19/02/2019

A cross-functional group of customer-facing Sika Roofing employees completed an intensive, technically-driven training course developed by the Institute of Roofing (IoR) in partnership with the manufacturer.

Sika Roofing employees who completed Institute of Roofing training course
Image: Sika Roofing employees who completed Institute of Roofing training course

The 20 employees – from Technical Services, Sales and Marketing divisions – undertook the redesigned IoR Associate Level course, consisting of five days’ in-depth training followed by examinations. The new course design also incorporated online webinars with further assessments, as well as directed self-learning throughout the process.

The group’s success now means that all of Sika Roofing’s customer-facing members of staff, working across the Sika Sarnafil, Sika-Trocal and Sika Liquid Plastics product ranges, hold an industry accreditation.

"Sika is committed to both employee development and delivering excellent customer service. As part of this commitment we wanted to bring all of our customer-focused employees’ technical knowledge to a consistent level, meaning they are able to confidently discuss general roofing and industry associated practices with our customers. I am proud to say that all of my colleagues successfully completed the intensive course and passed the AIoR exam, which now guarantees a certain level of technical understanding across all of our customer-facing roofing divisions. I’d like to thank my fellow learners for their efforts in completing the training as well as my colleagues in Learning and Development and our Technical and Product Managers who worked closely with the IoR to redesign and develop the course." Pete Manning, Marketing Manager
Sika Roofing team in IoR training course
Image: Sika Roofing team in IoR training course

The IoR Associate Member training course provides a professional qualification to anyone wishing to develop a greater working knowledge and understanding across all roofing industry sectors of Contracting, Manufacturing or  Distribution, whether you’re working on the tools or providing vital  admin or support services.

"As part of the continuous development of our membership qualification process we consulted across the UKto gauge the level of reception for a new, condensed, more intensive Associate Member course. Our previous offer was along traditional lines with students sitting in the classroom listening to lectures, revising at home then taking an exam at the end of the course. The new Associate Member course is developed around five non-consecutive classroom days of interactive learning coupled to directed self-learning with continuous assessment. It was in discussion with the team at Sika Ltd that we developed a new concept and approach for the AIoR qualification. Sika Ltd then assisted with the development and pilot of the new format which has allowed us to test and refine the course for future learners. The IoR are very grateful in particular to Jenny Thow (Sika Senior HR Advisor) and Pete Manning AIoR (Marketing Manager – Roofing) for their vital contribution and enthusiastic commitment to the project. We offer our hearty congratulations to the new Associate member" IoR Operations Director, Matthew Fry FIoR