GQA Qualifications Blog

Friday 19 August 2016

Date Set! The count down begins to Master Fitter Challenge 2017

Over three events The FIT Show has given away £30,000 in prize money and many times that value in terms of bragging rights to the window, door and conservatory industry’s best installers. The challenges have become tougher – this year’s finals were proclaimed to set new parameters in terms of sheer physical hard work and required skills – and the competition sets grander, and now the countdown to the 2017 Master Fitter Challenge begins.

Next year’s event will take place for the first time at the world-class National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, and is expected to attract thousands more visitors from all over the UK with many more travelling from overseas. Thus The FIT Show and the Master Fitter Challenge will greet a huge audience with a brand new competition Pavilion and six finalists undertaking new challenges.

“The industry has moved on,” said Mick Clayton, CEO of GQA , who organise the Master Fitter Challenge on behalf of The FIT Show, “and we have to reflect the products and trends that will face the market in 2017 and beyond. The skills displayed this year amongst the six finalists were excellent and it was a master-class in just how windows, doors and roofs should be installed. We expect even higher skills to be shown at the NEC.”

For 2017 a number of new challenges are being considered including aluminium frames, reflecting the continued boom in sales of aluminium windows, bi-folding and sliding doors, whilst the Master Fitter Challenge technical team is looking at including a lantern roof to set the bar higher once again. These are in addition to the regular challenges including PVC-U windows and composite doors with the full programme to be announced later in the year.


“The Master Fitter Challenge is more popular than ever,” said Paul Godwin, for The FIT Show, “and we want more entrants than ever. The prize money stays at £10,000 but the kudos of adding the MFC winner’s logo on van-sides and brochures is worth a great deal more. The passion past winners’ have shown when they collect their trophies has been fantastic. They are real, committed professionals.”

Entries are being welcomed early to ensure plenty of time is allowed for the process of qualifying, which includes in depth interviews and site visits by GQA-MFC assessors, before determining the final six to compete at the NEC for the title of Master Fitter 2017.

Questions about entry can be directed to GQA-MFC, at FITenquiries@gqaqualifications.com or telephone 0114 272 0033

The FIT Show takes place in Halls, 6, 7 & 8 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) 23-25 May 2017. For further information go to http://www.fitshow.co.uk