Previously, Signlink has reported on those who believe the NVQ and CSCS cards are unattainable because of the cost, and those who argue that a qualification is necessary for the industry to survive.

Just to recap, the CSCS cards allow operatives to gain access to a building site to install signage, and to receive the correct CSCS card for sign-makers, the right qualification is needed—the NVQ.

Norman Mayhew, managing director of The Sussex Sign Company, has waded in on the debate firmly on the NVQ side. He argues that the reason limited numbers of young people join the industry is because there is a lack of an academic route into the sector.

Everyone in our company is trained, and they have the CSCS cards, so I know they’ve been through the qualifications”

Mayhew explains: “At the moment, young people are at school and they decide they want to go to university, taking the academic option and getting a degree, and that leads to a job. Or, they decide they don’t want to take academic options and they want to become an apprentice.

“Now, everyone knows the importance of qualifications when they become an apprentice. So, if you’re a school leaver, and you are talking with your loved ones, about what job you want to do because you don’t want to go to university, then I am sure your parents are saying something like get a job or a trade, get qualifications under your belt, and then you’ll always have something to fall back on.”

Mayhew continues to explain that all of his staff have the NVQ qualification—it even says it in their holding song on the phone—because the customer knowing that the staff are trained to a good level is important.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” he says, adding: “And when somebody actually teaches you, or trains you to a standard, and you pass the NVQ to that standard, then you know that you can put some vinyl on. I’ve seen people who have bought franchises, spent two weeks training, and have then gone out, called themselves sign-makers, fitted a sign on the wall, and it has fallen down.”

Norman Mayhew is a keen advocate of training and qualifications, to get new members into the industry, and for safety reasons

Having the correct qualifications or training is also key for safety. If a sign is fitted incorrectly, it could fail and fall down, with the potential of hurting an operative or injuring a member of the public. Mayhew highlights that safety is a key point when arguing the case of the NVQ.

Mayhew explains: “Everyone in our company is trained, and they have the CSCS cards, so I know they’ve been through the qualifications. They know when or when not to do something, because there’s asbestos there for example. To train someone properly on scaffolding is important, because they could die and not go home at night. Training someone properly on a cherry picker is important too.”

It is clear that safety is an important aspect is the sign-making industry, and it is definitely something that Mayhew thinks about when training his staff at The Sussex Sign Company. It is also obvious that this debate will not finish any time soon.

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