Building materials manufacturer, Glidevale Protect, has lent its support to five colleges in Scotland by donating a range of its specialist products for students to use as part of their hands-on training.
In recent months, the manufacturer has donated well over 100 rolls, totalling over 14,000m2 of its Protect TF200 Thermo and Protect VC Foil Ultra wall construction membranes to Borders College in Galashiels, Fife College, West Lothian College in Livingston, Glasgow Clyde College and West College Scotland, which has three campuses in Paisley, Greenock and Clydebank.
Scotland is leading the way in the UK in terms of structural timber, and it’s estimated that timber frame construction currently accounts for around 95% of all new homes built in Scotland (Source: Structural Timber Association). The construction membrane products donated by Glidevale Protect were therefore chosen because of their suitability for use in timber frame buildings, giving students valuable real-world, hands-on experience as part of their training and apprenticeships.
John Mellor, Head of Marketing at Glidevale Protect, commented: “As a business, we’re committed to supporting construction professionals at every stage of their careers. Working together with colleges like this is a practical way we can play our part in helping the next generation to develop the skills they need to build the homes, schools and workplaces of the future.
“With more emphasis on energy and thermal efficiency in new builds, it’s important for colleges to ensure students are up-to-speed with reflective wall membranes such as Protect TF200 Thermo and Protect VC Foil Ultra which are designed to improve the energy efficiency of a building’s fabric. Such specialist products need to be installed accurately to minimise the performance gap. By donating these products we’re giving students the opportunity to work with the type of specialist materials they’ll encounter throughout their careers.”
Steven Morrison, Faculty Director of West Lothian College added “The use of these products is really enhancing our curriculum, providing a hands-on learning experience and helping ensure students are industry ready, as well as strengthening the college’s commitment to sustainable construction practice. Thanks again, we really appreciate the support.”
In addition, Glidevale Protect has delivered a CPD on roofing for students at Edinburgh College and donated some of its Protect Zytec vapour permeable roofing underlay material for the college students to use as part of their practical learning. Its low vapour resistance helps to avoid the risk of harmful condensation and is suitable for use across all pitched cold and warm roofs, providing a secondary line of defence against wind driven rain and snow.
