Steve Coley, Immediate Past President of FIS is supporting the BuildBack Programme by providing work experience to four of the drylining trainees currently attending the two-week Specialist Upskilling Programme at South & City College, Birmingham. The trainees will start their work experience at Lakeside Ceilings and Partitions on 26 March. Listen to Steve’s testimonial below as to why he is supporting the FIS initiative:

FIS is addressing the acute shortage of skilled drylining operatives in the fit-out sector by working with partners such as CITB, Jobcentreplus, Local Authority Councils and Colleges in delivering the FIS BuildBack Programme. We need employers to get on board with Steve Coley and back the FIS initiative by providing two weeks’ work experience; there will be no cost for your company as candidates will have a valid CSCS card, PPE kit and a basic toolkit.

We are currently running the BuildBack Programme in Birmingham and Lewisham with trainees attending their two-week Specialist Upskilling Programme at South & City College Birmingham and Lewisham Southwark College. If you’re a contractor with current projects in the Midlands then we need you! The BuildBack trainees will be available from 26 March and will be site-ready to provide wage-free assistance on your projects.

Getting involved in BuildBack and taking on trainees for work experience is a prime opportunity for you to prove some aspects of fulfilment of Section 106 contractual obligations. Other benefits include:

  • Meet and personally select candidates you want to offer two weeks’ work experience to, ensuring they are the best fit for your team
  • Candidates will have already received two weeks’ basic training in drylining
  • Candidates will be site-ready and will effectively add value to your business from day one
  • Candidates will have a valid CSCS card, PPE kit and a basic toolkit
  • Jobcentreplus will support candidates for the duration of their training and on-site work experience, meaning no overhead costs for your business
  • Boost your workforce and future-proof your business by training drylining operatives who will add value to your bottom line
  • Receive full funding for NVQ Level 2 qualification in drylining through on-site assessment and training (OSAT)

Further information on the BuildBack programme can be found in the Skills Hub here. Employers should register their interest by emailing: skills@thefis.org