by Clair Mooney | 5 Feb, 2025 | Skills
FIS has been working with members to develop the competency frameworks for key occupations in our sector. These frameworks are now open for a 30 day consultation and your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of your industry ensuring a strong, sustainable future for the profession. Click on the occupations below for more information:
These frameworks define the Skills, Knowledge, Experience, and Behaviours essential for each trade. We encourage you to submit your feedback by 28 February 2025.
by Oscar Venus | 31 Jan, 2025 | Skills
Transforming the Construction Workforce: Insights from the Mark Farmer ITB Review
The construction industry is at a pivotal moment, and the recent review by Mark Farmer of the Industry Training Board (ITB) is a beacon of hope for those looking to transform our workforce. As we collectively navigate the complexities of this sector, FIS (Finishes and Interiors Sector) has been actively engaged in this process, ensuring that our insights and recommendations are incorporated.
Beena Nana, FIS Head of Skills, has been vocal about the significance of this review. She expressed her relief at the publication of Farmer’s findings, which outline a “bold new vision” for the ITB model. This vision aims to evolve into a world-class construction workforce planning and development system, essential for meeting the demands of our ever-changing industry.
Farmer’s critical analysis highlights the scale and complexity of the challenges we face. It is clear that reform is not just a necessity but a pressing requirement. To ensure that we are all aligned, the recommendations from this review must coincide with the initiatives being implemented by Skills England and the Devolved Nations. This alignment is crucial as we collectively work towards a common goal: empowering employers to implement effective training and recruitment strategies.
The construction sector underpins the growth agenda that the new government aspires to achieve. Our ability to support this growth hinges on our workforce’s skills and adaptability. The insights provided by Mark Farmer will play a vital role in shaping our approach to training and development in the industry.
We encourage all stakeholders to engage with this review. If you have initial thoughts or comments on the findings and recommendations, please direct them to Beena Nana. Your input is invaluable as we strive to enhance our industry’s capabilities and ensure a robust future for construction.
For those interested in exploring the full review, access it
by Clair Mooney | 30 Jan, 2025 | Labour, Main News Feed, Skills
FIS is working with British Gypsum and Construction Skills People to deliver Skills Bootcamps in Interior Systems at their Erith Academy. Aimed at adults aged 19 and over, Skills Bootcamps can support businesses in upskilling their existing workforce or to recruit new talent. They are developed and delivered in partnership with your business and can be offered full or part-time.
How Skills Bootcamps can benefit your business
Skills Bootcamps can help you to:
- quickly recruit and upskill staff with the right training and skills
- reduce costs associated with traditional recruitment processes
- boost productivity with motivated learners who can bring in fresh ideas and perspectives
How can you get involved in Bootcamps?
FIS is working with British Gypsum and Construction Skills People to deliver Skills Bootcamps in Interior Systems at their Erith Academy. This is a 10 day course across two weeks:
- Week one: 31 March – 04 April
- Week two: 07 – 11 April
The course will include:
Day 1 – Course overview, Introduction to H&S in Construction (Interior Systems)
Day 2 – Understanding your carbon footprint & Mental Health Awareness
Day 3 – 4 – Beginners Metal Stud work for Dry Lining Systems
Day 5 – Gyplyner Wall Lining Systems
Day 6 – Metal Frame (MF) Ceiling Systems
Day 7 – 8 – Dotting and Dabbing Boarding Technique
Day 9 – 10 – Hand Jointing/Tape and Jointing Systems
We require support from members in the South East, London and Kent, who are able to provide interviews, work placements or employment.
Please contact marieflinter@thefis.org should you require further information.
by Oscar Venus | 23 Jan, 2025 | Main News Feed, Skills
National Apprenticeship Week will take place between 10 – 16 February 2025 and the theme for this year has been unveiled as Skills for Life, reflecting on how apprenticeships can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and businesses to develop a talented workforce that is equipped with future-ready skills.
FIS is proud to show its support this campaign that highlights the boundless possibilities that can stem from apprenticeships. We are committed to promoting the week and assisting all FIS members in their efforts to do the same. This year’s theme, “Skills for Life,” is a perfect opportunity to showcase the exceptional work done by our sector in training the next generation.
The week will focus on the benefits apprenticeships can have on individuals, businesses, and local communities. We are calling on employers, training providers, individuals and communities to get involved by encouraging everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help to provide #SkillsForLife.
From virtual career fairs, myth busting talks, graduation ceremonies through to factory tours, the week has something for everyone. You will hear personal stories from apprentices and employers about their own journeys and experiences and why apprenticeships provide #SkillsForLife. We are keen to celebrate the diversity and value that apprenticeships bring to employers, apprentices and communities across England.
To support National Apprenticeship Week 2025 individuals, employers, training providers and communities can get involved by encouraging everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help build #SkillsforLife. A toolkit is available to support the apprenticeship community with planning their activity for the week.
You can keep up to date with National Apprenticeship Week updates by following Apprenticeships on LinkedIn and use the hashtags #NAW2025 and #SkillsForLife on social media activity.
To find out more about apprenticeships, visit: www.apprenticeships.gov.uk.
by Clair Mooney | 9 Jan, 2025 | Ceilings & Absorbers, Skills
FIS is working with the National Construction College (NCC) Bircham Newton to deliver the Interior Systems Installer Apprenticeship – Ceilings pathway.
Interior System Installer (Ceilings and Partitions) Apprenticeship
The Interior Systems Apprenticeship (Ceilings and Partitions) has been developed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE). The Ceiling and Partitions pathway incorporates different ceiling and partition systems within a building.
Programme outline:
- Start date: February 2025 – (dates are flexible)
- 24-month programme
- 9 x 2-week immersive training blocks delivery by industry experts
- Workplace coaching sessions every 10 weeks support you and the apprentice to implement their new skills and knowledge
- 3-month end point assessment window includes a knowledge test and practical observation and questioning
National Construction College are also able to offer:
- Meet (virtual or face to face) with members to discuss and shape the programme in greater detail
- Set up a Webinar where NCC can share a virtual tour of Bircham and its facilities and answer any questions
- Facilitate a site tour of Bircham in person to any members and/or potential apprentices
If you are interested in taking on apprentices in this subject, or would like to find out more, please get in touch with marieflinter@thefis.org
To find out more about the standard and what the training entails click here.
by Clair Mooney | 9 Dec, 2024 | Building Safety Act, Employment, Skills
The Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG) has announced a comprehensive restructure to enhance competence and safety standards across the built environment. Established in response to the Grenfell Tower Fire and subsequent Hackitt Review, ICSG has now transitioned to become a formal working group of the Industry Competence Committee (ICC) under the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), signalling a strategic shift towards more rigorous industry-wide competence frameworks.
“The new relationship between the ICC and the ICSG is key to transforming the competence of the industry. ICC aims to set expectations for industry and challenge it. The ICSG is where industry can collaborate to meet those challenges. The ICSG also provides the ICC with a clear picture of what industry is doing, feeds back on what challenges industry is facing, and which levers can be pulled to improve competence. We are able to work together on developing solutions and aim to provide clear messages and guidance for the industry and the public about competence,” commented Hanna Clarke, Co-Chair of the ICSG and Digital and Policy Manager at the Construction Products Association.
ICC and the ICSG relationship
ICSG purpose
ICSG was set up to enable culture change in relation to competence across the built environment. It does this by providing the UK built environment industry access to appropriate competencies, so they may safely contribute to the creation and use of built environments and can demonstrate their competence to others.
ICSG structure
The Industry Competence Steering Group (ICSG), formerly known as the Competence Steering Group, is Co-Chaired by Hanna Clarke and Gill Hancock, Head of Technical Content at the Association for Project Management.
Under its new chairs, the ICSG has restructured. This will better cover the built environment’s disciplines and support existing work across the industry.
The new structure includes sector-led groups, key topic groups, and working groups. They currently bring together contributions from over 60 professional and trade bodies and 1500 individuals in the built environment, with membership of the sector led groups still growing.
These groups will produce competence frameworks mapped to the BS 8670 series. They will also create guidance and implementation programs to enable culture change in relation to competence across the built environment. Another key role of these groups is to provide forums for industry feedback relating to the understanding of legislation and barriers to its implementation.
ICSG is working with the BSI to create a communications hub. It will be a central repository of all ICSG’s work for the industry to access. More information on this and the competence frameworks will come in Spring 2025.
ICSG’s focus is to keep people safe through competent practices and ethical behaviours throughout the built environment. Central to this is enabling collaboration and ongoing sharing of best practice, learning, and resources to support continuous improvement in industry competence. ICSG closely collaborates with the BSI and its committee CPB/1 – Competence in the Built Environment, contributing to many of the standards that are in development. It also has a strong relationship with the Construction Leadership Council, both with their contributing to the work on competence and in the aim to join up the competence work with the other industry initiatives that the CLC is leading on.
“The ICSG has end to end coverage from construction products to demolition and disposal, including in occupation. By collaborating with both industry and the Building Safety Regulator we believe we can enable real culture change, in relation to competence, across the built environment,” said Gill.
If you are interested in helping shape competence frameworks and guidance within your sector or want to find out more about the ICSG, please contact the relevant sector group lead (see appendix 1).
Iain McIlwee, Chief Executive at FIS, said: “This is the next stage in what is undoubtedly the biggest collaborative effort I have witnessed in construction, apart from the COVID response. It has been both rewarding and encouraging to be involved and take a lead on behalf of specialist trades through the Super Sector work. We have learned so much from this process, and I applaud the visionaries who have led it. Great work has been done within the various disciplines, and the next stage is very much about bringing it together and ensuring that it is peer-reviewed effectively and with empathy by the wider supply chain. This will ensure that as we implement it, it is coordinated, proportionate, and ultimately supports a better construction process.
“We look forward to the next stage of collaborative working and supporting the next iteration of this essential work.”
