by Clair Mooney | 16 Oct, 2026 | Employment, Main News Feed
The New Hospital Programme (NHP) represents the most significant investment in NHS infrastructure in recent decades. It is not only delivering new hospitals, it is transforming how healthcare infrastructure is planned, designed and delivered across the NHS, supporting the ambitions set out in the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
FIS has worked closely with major client groups such as the New Hospital Programme (NHP) to support engagement with the supply chain and the development of their new Supplier Guide, which aims to help prospective suppliers better understand NHP, how it will be delivered, and how businesses can prepare for future supply chain opportunities.
The guide details how you can find opportunities and what products and services the NHP will be looking to procure. You can download the guide here:
Supplier Guide – New Hospital Programme
by Clair Mooney | 16 Oct, 2026 | Employment, Main News Feed, Skills
The Construction Leadership Council is hosting a webinar to support construction employers in offering placement opportunities. During the session you will be among the first to gain access to the new Construction Industry Placements Playbook, an easy-to-use guide to work placements, delving deeper into how placements are vital to showcasing what a career in our sector looks like. There will also be guidance on funding that is available to employers.
FIS Head of Skills Beena Nana said:
“FIS has been supporting this work to help address one of the biggest challenges facing our industry – attracting and developing the people we need for the future. Industry placements, done right gives individuals a chance to see what a career in construction really looks like, while helping employers connect with potential future recruits. If we want to build a stronger talent pipeline, we need to make it easier for businesses to open their doors and provide these opportunities. This webinar and the new Playbook are aimed to help employers take that vital first step.”
Webinar details:
- Date: 11 November 2026.
- Time: 12 noon – 1 pm
- Location: Online via Microsoft Teams.
Register your interest: CSMB Work Placement Webinar
by alexgrover | 7 Oct, 2026 | Employment, Main News Feed, Skills
FIS has successfully been awarded funding through the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) new Specialist Upskilling Fund, supporting efforts to address skills shortages and improve access to high-quality training across the fit-out, drylining and plastering sector.
FIS is one of 11 organisations selected by CITB following a strong response to its call for applications. The Specialist Upskilling Fund has been established to help remove barriers to training in specialist areas of construction and increase access to sector-specific competence training and NVQ achievement.
For FIS members, this provides an opportunity for us to work with employers and training providers to strengthen the skills pipeline across our sector, helping businesses identify any skills gaps, develop their workforce and ensure that workers have the competence required to meet the changing demands of the industry.
FIS will be offering support to members in accessing cost-effective, high-quality training and guidance, with a particular focus on supporting progression towards recognised sector-specific qualifications.
Beena Nana, Head of Skills and Training at FIS said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity to help FIS members address skills gaps, strengthen their workforce and support progression towards recognised qualifications. By improving access to high quality, sector specific training, we can help build a more skilled and competent workforce for the future of our industry.”
The CITB Specialist Upskilling Fund will support a range of specialist construction sectors, with successful applicants also including organisations representing civils and infrastructure, heritage, plant hire, retrofit, roofing, shopfitting, tunnelling and drilling, wood occupations and contract flooring.
Julia Stevens, Director of Industry Delivery at CITB, said:
“We’re pleased to share the successful applicants that have been awarded funding through our Specialist Upskilling Fund.
“We remain committed to providing sector-specific skills investment to ensure that support is available to construction employers to help develop their businesses and train their teams.”
FIS members are invited to contact Marie Flinter who will be able to provide further information on this programme.
by Clair Mooney | 22 Sep, 2026 | Employment, Main News Feed
From 1 October 2026, liability for right to work checks will be extended to include sub‐contractors, agency workers, and casual and temporary workers, and the Government has published guidance setting out what employers need to do to be provided with a ‘statutory excuse’ against extended liability if found to be employing someone illegally.
Under the new guidance, employers must have the following in place for workers who they are not in a direct contractual relationship with
- Contractual terms and conditions – Before work commences, there must be a written statement in place incorporating a number of specific terms and conditions, which include requiring the other party to carry out prescribed right to work checks on any individual employed and prohibiting further sub-contracting of the work without prior written consent.
- Substitution controls – Where a contract permits substitution, processes must be in place to ensure that a prescribed right to work check is carried out on any substitute before work takes place.
- Identity verification – There must be proportionate systems to ensure that the individual carrying out the work is the same individual on whom a right to work check has been conducted, which may include workplace passes, facial recognition technology or biometric systems.
There are a number of options available for ensuring individuals are legally entitled to work in the UK, and employers conducting right to work checks in accordance with the guidance will receive a statutory excuse, which protects them from liability in the event that they are later found to be employing someone illegally. Without a statutory excuse, employers face significant penalties, which could be up to a maximum of £60,000 per worker.
by Oscar Venus | 23 Oct, 2025 | Employment, Labour, Skills
Significant changes to visa sponsorship were announced on 14 October 2025 which will impact on upcoming Skilled Worker visa applications. Please see below for a summary of the changes:
Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) Increase – Effective 16 December 2025
The Immigration Skills Charge will increase by 32% from 16 December 2025. This means an increase for small and charitable companies of £364 a year to £480, and for medium and large companies an increase from £1,000 a year to £1,320.
The additional costs of future hires and extensions can be avoided by assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship before 16 December 2025.
Sponsors should check now that they have an available allocation of Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship and consider their sponsorship plans in light of these increases.
English Language Requirement Increase – Effective 8 January 2026
From 8 January 2026, the required English language level for Skilled Worker visa applicants will rise from B1 to B2 under the CEFR scale. We advise that applicants intending to join the Skilled Worker route submit their applications before 8 January 2026 to avoid being impacted by this change. Please note that current Skilled Worker visa holders will not be affected and will not be required to take a new test.
Visa processing Delays and Holiday Travel
Visa processing times have lengthened significantly due to a surge in applications following earlier rule changes in July 2025. UKVI is currently experiencing a substantial backlog, and we are seeing many standard applications take the full 8 weeks or longer to receive a decision.
If applicants need to travel over the Christmas period, we strongly advise using the Priority Service (£500 additional fee) to receive a decision within 5 working days of submission or biometric enrolment (depending on application type).
UKVI anticipates another spike in applications due to the upcoming ISC and English language changes, which may further impact processing times.
Sponsor Management Reporting and Compliance
UKVI is increasingly focusing on compliance checks relating to changes in salary and using intelligence provided by HMRC. Sponsors are being warned to ensure that all payments, including periods of unpaid leave, maternity leave, or other absences, are properly reported on the Sponsor Management System. Failure to do so may trigger a compliance audit, as UKVI is targeting sponsors who delay payments for months and then make large lump-sum payments.
Additionally, the right-to-work checks are expected to move entirely digital in the future, reducing or eliminating in-person verification. Employers should be prepared for these changes and ensure their processes and staff training are updated accordingly.
If you require advice on how these changes may affect your business or have any upcoming applications to process, please contact us – we are here to help.
by Clair Mooney | 26 Jun, 2025 | Contractual and Legal, Employment
The Construction Industry Joint Council (CIJC) has agreed new pay rates from Monday 30 June. There is a 3.2% increase in the basic wage rates, as well as increases in travel and subsistence allowances and sick pay. The new rates should be read in conjunction with the Working Rule Agreement and Holiday Entitlement.
