by Oscar Venus | 30 Apr, 2021 | Main News Feed, Transformation
Regulation of the construction industry is essential for a safer and more productive future, election hopefuls from Scotland’s main political parties told a special digital hustings hosted by the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum
The importance of skills and training in the industry also won unanimous cross-party agreement from panellists during the exclusive event held online this week.
Support for reform of procurement practices and a review of VAT on domestic repairs were other positive talking points – supporting the Forum’s own manifesto suggestions for ways to improve the industry.
The hustings, held via webinar on Tuesday 27 April, featured five candidates currently facing election to the Scottish Parliament:
- Carole Ford, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour
- Laura Moodie, Scottish Greens
- Alexander Stewart, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
- Kevin Stewart, SNP.
Answering questions from senior Forum representatives and members of a selected audience, all panellists agreed that regulation was essential for the future of the construction industry.
Kevin Stewart said: “It should be the aim of all of us to drive up standards and safety and build trust in people doing day to day work. Why is a security guard a regulated professional when a plumber is not?
“We need to have real debate about the regulatory issues, and a consensus about moving forward on regulation. The Grenfell Inquiry highlights the need to have occupations regulated to keep people safe and give public confidence in construction work.”
Ms Ford agreed, saying: “Professional regulation’s primary purpose is to protect the public, maintain high standards and protect qualifications and standards in the sector.
“The cowboys are doing no favours to those who are properly qualified, so we are totally committed to all measures which would support consumers and protect standards and professional qualifications, and totally in support of having a well-regulated, well respected construction industry which has the confidence of the public.”
Also in favour of regulation was Ms Lennon, who said: “It is important that qualified tradespeople are recognised for their experience and their competence, meaning the public will have confidence in who is coming into their homes or workplace.
“It makes sense to give people confidence in their work and that they will work safely and have pride in what they do, so we fully support measures to improve regulation and improve public safety.”
Training and apprenticeships ‘vitally important’
The importance of skills, training and apprenticeships in the sector was another topic on which all panellists were in full agreement.
Alexander Stewart said: “Economic growth is the cornerstone for this recovery, and construction plays a vital role in that. Skills and training apprenticeships are vitally important and we fundamentally believe that there should be more funding put into it.
“We want to bring people back and get more new people into the industry and ensure that women have more opportunity to become more involved. We also want economic growth, which will only come about through investment in training and support mechanisms.”
Ms Lennon concurred: “Jobs are at the top and at the heart of our manifesto and our vision for the next five years is a roadmap to recovery that focuses on skills – up-skilling, re-skilling and how we can support local government to take on apprentices and use a talented workforce in Scotland to retro-fit homes to tackle fuel poverty and create new jobs in construction and manufacturing.”
Procurement ‘a bugbear that needs resolved’
Questions on procurement reform had been raised by several Forum members ahead of the husting – and again, all five panellists were firm in their convictions that change is needed.
Ms Moodie said: “We believe public procurement could be a real growth boost for small, local businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible and we are committed to reforming procurement requirements that could fulfil that.
“We want to make sure Scottish businesses capture more of the supply chain opportunities, especially from the rise in the growing renewable industry and I believe there is a lot of room for improvement in terms of accessibility and use of online procurement tools. We would also like to see more support for small businesses so they can compete on a level playing field with bigger companies in terms of bidding for the work.”
Both Mr Stewarts agreed that public sector procurement should focus on “best value and not cost” – a key part of the manifesto released last month by leading Forum member SELECT.
Ms Lennon added: “Procurement is quite simply a bugbear that needs resolved and there are huge opportunities around local engagement and low carbon innovation. SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy and we will reorientate procurement to make sure it works for businesses in Scotland.”
VAT rules ‘a burden on business’
The Forum’s manifesto proposals to mitigate the imposition of VAT on domestic repairs, innovations, and green energy projects, gained the support of all the candidates.
Ms Moodie said it was a “burden on businesses” when they were trying to expand and develop, while Ms Lennon said any changes would unlock plenty of opportunities.
Ms Ford agreed, adding: “The current VAT system is regressive and holding back demand for vital energy efficiency improvements and retrofits.”
Kevin Stewart was also in agreement, adding that VAT was not a devolved matter but that he wanted it reduced or abolished for refurbishment repairs and regeneration projects.
Homes ‘need to be fit for purpose’
Panellists also responded to one audience member’s point that a recent survey revealed that 52 per cent of homes are not wind and watertight, with £3.8bn spent annually on their repair and maintenance.
Ms Ford replied that in the west of Scotland the factoring issue in tenements needs looked at as well as that of owners’ responsibilities, saying: “The Edinburgh solution has its own problems, but owners and the responsibilities of multi-occupancy properties needs reviewed.”
Kevin Stewart spoke of “educating people” about the importance of properties being wind and watertight and the need to be ambitious in helping more, while namesake Alexander added: “Homes need to be fit for purpose and there is a need to invest in the sector.”
Praise for ‘collective expertise’
Finally, there was one more thing all the panellists agreed upon – the excellent work of the CICV Forum.
The unique collective was formed in early March 2020 in response to the urgent COVID-19 threat and now comprises 29 leading construction trade and professional associations.
Alexander Stewart said: “It’s so important that the Forum is at the table as you have boots on the ground and work closely together to get the plans put into place. All the ideas in the CICV Forum manifesto are very good and we would support you in achieving them.”
Ms Ford agreed, saying: “The level of detail in CICV Forum documents is only possible because of your collective expertise. Working together has generated documentation that is a lot better than if carried out by one organisation.”
Kevin Stewart added: “The Forum has been at forefront of promoting working safely and long may it stay at the table with government. In particular I would like to pay tribute to the construction character Campbell who has been used to promote messaging through your clever use of social media.”
Forum actions include lobbying the Scottish Government to influence policy and push for positive action, as well as providing expert advice on important sector issues including commercial, employment, planning, skills, and health and safety.
Hustings ‘a resounding success’
The hustings format was the brainchild of Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, a key member of the Forum.
He said: “From the feedback we have received from the sector, it was clear that the hustings event was a resounding success and generated a wealth of constructive and thought-provoking answers from our panellists.
“It proved also that construction is very much at the heart of Scotland’s recovery, and that all parties are committed to rebuilding together and investing in a safer and fully skilled industry that will benefit the whole nation.”
by Oscar Venus | 16 Apr, 2021 | Building Safety Act, Market data, Transformation
FIS has written to the Welsh Government to formally support the CPA response to the Safer Buildings in Wales consultation and highlighted the confusion caused by Regulation 7 and challenges in building classification. On the whole the consultation sets out an achievable path for Welsh Regulations to embrace the fundamental elements of the Building Safety Bill that is expected to be passed into law before the summer recess.
The consultation focussed on 7 key areas.
- Setting out the scope of the Building Safety Regime
- The Building Safety Regime (Design and Construction Phase)
- The Building Safety Regime (Occupation phase)
- Residents: Roles and Responsibilities
- Raising Concerns
- Regulating the Building Safety Regime
- General Requirements in Relation to Fire Safety Equipment
FIS is particularly encouraged by the recognition of the importance of compartmentation and the emphasis outlined and the importance of managing interfaces. We were also able to highlight recent collaborative work in the production of the Fire Stopping of Service Penetrations Guide that can be referenced in future official guidance to support the avoidance of design and construction issues in this space and support one of the aims identified in the consultation in terms of “verifying that all works that breach compartmentation (eg holes drilled through walls) use appropriate and adequate fire-stopping”.
The full response from the CPA can be downloaded here
by Oscar Venus | 15 Apr, 2021 | Skills
How to become a Construction Ambassador: We are all aware of the difficulties of encouraging the next generation into one of the finishes and interiors sectors many careers. As an employer you no doubt feel concern when it’s time to recruit, by becoming a Construction Ambassador yourself or allowing members of your workforce to become Ambassadors it could remove some of those concerns and it does not need to take up a lot of your time. Construction Ambassadors play a vital role in promoting careers in the construction industry. These specially trained individuals:
- inspire others to consider a career in the industry and share what it’s actually like to work in construction
- very often provide the first introduction to the construction industry for young people who are considering their future career
- engage young people with the fantastic opportunities available in the industry, ambassadors can encourage the next generation of construction professionals.
Anyone working in the industry can be a construction ambassador. You just need to be passionate about construction and the built environment, and willing to share your experiences with others. Whether you’re a first year apprentice or a company director, STEM learning would love your support to help more people experience the varied opportunities in our sector. It’s easy to sign up, to become a STEM Construction Ambassador, register via the link below:
- Once registered you will need to re-visit your new STEM Ambassador profile to join the construction specific STEM scheme. Go to Profile > Skills & Qualifications > Edit and under the header ‘schemes participation’ search construction and select ‘Construction & Built Environment’ so that STEM Learning can continue to support you with the latest information and resources to enable you to inspire the next generation of potential entrants to the sector.
- When you reach the ‘scheme participation section’ select to participate in the ‘Construction and the built environment’ scheme and tick the box indicating you are happy for your details to be shared. Ticking this box is very important as it will allow STEM Learning to send you news about the latest Go Construct resources, opportunities, events and training.
- You’ll need to complete a free of charge Enhanced Disclosure Check as part of your registration process. Depending on whether you hold a DBS check (or the Scottish equivalent), it could take up to three weeks for this to be processed.
- When you’ve registered, you’ll need to complete some induction training and a safeguarding assessment. Your induction will explain how you can manage your own engagements and request resources via your personal STEM Learning dashboard.
- Once STEM Learning are satisfied with your Enhanced Disclosure Check you will be good to go and can start booking in events to attend as a construction ambassador. Register to be an Ambassador here
George Swann, FIS Skills and Training Lead says “this is an opportunity to show school leavers and their teachers that the finishes and interiors sector has many opportunities for long and fulfilling work careers”.
by Oscar Venus | 9 Apr, 2021 | Skills
From 1 April 2021, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) will reset reservation levels for employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy. This will enable employers to make up to 10 new reservations to fund new apprenticeship starts in the financial year 2021-22. ESFA will continue to monitor the number of reservations used by employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy and will keep this under review.
Funds transferred from employers who pay the levy to other employers through the apprenticeship service are not included when measuring the number of reservations. Employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy can reserve funds for training and assessment in the ‘finance’ section of their apprenticeship service account. They can also give training providers permission to do this on their behalf. Find out more
Employers can reserve funds up to 6 months in advance.
From 1 April 2021, we are extending the reservation period for employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy from 3 to 6 months. This means that from 1 April, these employers will be able to reserve funds up to 6 months before an apprenticeship is planned to start. This will give employers greater flexibility when planning their apprenticeship programmes and reassure them that funding for apprenticeships is available for a longer period. Find out more
by Oscar Venus | 9 Apr, 2021 | Skills
Build UK, supported by CITB, joined forces with STEM Ambassadors last year to showcase careers in construction and help to attract talent. Build UK are delighted to see the commitment to recruit 7,000 Construction STEM Ambassadors included in the CLC’s Industry Skills Plan, and they encourage all Build UK members to sign up and volunteer their time and experience to inspire young people to join the industry. FIS are members of Build UK.
The CLC skills plan emphasises collaboration between industry and Government and prioritises action in four areas:
- Careers ‐ creating an industry that is attractive and inclusive, whilst supporting direct employment
- Standards and Qualifications ‐ modernising qualifications to boost transferrable skills and embed digital technologies
- Training, Education and Development ‐ developing high‐quality routes into the industry and strengthening links between further and higher education and employers
- Culture and Working Environment ‐ retaining talent in the industry through upskilling and improved career development.
Skills and Training Lead, George Swann says “Construction Stem Ambassadors are a great way of promoting the careers on offer in the finishes and interiors sector. These individuals often provide the first introduction to the construction industry for young people who are considering their future career.”
by Oscar Venus | 9 Apr, 2021 | Skills
This Summer 2021 Qualification Explainer Tool (ofqual.gov.uk) shows what’s happening with vocational, technical, and other general qualifications this year. Ofqual have identified it is not viable for some exams and assessments to take place this year due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ofqual has been working with awarding organisations to ensure that as many learners as possible are able to receive a result this summer and progress with their plans to continue their education, go into the workplace, or further their career.
The explainer tool shows how qualifications will be assessed and awarded in the period up to 31 August 2021. It covers qualifications regulated by Ofqual, Qualifications Wales and CCEA Regulation (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively). The information about how each qualification will be assessed and awarded, included in this ‘qualification explainer tool’, has been provided by awarding organisations. If you believe the information to be incorrect, please contact the relevant awarding organisation.
In addition to the information provided in this explainer tool, further details about the approaches awarding organisations are taking to the assessment and awarding of qualifications in 2021 can be found on their websites. If you are a learner outside England, Northern Ireland or Wales, you will need to check with your awarding organisation, or your college, training provider or school about the approach being taken for your qualification. More information is provided in the questions and answers.
