Didac

Apprenticeship Standards (England) for Furniture and Wood Industry. Under the Apprenticeship Reforms, new Apprenticeship Standards will replace the old Apprenticeship Frameworks in England. The Furniture Manufacture Standard is now available at Level 2, which Didac is offering to all Employers and Apprentices. New Standards – what’s the difference? Each occupation will now have its own […]

Visit to Vastern Timber On the 30th March 2017, Didac staff and learners visited Vastern Timber, in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire.  The tour, allowed all to see their locally sourced tree, through to conversion, kiln drying and final machining processes. Vastern Timber is one of the largest British hardwood sawmills in the country, specialising in cutting […]

 Liam Martin wins W challenge Bristol-based woodworking apprentice, Liam Martin, 19, has been crowned the winner of W16’s very first woodworking and joinery competition, the W Challenge. Run by training provider, Didac, the talented finalist was given four-days to follow a strict brief that would see him and three further students put their skills to […]

BWF Launches Centre of Excellence Network to Revolutionise Apprenticeship Training 14 July 2016 To ensure the survival of quality apprenticeship training for the joinery industry, the BWF has launched a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) network of colleges and training providers.  The network was launched at BWF’s Members’ Day on 7th July – the biggest […]

Construction learners from across the South West gathered at South Devon College on Tuesday 12th April. They competed in the South West Regional Heat of Skillbuild 2016, a national construction competition delivered by the Skillbuild – Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). It has been running for over 45 years touring the country looking for the […]

The 2016 Health and Safety Sentencing Guidelines: How have things changed for companies? Introduction On 1 February 2016, the new sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences came into force. They direct the courts to consider the sentencing of offending organisations by way of a step-by-step approach, primarily examining culpability, the seriousness of harm risked […]

It’s one of the most momentous decisions we ever have to make: at the tender age of 16, we have to choose a career path that will inevitably shape our lives for years to come. But, with a widening skills gap emerging in the British woodworking sector, what is being done to entice talented students […]

Paying employer National Insurance contributions for apprentices under 25 Overview From 6 April 2016, if you employ an apprentice you may not need to pay employer Class 1 National Insurance contributions (NICs) on their earnings below £827 a week (£43,000 a year). They must be under 25 years old and following an approved UK government […]