DHF looks to the future with new ‘five-year training strategy’

Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has announced that it has embarked upon a new five-year training strategy, taking its training offering and initiatives into 2026.

The trade association is continually ‘planning ahead’ in terms of how best it can serve the industry, and having presented its pioneering strategy to the board, plans are already underway for a series of new and innovative training courses over the next five years that will fully complement its existing offering.

In implementing its new strategy, DHF will be seeking to work with other organisations, for example, ESA (Entrance Systems Alliance), which DHF launched as a joint initiative with Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) at the end of 2020. ESA acts as an assessment centre and offers NVQ’s to the industries served by both organisations. These include door and gate systems, such as fire doors, automated gates and powered pedestrian doors. Since the organisation’s launch, these have gathered momentum.

Training continues to be a central and significant part of DHF’s operations. Just last month it announced the addition of a new Emergency First Aid at Work training course to its portfolio. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic it has continued to deliver training through a combination of face-to-face teaching and via its ‘Distance Learning Programme’ (DLP), and since April, more than 300 people have received training in its Automated Gate & Traffic Barrier, and Industrial & Garage Door training courses.

“We are very excited to launch our five-year training strategy,” says DHF’s Head of Commercial Operations, Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens. “Training is a big part of DHF and the number of people taking courses has increased dramatically over the past three years. As much as we are a membership organisation, we recognise the part that training plays in our industry, and in keeping safe and compliant products on the market. We have developed our new strategy with Dame Judith Hackitt's report on 'Building a Safer Future' (released in December 2018) very much in mind. We acknowledge that a competent workforce is absolutely vital and are committed to achieving this by offering training to the industries we service. We have a lot of work ahead of us and this starts now!”

DHF’s training academy at Tamworth has gradually got back to normal following the pandemic, with face-to-face learning and more places now available on training courses. For further information on training and to book a course through DHF, please visit the website: https://www.dhfonline.org.uk/training.htm