The Tile Association now has five pieces of CPD material approved by RIBA for use by tiling industry professionals. The documents have been produced by members of TTA Technical working groups in partnership with relevant external bodies. They contain full bibliographies and references to British Standards where relevant.
Architects and specifiers have to carry out CPD training to keep their professional qualifications up-to-date, and the TTA’s ability to offer CPD material is another great service from the Association.
The topics covered by these technical documents are:
In each case the subject matter is consolidated into a single 40-page document which covers all aspects of the respective subjects.
Together these now comprise a significant body of material which is RIBA-approved and provides architects and specifiers with the best available information and guidance on a range of general and specific subjects related to tiling.
The TTA’s RIBA-approved CPD material will be available to TTA members as a download from the website. Architects are entitled to free TTA membership.
Grab a chance to win a car:
You now have the chance to win a brand new Skoda Citigo SE 3 door (worth over £8,550!) with the Children Today Charity Raffle. Draw tickets cost just £1 each for every entry – and will be distributed in the September issue of TSJ - and runner-up prizes include a family holiday in Cornwall and a luxury hamper.
All proceeds will go to the charity Children Today, which provides grants for specialised equipment for children and young people with disabilities.
The draw will take place on 29 March 2018.
If you want to take part and have a chance of winning, look out for your copy of September TSJ, which will have two books of raffle tickets enclosed.
Once sold, just return the payment, stubs and any unused tickets to Children Today by 28 February 2018 latest.
For full competition T&Cs, and more information about the draw, please visit the charity’s website at www.childrentoday.org.uk.
Improvements unveiled for TTA website
The TTA website - www.tiles.org.uk - has become a key resource for the whole tiling industry since its relaunch in 2014.
With information for fixers, contractors, distributors and manufacturers, as well as end-users, the site is now the first point of reference for anyone looking for information or guidance about tiling matters.
As well as information about the TTA itself, such as the services available from the Association, who the directors are, what the various committees do, and so on, there is a lot of information about training, project planning and access to the large technical library which the TTA has now built up, and a password-protected members area.
The site now attracts about 9,000 visitors a month, many of whom are potential customers looking for tiling services.
One of the most used sections of the site is the membership directory. Every TTA member is entitled to a listing here, with contact details, weblink and a text summary of their services. Here you will find everything from local fixers through to major retailers and distributors. It is known that many TTA members get a significant amount of business from this facility.
It is important that this information is kept as up-to-date as possible, so the first improvement which the TTA is now introducing is a password-protected facility for members to upload and edit their own online listings, including up to five gallery photos of their own choosing.
There is also a new Find a Service facility, which will enable users of the site to search specifically not just alphabetically, but for a Tiler or Retailer for example. Finally, following improvements at the back end of the website, it is now possible to obtain better reporting, enabling members to benefit more from their entry. It will now be possible to track all enquiries for instance.
These improvements strengthen further the TTA site as a resource for the industry. It should also be remembered that the main site is effectively part of a family of sites which now includes the dedicated TTA Awards website and the Tilezine news website, both of which are linked from www.tiles.org.uk.
Training is going well for WordSkills event
The 44th WorldSkills Competition will be taking place in Abu Dhabi in October 2017. Schlüter-Systems are the sponsors of the UK Squad. The other sponsors are RUBI, Johnson Tiles, BAL and the TTA.
The WorldSkills Competition is a flagship event. Held every two years, it is the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in the world, reflecting a global industry. A total of 72 member countries and regions will be taking part in the competition, showcasing the very best talent their country has to offer in 50 skills ranging from floristry to tiling.
Paul Doran, WorldSkills UK training expert, reports good progress from the UK team: “I have been working closely with Dave Rowley to progress the standards of wall and floor tiling to a regional, national level and on further alignment with WorldSkills,” says Doran.
It has been agreed that the key to increasing standards is for both Doran and Rowley to work together to get candidates from all regions across the UK involved at a competition level, allowing them to work on alignment and securing a place for wall and floor tiling within the worldskills cycle.
The Squad have achieved the minimum international benchmark standards in technical skills for wall and floor tiling.
They managed this as a result of a lot of hard work by all concerned and the vital sponsorship received from TTA members.
TTA Autumn and Winter
events are not to be missed The first upcoming event in this season’s social calendar is the Fixer’s Networking Event. This is a great opportunity for fixers to network, meet with colleagues and catch up on the latest TTA and industry news. The Fixer’s Networking Event takes place on 13th October at The Jugged Hare, Montcalm Hotel, London EC1.
This is a really superb venue, which majors on the highest quality food and styles itself as the finest gastro pub in the City of London. More information is available on the venue website at: www.thejuggedhare.com
The second event is The Tileman’s Lunch, which is to take place on 8th December at The Grazing Goat for the second year running. Those who attended last year will be aware of what a good venue this is.
The TTA pre-Christmas gathering is always popular, with bookings already being received, so do please book early to secure a place.
The Grazing Goat is in Marylebone, London W1 and the website is: www.thegrazinggoat.co.uk
TTA supports successful heritage event in June at Lincoln Cathedral
The TTA has supported The Worshipful Company of Tylers & Bricklayers at a Heritage Skills Festival, which was held at Lincoln Cathedral at the end of June.
This successful and unique event attracted over 10,000 people to view the ancient and modern trades and guilds of the London Livery Companies.
The demonstrations of four skilled crafts included encaustic tile making with Chris Cox of Craven Dunnill Jackfield, historic and modern roof tiling with Wright Roofing Limited, cut and rubbed brick moulding and bricklaying from Emma Simpson Brickwork Conservation, replicating a section of one the chimneys at Hampton Court, and clay sculpturing of gargoyle characters with Kaymer’s Ian Martinson.
The displays attracted a continuous flow of people into the Tylers & Bricklayers marquee. Some of the pieces made were auctioned off to raise funds to enable the continuation of the ongoing work to preserve this wonderful heritage building skills.