What is the UK Trainee Kit Programme?
Keeping good tools out of landfill and getting them into hands that can make good use of them has underpinned our work for over 45 years. Our training projects in Africa are thriving, however the evolving nature of how we equip them means we are not required to ship as many tools from the UK.
Donations of tools to us have not reduced though, and as such we have a regular stock of quality hand tools that are refurbished and ready to be put to work.
To support progression into trades employment – while also extending the life of tools that would otherwise go to waste – we are developing partnerships with UK organisations that deliver trade skills training, and providing their trainees with their own trade-specific tool kits.
The programme also aims to support wider UK priorities around addressing construction skills shortages, improving access to vocational training and increasing participation from underrepresented groups in the construction workforce.
What organisations do we partner with?
Our UK kit-provision programme prioritises organisations supporting individuals in the UK who face social, physical or economic barriers to accessing skills training and employment, for example (though not exclusive to):
- NEETs
- Apprentices – particularly those from low-income households and deprived areas
- Unemployed adults and/or those seeking to retrain
- Individuals with disabilities or additional learning needs
- Prison-leavers
- Ex-military moving into civilian life
- Asylum seekers
General criteria for partner selection
The below criteria provides an overview of the sort of organisations we’re looking to work with.
- Must be UK-based
- Registered organisation – with Companies House and/or the Charity Commission.
- Small to medium-sized training provider – with approximately 10-30 trainees per trade, or up to 100 trainees annually, with sufficient capacity to manage any administration, communication and trainee support related to kit-provision activity.
- Minimum income of £100k per year – preference will be given to organisations with financial stability, particularly those with the capacity to fully or partly contribute to kit provision costs where resources allow.
- Deliver courses with recognised qualifications – along with clear pathways into employment or further training.
- Deliver trades aligned with the tools we can provide – i.e. Carpentry/Joinery, Bricklaying, Building/Construction.
- Can demonstrate trainee need – i.e. show that trainees would struggle to obtain tools independently, and/or this presents a barrier to progression into employment.
- Can commit to supporting us with monitoring and impact reporting – to support us in securing grant funds where required to develop and expand this activity, for example trainee surveys, case studies, progression tracking, employment outcomes
- Able to promote the partnership and general programme through your communication channels
For example, social media/websites, newsletters, relevant open days etc.
Who funds the kit-provision?
As a charity with limited resources, we are unable to simply give tool kits away. The tools have been donated to us – but their collection, transportation, sorting, refurbishment and packing incurs material and logistical costs which we must cover.
If your organisation is not in a position to purchase kits directly, we can look to work together to secure grant funding where required to make this a sustainable activity. In this instance, we would ask the partner organisation to directly support this by formally agreeing to:
- Approach any funding bodies they already have links with to discuss the potential to fund this activity.
- Work with us to explore and develop joint funding bids.
- Provide us with appropriate information regarding your organisation and trainees that will support any grant funds we are exploring.
We can also consider running a pilot activity whereby we provide a limited number of kits for selected courses, with the specific purpose of gaining information and feedback regarding the impact the kits have made, to aid in the application for grants to continue the provision to other courses.
What tool kits can be provided?
The tools we have are relevant to trades such as:
Carpentry/Joinery
Construction/Bricklaying
Electrical installation
Automechanics
From a list of available tools we can create customised kits that you feel would suit your trainees. Sample kits will be provided for you review the quality of tools before moving forward.
The size/weight of kits needs to be considered for general ease of mobility for delivery and for the trainees, so depending on the trade and size of certain tools, kits usually contain 10-20 hand tools that cover the basic requirements of the relevant trade.
Depending on the size of the kit, tools will come in a box made from recycled wood, or a refurbished plastic/metal general toolbox.
Where do we start?
If you would like to discuss a potential tool-provision partnership with us, please contact info@tfsr.org – and provide the following:
- Organisation name and website
- Location of your main offices/training centre
- Main contact for us at your organisation
- The type of training courses and trades you deliver
- Who your courses are aimed at.