The Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) has launched its new training website. Since its first training course in September 2013, the DHF has assisted almost 4,000 candidates in successfully completing a DHF training course. The federation says that educating the industry is an integral part of its offering.
The DHF’s first training website was launched in 2016 and offered refresher courses to those who had taken a face-to-face training course. The training programme has since been developed: in April 2020, amid the uncertainty of Covid-19, DHF launched its distance learning programme (DLP). The organisation then recognised that a website was needed, with the capability to host learning support for the newly launched DLP, as well as refresher courses. They wanted a website that would futureproof the DHF’s training offering. The new training website is the single, biggest investment DHF has made to date. It is hoped that it will enable users to access training information quickly and easily, providing a thorough overview of courses available to delegates.
“The new website gives us greater flexibility and is a further step forward in remaining a training centre of excellence for our learners,” said Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens, the DHF’s head of commercial operations. “Of the many benefits of the new training website, we will be able to update presentations in-house for our delegates and allow learners to sit accredited examinations online. It also delivers our DLP remotely – there is no need for learners to coordinate with their distance learning tutor; instead, they can learn online, controlling their own pace and learning journey. In addition, those who did not pass the face-to-face training course can now resit their examination, remotely.”
In addition to enabling a smoother training process for the learner, the new website aims to deliver its training presentation in bite-sized chunks, removing the need for delegates to sit through eight hours of presentations ahead of sitting an examination. Learners can then go back through the various presentations, to better absorb the information. The new website is also IOS compatible, offering the user a choice of platform from which to access the content.
“Despite an unprecedented 18 months, the DHF has continued to look to the future and prioritise its training programme and its learners (both members and non-members),” added Patricia. “Putting safe and compliant products on the market is central to our endeavours at DHF, and ensuring a competent workforce is very much a part of that.
“Our new website will ensure that our training courses are available to a much wider audience than at the present time, and provides the ultimate flexibility for delegates. If they wish to learn during the evenings or at weekends, they can. Remote learning is the future; we are delighted to be spearheading this in our sector.”
