PERI UK provides hands-on formwork training for Skills Centre students

PERI UK is offering construction apprentices the opportunity to get to grips with system formwork by replicating real project scenarios and helping to develop a site-ready workforce.

Students of The Skills Centre in Stratford, London – one of the UK’s leading providers of construction skills training – now have the option to visit the PERI UK exhibition hall and training centre in Brentwood, Essex to enhance their training out of the classroom and gain first-hand experience with PERI formwork solutions.

It’s what Terry Hall, PERI UK field services manager, calls a ‘familiarisation day’, and continues his and PERI UK’s advocation of making system formwork training an industry standard. Terry runs the training alongside Mark Addison, PERI site supervisor, guiding apprentices through a practical rotation of the systems PERI has in the Brentwood showroom, including heavy-duty and specialised equipment such as hydraulic climbing solutions and an overhead crane.

Terry has 35 years of industry experience and has been vocal about the need in the industry to acknowledge the importance of system formwork training. His advocacy led him to be named ‘Unsung Hero’ at the CONSTRUCT Day 2025 awards. The award, presented by the UK industry trade body dedicated to the in-situ concrete frames sector, recognised Terry’s passion and commitment to improving site safety by establishing robust, accredited formwork training programmes.

Practical experience with PERI UK

The new scheme is the evolution of an established relationship between PERI UK and The Skills Centre. PERI supplies the institution with lightweight materials to use at the college, including DUO, DOMINO, and SKYDECK.

“We’re providing apprentices with the tools and training to be site-ready,” says Terry. “These sessions aim to be as realistic as possible, and the bonus of panel formwork and panel soffit system education makes it stronger than you would get anywhere else.

“These apprentices are getting practical experience and leave the facility with good, working knowledge.”

The first session took place at the beginning of March 2026, with apprentices being taken through a short office-based introduction before heading to the showroom for practical work. The full-day workshop encourages familiarity, involvement, and enthusiasm with formwork they can take back to their workplace and employers.

This hands-on approach has been praised by tutors and apprentices attending the sessions.

“The training materials, demonstrations, and support were outstanding,” says Danny Dadwal, construction tutor at The Skills Centre, highlighting the depth of learning provided. “Our apprentices were able to dive straight into practical learning, gaining hands-on experience with systems like MAXIMO, SKYDECK, and DUO, as well as climbing systems. This immersive approach gives them a wealth of knowledge and practical skills that directly benefit their work on site.”

“We explored a hydraulic platform I hadn’t come across before,” says Connor Eames, a student from The Skills Centre who attended a PERI UK training day. “The way the hydraulics work, and how you can move multiple platforms at once, was fascinating.”

“I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I didn’t know this was even possible,’” adds fellow student Mark Breavington. “These systems could save significant time and cost and really open your mind to what’s possible.”