as it is to kitchen design and manufacture. That’s why we’ve decided to invest in developing skills that will not only feed our own business but will also benefit the whole fitted kitchen and residential development sector. Drawing on the expertise of our experienced kitchen installation teams and working with construction training provider K10, we are providing workplace experience, on-site training and mentoring in a culture where everyone takes pride in a job well done.
Collaborating with a respected training partner
K10 works with young people to generate opportunities in construction and shape long-term futures by developing the skills that are in high demand. We have worked with them for several years and many of the young people that have trained with us over that time still work on Commodore Design projects today.
At Commodore Design, we’re nurturing two types of trainees on site: young people with a level 2 construction management qualification are learning site supervisor skills with us and NVQ level 2-qualified carpenters are receiving workplace training in kitchen fitting. The curriculum we’ve developed includes core skills, such as fitting of cabinets and worktops, cutting out for sinks and cooker hobs, and mitre cuts, along with general employability skills.
Each trainee is partnered with a mentor from our experienced team. This ensures they not only have all the skills they need to meet our customers’ expectations, but also gain the attention to detail and focus on customer service that lie at the heart of our business and our commitment to leading the field when it comes to kitchen suppliers.
As trainee, Mo, puts it: “The training I’m doing with Commodore Design means that I am able to put the skills I learned at college to practical use on site, picking up tips from the team about how to apply my abilities in the fitted kitchen sector.
“It’s also really useful to get workplace experience and have the routine of working in a site environment because I’m learning about how to work alongside other trades and the importance of completing tasks in sequence and on time. The whole experience has made me much more confident about my future career and using my skills and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Commodore Design when my six months placement has been completed.”
Caring about our customers, caring about the future of the construction industry
We create stunning kitchens that buyers fall in love with, elevating developments to a class of their own with timeless elegance and forward-focused trends. But we can only keep our promise to deliver industry-leading quality fitted kitchens on time and to the highest build standards if we have the talented people to install them. That’s why we’re constantly investing in the skills and experience we need to set the standard for kitchen suppliers, and why we’ve developed a training curriculum that provides opportunities and workplace experience for talented young people and invests in future skills for the fitted kitchen supplier industry.
As a prestigious kitchen supplier with an excellent reputation for inspirational kitchen design and high calibre projects, we’re able to attract the very best candidates to our business across all roles, including installation. But not all of our decision to invest in a kitchen installation apprenticeship programme is about our own business continuity strategy, or even our service commitment to customers; it’s also about investing in the future of our industry.
Just as we set the standard for kitchen design and quality, we must also set the standard for investing in future skills and creating opportunity for young people. We are looking forward to seeing our trainees learn and flourish with us and setting them on track for a varied and rewarding career.