by Clair Mooney | Aug 23, 2024 | Employment, Labour, Main News Feed
Sector-based work academies (SWAP) are another DWP Funded programme that can support individuals transitioning into a new field of work. They provide training and education for those currently receiving unemployment benefits. The goal is to equip them with the skills needed to apply for jobs in a different sector. Academies are tailored to meet the immediate and future recruitment needs of employers, ensuring the workforce is prepared to support business growth.
FIS is working with West London College and DWP to deliver SWAPs in the area.
A key component of the SWAP model is the provision of a guaranteed job interview, work experience, or employment, enabling members to efficiently recruit candidates
Recruiting through a SWAP has many benefits, such as:
- Employers get access to candidates who have undergone relevant pre-employment training tailored to the specific needs of the job role.
- Trial period for candidates
- The work experience component of SWAP allows employers to assess candidates’ suitability and fit for the role in a real-world setting before making permanent hiring decisions.
- By providing tailored training and work experience, SWAPs help ensure candidates are well-prepared for the job, which can lead to higher retention rates.
- SWAPs often focus on helping unemployed individuals, including those from underrepresented groups, re-enter the workforce, enhancing workforce diversity.
- Participation in SWAPs demonstrates a company’s commitment to supporting local employment initiatives, which can enhance its reputation within the community.
West London College have put together a short video detailing what the SWAP includes.
Please get in touch if you can support and are able to offer work experience or employment and keen to get involved in the SWAP.
FIS has a dynamic Skills Board that helps to drive our work in this space. If you would like to join the Skills Board or have a colleague who could help target our collective effort, please do consider getting involved. Find out more here.
by Oscar Venus | Aug 9, 2024 | Employment, Labour, Skills
In a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out plans to reduce net migration in favour of sectors “sourc[ing] the skills they need here at home”. Promising a new approach that “links migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies”, she has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the reliance of key sectors on international recruitment, starting with engineering and IT, which have consistently been on the list of shortage occupations for over a decade. The Government will keep a number of changes introduced by the previous Government, including maintaining the salary threshold for Skilled Worker Visas at £38,700 and scrapping the 20% going rate discount for overseas workers in shortage occupations.
Build UK’s flowchart provides an overview of the process of employing a worker from outside the UK in construction, with detailed guidance on How to Get a Sponsor Licence and How to Apply for a Skilled Worker Visa.
Find out more about FIS work to address the Skills Shortage here
by Oscar Venus | Jul 25, 2024 | Employment, Labour, Main News Feed
With new home building targets and a pent up pipeline of high rise residential and commercial projects, the respite from labour shortages in the sector are likely to be short lived. FIS is exploring two interventions that can support members in finding work ready people.
How can you get involved in Bootcamps?
FIS Bootcamps will initially target trade roles. The programme involves an period of intense training to get people site wise and trade aware before letting them loose on site. These are similar to the successful Build Back model that FIS ran several years ago, but funding is more flexible and can be tailored more effectively for the businesses offering work experience.
To get these off the ground FIS will be collaborating with training providers and the Department for Education. The programme is zero cost to employers. The funding provided through the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) covers the initial training and induction of the candidates – the employers involved need to offer work trials and/or employment. The process identifies and recruits candidates from the local area and will include self-employed Green CSCS Cardholders, prison leavers and job seekers. The Bootcamp presents an great opportunity to tap into the local labor market and support your recruitment as well as assist with delivery of Section 106 and equivalent social value requirements. The training locations span across London, Essex, Suffolk, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, and North East Mayoral Combined Authority. The aim is to onboard over 100 new Drylining candidates in England between September and January 2025 through these bootcamps based on cohorts of 12 candidates .
Your support for this initiative is crucial. Whilst no commitment to employ candidates is required, we will not be starting cohorts without employer support and we would ideally like to involve you from the candidate assessment stage.
If you are interested and can think you can support a drylining home building, taping and jointing or commercial drylining bootcamp let us know. You can set up a dedicated cohort (if you can commit to 12 work placements) or you could commit to supporting a smaller number and we can look to collaborate with other employers. To stress you will not be expected to fund the training or employ unsuitable candidates, but you will be required to offer work trials.
If you want to find out how FIS Bootcamps can work for you please contact Beena Nana.
Making use of Sector Based Work Academies
Sector-based work academies (SWAP) are another DWP Funded programme that can support individuals transitioning into a new field of work. They provide training and education for those currently receiving unemployment benefits. The goal is to equip them with the skills needed to apply for jobs in a different sector. Academies are tailored to meet the immediate and future recruitment needs of employers, ensuring the workforce is prepared to support business growth.
FIS are working with West London College and DWP to deliver SWAPs in the area.
A key component of the SWAP model is the provision of a guaranteed job interview, work experience, or employment, enabling members to efficiently recruit candidates
Recruiting through a SWAP has many benefits, such as:
- Employers get access to candidates who have undergone relevant pre-employment training tailored to the specific needs of the job role.
- Trial Period for Candidates
- The work experience component of SWAP allows employers to assess candidates’ suitability and fit for the role in a real-world setting before making permanent hiring decisions.
- By providing tailored training and work experience, SWAPs help ensure candidates are well-prepared for the job, which can lead to higher retention rates.
- SWAPs often focus on helping unemployed individuals, including those from underrepresented groups, re-enter the workforce, enhancing workforce diversity.
- Participation in SWAPs demonstrates a company’s commitment to supporting local employment initiatives, which can enhance its reputation within the community.
West London College have put together a short video detailing what the SWAP includes.
Please get in touch if you can support and are able to offer work experience or employment and keen to get involved in the SWAP.
FIS has a dynamic Skills Board that helps to drive our work in this space. If you would like to join the Skills Board or have a colleague who could help target our collective effort, please do consider getting involved. Find out more here.
by Clair Mooney | Sep 11, 2023 | Labour, Skills
The City of London Corporation has released a new report urging investment in workers to meet the growing demand for green jobs and skills in decarbonising the city’s commercial buildings.
The report highlights a need for a skilled and diverse workforce capable of constructing, retrofitting, and managing sustainable buildings. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) predicts a surge in construction labor demand in Central London, reaching over a quarter of a million by 2027. Additionally, there’s an annual demand for around 35,000 non-construction professionals in the built environment sector.
Over 300 organisations have joined the ‘Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce,’ including designers, construction firms, and education providers. The taskforce emphasises the urgency of addressing the growing demand for sustainable commercial buildings.
The report recommends reforming the Apprenticeship Levy and s106 policies to match the demand for skilled workers. The current inflexibility of the Apprenticeship Levy and inconsistencies in s106 policies have raised concerns within the sector.
There are six main recommendations for government, training providers and the wider industry to address collectively. These include:
- Developing new entry-level sustainability training, apprenticeships and upskilling courses for emerging job roles;
- Working with government to set more ambitious green skills strategies for the built environment;
- Invest in attracting diverse candidates to a wider spectrum of sustainable roles across the built environment;
- Creating an easily accessible way to collect and share data on the pipeline of projects and workforce skills shortages, so that the industry can prepare for the emerging skills needs;
- Built environment organisations should develop an Environmental Social Governance (ESG) strategy to support sustainability operations, retrofit, and skills training;
- Promote the sector’s role in addressing climate change, with wide-ranging career pathways and diverse role models through positive PR and engagement with schools.
Chairman of the City of London Corporation Planning and Transport Committee, Shravan Joshi, said:
“The built environment is critical in supporting central London’s transition to a more sustainable economy. Buildings have substantial carbon footprints, so reducing emissions in the sector will be pivotal for addressing climate change. Ensuring technical education, such as through apprenticeships, offers a range of flexible training routes towards new jobs, which will be essential to delivering on sustainability ambitions.
“I would like to personally invite industry representatives to join the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce, read the new report and to follow the six recommendations to help us build a more sustainable built environment workforce and reshape the sector.”
The Skills for a Sustainable Skyline taskforce has committed to sustained engagement with the government to promote a reformed Apprenticeship Levy and s106 policy, that is more flexible and meets the needs of employers. It will also promote the delivery of a new National Retrofit and Green Skills Strategy for commercial developments. It will also convene with employers, owners, leaseholders, local government and training providers to explore how they can work collaboratively to promote workforce upskilling, expansion and diversification.
by Oscar Venus | Aug 8, 2023 | Drylining, Labour, Skills
Sector Based Work Academy – West London College
Registration – Friday 22nd September, 10am
Starts – Monday 25th September, 10am
Location – Southall Community College , Beaconsfield Road, Southall, UB1 1DP
What we are asking members to do is to support with the work experience and guaranteed job interview
✔Pre-employment training – focusing on requirements for the construction sector
✔Relevant sector ‘tickets’ including Health and Safety
✔Work experience placement – a great opportunity for a business to identify talent and for the individual to cement their knowledge and understanding of the required role
✔A guaranteed job interview or help with an employer’s recruitment process
Sector-based work academies are a valuable resource for those looking to transition into a new field of work. These academies provide training and education to individuals who are currently receiving unemployment benefits, with the goal of preparing them to apply for jobs in a different sector.
The placements offered through sector-based work academies are specifically designed to meet the immediate and future recruitment needs of employers. By providing individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a particular field, these academies help to recruit and sustain a workforce that is equipped to grow and develop a business.
Overall, sector-based work academies are a powerful tool for both job seekers and employers. They provide a pathway for individuals to transition into new fields of work and help businesses to find employees with the right skills to thrive.
The 2 Week program is designed with the aim of preparing individuals for employment in the construction sector. The program is made up of various components including pre-employment training, sector tickets, work experience placement and guaranteed job interviews. These components are put together to ensure that individuals are equipped with the necessary skills and experience to succeed in the construction sector.
Pre-employment training is an important aspect of the program as it focuses on the requirements for the construction sector. During this training, individuals will be taught about the various roles in the sector and the skills required to succeed in these roles. The training will also cover topics such as health and safety, communication and teamwork.
Relevant sector tickets, including health and safety, will also be provided to individuals as part of the program. These tickets are important as they demonstrate that individuals have the necessary skills and knowledge to work in the construction sector. Employers in the sector often require individuals to have these tickets before they can be employed.
The program also includes a work experience placement which provides individuals with the opportunity to gain practical experience in the sector. This is a great opportunity for businesses to identify talent and for individuals to cement their knowledge and understanding of the required role.
Finally, the program includes a guaranteed job interview or help with an employer’s recruitment process. This ensures that individuals have the best possible chance of securing employment in the construction sector.
For more information or to sign up to the course please email Beena Nana
by Clair Mooney | Jul 20, 2023 | Labour
As announced in the Spring Budget 2023, five trades will be added to the Shortage Occupations List (SOL) from Monday 7 August ‐ bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, roofers, and construction and building trades not elsewhere classified (NEC).
This move is significant as it potentially provides access to a controlled immigration process that will support the sector in managing any existing or upcoming shortages in our workforce.
By moving Dry Lining into the Standard Occupation Classification area 5321 (as per FIS recommendation and lobbying work on the SOC), Dry Lining is now also shares skilled worker status with Plastering for the purposes of being a Skilled Worker.
Commenting on the changes, FIS CEO Iain McIlwee stated:
“It is a relief to finally see Dry Lining recognised as both a skilled occupation and also the shortages that we face as a sector. This is something FIS has been campaigning on for a number of years and I am grateful to colleagues from across the Construction Leadership Council for their efforts in helping to effect this exceptional change and thankful that we now have some movement. We now need to respond to the detailed review taking place to identify other areas of concern and revisit the sponsor and visa process to better understand any further blockers and issues”.
