East Antrim firm launches skills academy

The training centre will be branded ‘K Academy’ and courses will be delivered at a purpose built facility in St Helens, Liverpool, serving as the company’s primary training facility in Britain.

Although at a smaller scale, training will also continue at the Kilwaughter Minerals’ headquarters in Larne.

The development of the K Academy represents an investment of £200,000 by Kilwaughter.

The academy will be accessible to Kilwaughter customers initially across the K Rend and K Systems brands with programmes incorporating both practical and classroom-based learning.

The addition of Kilwaughter Lime courses and employee training under the K Academy will follow in 2023 as part of a phased expansion plan.

Gary Wilmot, CEO, Kilwaughter Minerals said: “We are very pleased to be launching our academy and to play our part in addressing the skills gap and enhancing skills within our industries.

“K Academy forms part of Kilwaughter’s vision to set new standards within our markets – we consistently aim to go above and beyond to serve, to drive quality and innovate in a way that inspires our people and customers.”

The academy courses, standard and bespoke, aim to support applicators and installers, merchants, contractors, architects and local authorities in accelerating the skills development of their teams and ultimately ensuring highest quality finishes for end customers.

Andy Stockall has been appointed to the position of Product and Application Training Manager and Academy Lead.

Andy said: “K Academy presents a valuable opportunity to attract young people to the construction industry - it has been predicted that the industry will need to recruit over 216,000 new workers by 2025 to keep up with demand. Through our Academy offering we will engage with all levels of the education system, raising awareness of the opportunities available within construction.

“As the leading provider of renders in the UK, I am delighted that we are formalising our expertise in this way and I very much look forward to having a positive impact through investing in people.”