CFA Contract Flooring Industry Training Guide 2026–2027 Supports Skills, Training and Competence

By Shaun Wadsworth, CFA Deputy CEO

The CFA Contract Flooring Industry Training Guide 2026–2027 is now live on the Contract Flooring Association (CFA) website, in the ‘Downloads’ section. This guide is the definitive resource for the latest information on sector training opportunities in the UK, including apprenticeships, qualifications, training courses, funding and recruitment signposting.

This Guide reinforces CFA’s continued support of skills, training and competence, remaining key priorities as the construction industry continues to adapt to new legislation, competence requirements and workforce challenges. The Guide also outlines the significant progress made through the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA), with apprenticeship delivery expanding, increased funding secured in England for all providers, continued support for training in Scotland and Wales, and plans to further grow apprenticeship opportunities.

The CFA believe it is important employers have access to this kind of information to make calculated and informed decisions on skills, labour and training. The CFA provides advice on training as one of the many benefits available to members and is fairly unique in co-founding its own training organisation, FITA, to deliver formal training to the sector.

Raising competence

The skills and training landscape is full of transition and change with CFA supporting and guiding its members through multiple projects. Competence within the construction industry and flooring has become one of the most pressing, complex and often controversial topics of recent years. The complexity lies in the sheer breadth of trades, products and contractual responsibilities involved in modern construction projects with the introduction of the new Building Safety Regulator and the implementation of gateways for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB) has been a particular area of concern.

CFA as always have been proactive in ensuring that members voices are heard and kept informed of changes and they may impact them directly. In late 2025, CFA launched its first guidance document on the subject area Competence in the Contract Flooring Sector. It provides practical, clear advice for our members and the wider industry on competence expectations within flooring and is available to members for free. But this is not a static document: it will be reviewed and updated as legislation and industry requirements evolve. In that context, there has never been a more important time to be a CFA member. Membership provides a route to stay informed, supported, and legally compliant in a rapidly changing landscape.

Future Fitters: recruiting more floorlayers

The CFA also updated another key skills and training document – Future Fitters, A Comprehensive Guide for Employers and Employees. Using the first edition (originally launched in 2022) as a springboard, that guide continues to serve as a comprehensive industry resource for anyone looking to build a career in flooring, while supporting employers and training providers to play their part in securing our future workforce. The guide offers practical advice on everything from advertising roles to apprenticeship options and mentoring opportunities for experienced professionals looking to give something back.

Success stories included within that guide are strong and varied, we’ve lobbied successfully to dramatically increase apprenticeship funding in England, through our training arm, FITA, apprenticeship delivery has expanded rapidly and we’re now well on track to engage with 50 apprentices and a host of supportive businesses. In Scotland, we played a pivotal role in ensuring apprenticeship delivery continues at CITB Inchinnan, safeguarding opportunities for young people north of the border. And in Wales we continue to support training providers, awarding bodies and employers in supporting the updating and delivery of apprenticeship qualifications there too.

Growing collaboration

Perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects has been the growing collaboration across the sector. Manufacturers, distributors, and contractors alike have come together to support new training initiatives and share ideas about how we can work collectively to close the skills gap. One area we’re particularly passionate about is improving diversity within our workforce. The flooring sector has long been male dominated, but it doesn’t have to be and the guide offers some great examples of diversity within the trade.

The CFA also continues to work in conjunction with various government bodies on skills and training, supporting the flooring industry through training reforms, government department changes, funding changes and competence frameworks, which all affect the skills and training of current and future workforces. And there is lots of changes to come: apprenticeship assessment reforms, implementation of competence frameworks, CITB funding changes, NVQ qualification level changes and apprenticeship levy changes to name but a few. But these are all seen within the CFA as opportunities to raise the profile of the qualification alongside other similar construction trades where the CFA believe it rightfully belongs.

Over the next 12 months we are excited to guide industry in engaging with sectors such as ELCAS (Education Learning Credits Administration Service) who offer training support for those leaving MOD service. We also envisage better collaboration with DWP (Department for Workplace and Pensions) and prisoner reform agencies in the same vein, which allows our sector to tap into areas of new skills and labour that were previously not available.

Continued support for skills and training

The CFA continues to proactively represent members’ views on training and related funding to regulatory bodies and CITB, while at the same time investing in FITA, which was specifically set up to deliver some of the training required by the flooring sector. This type of venture is relatively unusual for a trade association to undertake and demonstrates the level of our commitment. This includes increasing the apprenticeship delivery at the Loughborough training centre to 50 apprentices on rolling cohorts and further cohorts in conjunction with industry stakeholders also planned.

Finally, the combination of short duration courses, qualifi cation support (including NVQ assessment and on-site assessment), sector specific accreditations and clear focus on apprenticeships, means that through both FITA and other supported activities, the CFA is extremely active in delivering much of the training the sector needs.

Visit the CFA Contract Flooring Industry Training Guide 2026–2027.