Rockwool expands training offer with new academy

Building a skilled workforce is crucial to driving growth and ensuring compliance in the construction industry.

To support this, stone wool insulation manufacturer ROCKWOOL has invested in a new training academy to help professionals strengthen their knowledge and expand their practical experience. We asked product and technical solutions director Ben Peach about how professionals – from contractors to safety consultants – can access ROCKWOOL’s technical expertise to further develop their knowledge and skills.

The introduction of the Building Safety Act means the focus has widened to include capability in addition to skills when it comes to delivering construction projects safely and to recognised quality standards. While this has resulted in a stronger regulatory regime, ROCKWOOL is complementing this structured advice with practical and engaging courses to help ensure everyone working on a project – across a range of roles and abilities – can make informed choices around building design and performance, providing a dedicated, tiered approach to learning for all levels of knowledge.

“It’s not so much that the right information isn’t out there,” said ROCKWOOL’s Ben Peach. “It’s about construction and building professionals being able to access the right information at the right time, in a way that is tailored to their role. And that’s what our new training academy aims to do. We have designed our courses to allow those taking part to stay up to date with compliance and best practice, with training delivered in a dedicated environment to help strengthen technical knowledge and develop practical experience.

“Most importantly as face to face training, it provides a real insight into where errors can creep in that may otherwise go unnoticed. This is vital to ensure correct and compliant installation, but also accurate design and maintenance.”

We combine theory and practice so those taking part not only build on their knowledge, but also fully understand what best practice looks like 

Ben Peach, product and technical solutions director, Rockwool

Located at ROCKWOOL’s Hams Hall site in Birmingham, where it manufactures its new range of FirePro fire-stopping products, the training academy is the cornerstone to what is now the firm’s global centre of excellence for fire-stopping.  

The purpose-built facility opened in January, and has now supported a wide range of professionals across a variety of organisations to complete ROCKWOOL’s fire-stopping course. New courses are being added to the timetable this year to accommodate demand and meet the goal of enhancing competency through defined support and exact practice using custom-made installation rigs.

Ben said, “At the training academy we combine theory and practice so those taking part not only build on their knowledge, but also fully understand what best practice looks like in the physical application of fire-stopping products.

“Our courses are designed to be engaging and hands-on so that people get the time they need on focused practice to ultimately enhance levels of competency in the industry. We give people the opportunity to apply what they know and have learned in practical situations, so they understand how to use products correctly.”

Excellence in fire-stopping

Among those to already benefit from the fire-stopping training course are specifiers, installers and fire engineers, as well as estate managers from the public and private sectors.

The one-day fire-stopping course has been flexibly designed so it can be delivered to meet the attendee’s level of experience, whether novice, intermediate or advanced professional. Led by ROCKWOOL’s experienced trainers and technical specialists, the sessions are intended to complement wider industry guidance to support high-quality building performance, compliance and safety.

Ben, who has more than 20 years’ senior experience at the forefront of the UK’s fire-stopping industry, said it is often the moments when people are handling products on a course that prove to be the most compelling learning points. 

He explains, “You really get to learn about the qualities of a material by handling it for yourself. You just can’t beat that practical hands-on experience. You learn what works and what doesn’t work – and about how not to do things as well as the right way. The lessons you learn stay with you when you learn hands on.”

Tailored to need

Courses at the ROCKWOOL training academy, centrally located five minutes from the M42, M6 and M6 Toll, are designed to take advantage of the face-to-face learning environment. As well as classroom sessions, there is valuable hands-on time with ROCKWOOL’s roofing, fire-stopping, HVAC and fire protection ranges on rigs designed to mirror real building applications.

 In welcoming company bookings, the academy team can tailor the practical elements of the course so they are relevant and appropriate to those attending.

 The course covers the following topics:

• What is fire-stopping and why is it essential?
• Legislation and compliance
• Government and industry guidance
• Product theory and options
• Next Generation FirePro – a deep dive into the products
• Installation theory
• Case studies
• FirePro standard details
• Tour of the ROCKWOOL FirePro factory
• Practical installation sessions.

 Attendees receive a certificate of attendance, and continuing professional development (CPD) credits. 

Online learning resources

For those who can’t make it to the academy just yet, ROCKWOOL also has a wide range of online learning resources available, including on-demand courses available through its eLearning platform. These are accessible through the online learning hub at www.rockwool.com/uk/education-and-training/learning/

 The hub is home to a number of CPDs covering everything from acoustics to health and safety, with a key focus on maintaining fire safety, as well as “toolbox talk” video installation guides for a wide range of ROCKWOOL products. ROCKWOOL trainers can also deliver CPDs – either online or in person – specifically for customers. You can find out more about these here.

ROCKWOOL’s commitment

Awareness of the changes in force as a result of the Building Safety Act is high across the construction industry, but practical readiness is something that needs to be nurtured, according to ROCKWOOL.

Ben added: “As the industry continues to adapt to the changes brought about by the Building Safety Act, ROCKWOOL is committed to supporting best practice and our education and training initiatives are key to that.

“While the Building Safety Act is a catalyst for change and has driven the focus on competency and responsibility, it’s not just about that – it’s about giving people the information they need to do their jobs properly. In construction, people are working in a safety-critical field and giving people the skills and knowledge they need to specify and install materials safely is the right thing to do. As a manufacturer we take our role in supporting that seriously.”

Ben is excited about the new possibilities opened up by the academy. “A state-of-the-art training facility like this is a real bonus to the construction industry, particularly those concerned with fire-stopping.

“Offering expert-led practical sessions as well as specification and installation guidance, it shows that through collaboration and the sharing of expertise and knowledge, we can achieve high-quality building performance, compliance and safety. There’s nothing better than learning in person – I’d like to see as many industry professionals as possible coming through the doors at the academy,” he enthuses.

“This type of education not only supports the development of a strong, more resilient workforce for our clients, but it also contributes to a more efficient supply chain with contractors working with greater competency and technical knowledge of the products they are installing – and ultimately it supports a safer built environment.”

Find out more

To discuss learning needs and find out more about the courses available at the ROCKWOOL Training Academy, click here.