FIS, working with developer Reference Point, has launched the first online training course booking platform that automatically adds newly achieved qualifications to individuals’ CSCS cards.

CourseSight, which can be accessed through the FIS Skills Hub, brings together details of courses specific to the finishes and interiors sector, making accessing and booking training quick and easy.  Registered companies can also manage all their employees’ training requirements through a tailored dashboard system.

In addition, any course outcome that relates to CSCS cardholders gets passed directly to SkillSight™, enabling the information to be surfaced whenever the CSCS card is checked out on site.

‘In 2012 we commissioned an Interior Sector Training Review which identified the need for an online interiors sector training portal, to provide a single point of reference for our sector training requirements. CourseSight is the first element of the portal which will be launched later this year,’ said FIS chief executive David Frise. ‘The fact that qualifications are automatically transferred to individuals CSCS cards gives it a USP,’ he added.

FIS and Reference Point worked with a selected number of training providers to develop the site.  These providers will be the first to populate the site with their training offering and have been nominated FIS ‘approved’ providers.

Dave Hall, National Technical Academy manager at British Gypsum, said: ‘In response to the Stockerl Review, in 2015 we decided to partner with four colleges nationally to increase the level of formal routes to training for employers, and help give apprentices the best start in their careers. We also deliver upskilling programmes and training routes to help experienced workers gain NVQ level 2 qualifications. The new FIS CourseSight platform means we can make formal training like this more easily available – maximising our support for the development of skills in the finishes and interiors sector.’

Dan Plosky, managing director of training provider Now Get Qualified, which offer NVQs via the OSAT route in many interior and exterior occupations added: ‘Many companies, and individuals, are unsure how to locate suitable Training Providers. Having an online portal like FIS CourseSight means courses can be located and booked with ease and managed efficiently.

Today, the government published proposals for a new funding model for apprenticeships and further details on the apprenticeship levy. Under the plans for the levy, the government has proposed that employers that are too small to pay the levy, will have 90% of the costs of training paid for by the government.

Extra support, worth £2,000 per trainee, will also be available for employers and training providers that take on 16 to 18-year-old apprentices or young care leavers. Employers with fewer than 50 employees will also have 100% of training costs paid for by government if they take on these apprentices.

To download the proposal documents and take part in a survey, click here.

The Department for Education’s new minister for skills and apprenticeships, Robert Halfon, will unveil details on the structure of its proposed apprenticeship levy on Friday 12 August. Details of the levy were first expected to be published in June, but this was pushed back following the Brexit vote.

As a result of the Government’s delay in issuing further information regarding the operation of the apprenticeship levy, Build UK intends to support the CBI’s call for a one year delay in the levy’s introduction. The levy is currently scheduled to take effect in April 2017, giving companies insufficient time to plan for the new arrangements.

With the introduction of the levy, changes to apprenticeships through trailblazers, and the Government’s recently published Skills Plan, Build UK will be working with the new ministers and CITB to ensure that “the outcome of construction training and qualifications delivered by or on behalf of the industry meets the needs of employers and that sufficient employment and apprenticeship opportunities are available to maintain a skilled and professional workforce”.

If FIS members have any comments on Build UK’s position, please contact FIS by Monday 15 August 2016.

From October 2016, the UK BIM Alliance will take up the mantle of Level 2 leadership. The Alliance will provide the umbrella network for the Communities, Regions and aligned industry organisations to achieve the widespread adoption and implementation of BIM Level 2 by 2020 – “business as usual”.

The Alliance will support the communities by co-ordinating collateral and knowledge whilst the communities continue to support industry in the digital transformation of the built environment sector. With the Task Group moving on to focus on Level 3 development under the Digital Built Britain initiative, The Alliance will continue the push into industry to lead the BIM Level 2 agenda.

The new CITB Advisor role has been in place since the beginning of April and colleagues in these new roles are working hard with employers through Training Groups, Advisory Forums, Federations and other groups to help ensure they achieve the right skills for our members’ business. Employers are therefore invited to attend the next round of scheduled Employer Advisory Forums which are due to take place in the autumn at a number of regional venues. Early booking is essential as these events are very popular.

These regional events provide you with the opportunity to get advice and support for your business and an opportunity to have your say on matters important to you. It is also a chance to debate the issues of the day and work with CITB to provide solutions. Look out for the dates and booking details for the autumn Forums very soon.There is also a wide variety of CITB support available for individual construction businesses depending on your business needs.

CITB is currently contacting all employers who are likely to be liable for the new Apprenticeship levy to discuss this with them individually. Telephone support and online services are also available for queries about the CITB Grants scheme and other topics. Currently the CITB ‘contact us’ web page provides all the details you should need for most enquiries including phone numbers, webchat for levy and grant, links and videos at www.citb.co.uk/contact-us/

Our members are invited to attend a Citation Business Briefing, various dates in August and September are available at venues across England and Northern Ireland.

Join expert consultants who will discuss the latest HR and Health & Safety updates and advice to support you and your business. More information here.

The Plasterboard Resource Efficiency Action Plan (REAP) produced by the Plasterboard Sustainability Partnership (PSP) sets targets for reducing waste across the sector.

FIS along with Build UK have been asked to commit to a reduction in waste target of 15% by 2020. There are currently no records across our sector for plasterboard waste. In order to understand the levels of plasterboard waste in the sector, the FIS Drywall Group has proposed a biannual survey of members using a single method to record waste.

Download the document here

Plasterboard Company Waste Report

Plasterboard Site Waste Report

The minutes of the Construction Products Association Technical Committee held on Thursday 14 July has now been uploaded to the FIS Members’ Zone. CPA Technical Report

This EMEA perspective provides a valuable tool for companies with capital expenditure programmes to compare costs and inform decision-making. JLL has priced an actual project in a consistent way across 19 countries, providing directly comparable costs for a modern corporate standard of fit-out.

The report identifies ‘6 key points’ that companies should follow to ensure capital expenditure programmes are fully aligned with business performance objectives. Visit the website and download the report here.

Construction employers and unions have reached agreement on an improved two year pay and conditions deal for workers covered by the Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) Working Rule Agreement.

The first 2.5% increase on basic rates of pay will be introduced from Monday 25 July 2016, with a further increase of 2.75% to be introduced from Monday 26 June 2017. The hourly rates cover general operatives, skilled and craft workers, and apprentices. For apprentices in the second or final year of training who are aged between 21 and 24, the National Minimum Wage must apply. This is currently £6.70 per hour for someone aged 21 to 24 and will increase to £6.95 per hour from 1 October 2016.

For apprentices aged 25 and over and in their second or final year of training the National Living Wage must apply. This is currently £7.20 per hour for someone aged 25 and over, and will increase from 1 April 2017.

Taxed daily travel allowance, which will come into effect as of 1 August 2016 and will now be calculated in miles rather than kilometres, will also increase by 2.75%. The non-taxed fare allowance will increase by the Retail Price Index (RPI) for the 12 month period to March 2017, subject to HMRC approval.

The non-taxed subsistence allowance of £36.00 per night will be increased in-line with RPI for the 12 month period to March 2017. New fare and travel allowance scales, as well as a new subsistence allowance, will be
promulgated in May 2017. Industry sick pay will be £118.00 per week and will increase to £122.50 per week from 2017.

Full details of all the new CIJC rates can be viewed on the Build UK website.