Please click here to download a copy of the rules for the All NEW Master Fitter Challenge 2020/21 – supported by The FIT Show
The Finals and Prize Giving
The finals will take place during August 2021. For the main competition this time round the finalists will be asked to install Timber, Aluminium and PVCu products, making the event truly a ‘Master Fitter’ challenge, while entrants to the Rising Stars Challenge will be tasked with installing a PVCu window and a PVCu door.
The winners will be presented with their prizes at the FIT Show in September 2021 with videos of the competition showcasing the skills of all the entrants running throughout the show on a dedicated video wall.
The area will also host demonstrations, masterclasses and other displays throughout the event before the prize giving presentations on the morning of the final day.
For the Master Fitter Challenge 2020/21 we want to give people the opportunity to nominate installers who buy their products. Anyone who buys your product directly or through an installer network can be nominated.
All you need to do is give us their name, company and phone number and we will do the rest.
We will make contact to say they have been recommended as a possible entrant to the Master Fitter Challenge or Rising Stars Challenge. There is no obligation on them to accept the invitation but we would want as many people as possible to get involved as possible, and this way of nominating should certainly help to achieve that and make the 2020/21 event the best ever.
The rules will be similar to previous years, but with greater use of video judging in the earlier rounds due to the ongoing Covid-19 challenges.
At the point of entering the competition installers will be asked to nominate themselves as specialists in a chosen field – which may be timber, aluminium or PVCu installation.
Having these categories does not change the overall competition in any way but it will give installers the opportunity to be recognised as ‘best in class’ for their chosen material preference.
After making their initial entry entrants will be asked to submit a short video of themselves demonstrating their skills, lasting between 3 and 5 minutes, as a part of the initial judging process.
The video can be continuous or a collection of shorter (around 1 minute) clips focussing on specific tasks e.g. beading a window, fitting glass, applying silicone, adjusting hardware, putting in fixings, finishing off etc.
This will give the judging team an early indication of key things such as, are entrants wearing the relevant PPE, do they fully understand the techniques they should be employing, are they using the correct tools etc.
Round 2
The next round will be an online interview for the judges to ask entrants key questions about installing, building regulations etc, and this will replace the previously used telephone interview round. It will make things more personal and is a more modern approach.
To provide a wider range of scoring opportunities judges will ask questions from a pre-prepared questionnaire which they will share visually on screen with candidates.
Round 3
Onsite judging will take place for round 3 and will include entrants installing some of the more difficult products their job entails – bay windows, bow windows, bi-folding doors, box sashes or something else, and these will be in the material preference they chose when entering the competition. It gives installers the chance to be judged ‘best in class’ in their material of choice.
The final two will go forward to a head to head live final to be held at in April 2021 where they will install products in at least three different material types.
Entrants to the Rising Stars challenge will be required to submit a short video of themselves lasting between 3 and 5 minutes, as a part of the entry process demonstrating their skills.
The video can be continuous or a collection of shorter (around 1 minute) clips focussing on specific tasks e.g. beading a window, fitting glass, applying silicone, putting in fixings etc.
This will give the judging team an early indication of key things such as, are entrants wearing the relevant PPE, do they fully understand the techniques they should be employing, are they using the correct tools etc.
Round 2
This will be followed up by an online interview for the judges to ask them key questions about installing, what they have learned about their trade since joining the industry, and what they understand of the challenges of carrying out their role.
To provide a wider range of scoring opportunities judges will ask questions from a pre-prepared questionnaire which they will share visually on screen with candidates.
Support, guidance and mentoring will be offered to entrants as they come through the early rounds to encourage them to develop their skills.
Round 3
Onsite judging will take place for round 3 for those who come through the earlier stages, and will include entrants installing a window, a door or a composite door. The final two will go forward to a head to head live final to be held at the Building Our Skills Academy in Sheffield in April 2021.
Please fill out the form below to submit your application and a member of the team will get back to you, alternatively you can download your copy of the application here and email it to info@gqaqualifications.com