Nightingale Roofing and Building Services cement business success with the help of Train to Gain

Small business, Nightingale Roofing & Building Services was set up by brothers Markus and Maurice Micklewright in 2003 with only a van and several thousand pounds worth of tools.

During this time, the company has grown and now employs nine people and is expected to hit a £1 million turnover over the next year. Markus was aware that training employees in a broad range of skills was key to their businesses success. As a result, he contacted Train to Gain, the Government’s flagship service to support employers in England of all sizes and in all sectors, to improve the skills of their employees, unlock talent and drive their businesses performance.

Train to Gain put Markus in touch with Plymouth-based skills broker Janet Powell.

‘I gave Janet the information about where we had come from and where we wanted to be and she went away and found out what training was available,’ says Markus.

‘Nothing was too much trouble for her. She found suitable NVQ courses through the South Wales & South West Roofing Training Group in Exmouth and also tracked down supervisory skills training courses for our team leaders. Four people have been doing the NVQ courses and the team leaders will do their training over the coming year.’

Markus and Maurice are delighted with the benefits Train to Gain has brought to their business. Train to Gain enabled some employees to embark on a Flag-UK course in single ply membrane roofing & green roof installations, which significantly helped the business win a £400,000 contract.

‘Train to Gain has been invaluable,’ says Markus. ‘The advice and support that Janet has given us and the funding she has sourced have enabled us to deliver some excellent projects.

‘One of the most important benefits to our clients is that they are able to have the complete package from one company. They recognise that being able to deal with one contractor, delivering a variety of roofing systems, keeps costs down. This is a really attractive initiative.’

‘We would not have the level of business we have if we hadn’t put training first and attended the courses. Our employees appreciate that we are investing in them and as a result they are committed, motivated and very loyal. They will all go that extra mile.’

‘Training has given them more skills, greater earning power, job security and job diversity. We can send any of them to a repair or an emergency. One week they might be working on the roof of a cathedral, the next they might be on a new-build. They are highly skilled in a variety of systems additional to their areas of speciality.’

To read more Train to Gain employer Success Stories, please visit traintogain.gov.uk