Saint-Gobain Building Distribution (SGBD) sister companies Jewson, Pasquill, Graham and Minster have officially opened a £500,000 training facility in Birmingham.

The idea of the Greenworks Training Academy was conceived by SGBD chief executive Peter Hindle 18 months ago and sets out to be “the best training academy in the country”.

The 15,000ft² academy offers a multi-purpose, open-plan training space with products and building solutions in real-life settings. It has a focus on sustainable building products, but also features more mainstream ones.

Demonstration areas include room sets for wet and dry work, a dedicated low level roofing rig, a training set for the commissioning of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic systems, an elevated pit drainage and rainwater harvesting system, as well as replica sales counter area.

The facility also has two inter-connecting training rooms with full IT and internet access.

Training is being offered for both SGBD employees and for the group’s customers. The fine detail of whether customer training is offered for a fee or in exchange for discounted product is still being worked through.

“All the major trades that come into our branches are featured at the academy and training our staff here gives them a real insight into our customers’ businesses,” said Amanda Dodd, SGBD’s head of training and development. “If you understand the products you are far more likely to sell them,” she added.

Training courses will be scheduled in line with customer demand and changes to legislation, product and market drivers and will be carried out by specialist training companies and manufacturers.

“We’re encouraging our branch managers to enlist their staff for training,” said Steve Warwick, SGBD’s sustainable solutions director. He stressed, however, that the company wasn’t “imposing training from the back office” but that it would be offered in a much more interactive way.

“We’re saying to our branch managers, ‘you tell us where the gaps [in understanding] are and we’ll fill them. You tell us what you and your customers want and we’ll provide the relevant training’.”

At full capacity, Greenworks Training Academy can cater for 60 people per day, five days a week. The practical hands-on training is also complemented by a new e-learning website, the Greenworks Learning Gateway.

To register interest in attending a course, visit www.jewson.co.uk or tel: 024 7643 8400.