Kitchen fitters to get own qualification

Kitchen installation firm Jomaro has set up a new company, Jomaro Training, to develop an industry first - a recognised qualification for kitchen installation.

Alan Forshaw, health and safety manager at Jomaro and director of the new company, said: "Although there is an NVQ unit for installing kitchens it does not recognise the fact that fitting kitchens is an individual trade in its own right - the kitchen fitter has always been tagged on to the woodworking industry.

"Today, due to the complexity of modern kitchens in design and structure there is a need for a specialist in this field.

"There is a great skills shortage for quality kitchen fitters; the current situation is driving people into subcontracting work which is not satisfactory as there are far too many cowboys operating," said Forshaw.

Jomaro Training aims to set up a training school that will provide courses for kitchen fitters. The courses will be integrated with health and safety training and run at four levels.

Jomaro has had a meeting with the CITB and is also talking to FFINTO (Furniture, Furnishings & Interiors National Training Organisation). The next steps are to secure funding, get support and backing of CITB and find a location for the training school.