The only further education college in the country to deliver courses in mastic asphalt, London’s Hackney Community College relies upon support from Mastic Asphalt Council (MAC) members. With a new term underway and a brand new group of first year students, roofing and waterproofing specialist IKO donated 10 tonnes of roofing grade mastic asphalt to the college to give the trainees a perfect start to their careers in the trade.
MAC aims to protect the future of the industry by supporting apprentices through an intensive three year training programme that will ensure they can install mastic asphalt to the highest standard. The craft training programme at Hackney Community College is also one of the most demanding in the construction industry and leads to a Level 3 NVQ qualification.
Students can utilise the state-of-the-art facilities at Hackney Community College which include a workshop replicating a real work site and a one-tonne asphalt mixer. To give the students raw materials with which they learn the practical elements of this age-old trade, IKO supplied 10 tonnes of mastic asphalt to the college, free of charge.
A number of first year Mastic Asphalt students were joined by IKO Managers, Marcus Lee, Mike Smith and Malcolm Grinstead, to receive the high quality roofing grade materials. As part of the course, experts from IKO will return to Hackney Community College to provide industry lectures to the students, and have invited the group to visit the company’s new facility in Derbyshire.
The mastic asphalt course combines practical and theory lessons, as well as the very latest health and safety policies – to ensure every student that completes the course is ready for employment. At Hackney Community College, students are given the tools, skills and expertise to safely apply the product in a variety of ways and onto a variety of surfaces – with the support of MAC and IKO helping to ensure the future of the mastic asphalt industry is in good hands.