by Clair Mooney | 15 Aug, 2024 | Skills
How CITB’s New Entrant Support Team (NEST) can support you and your business
Are you looking to employ an Apprentice or New Entrant? If you are CITB registered and up to date with your levy the CITB New Entrant Support Team can support you throughout your journey, including:
- Recruitment
- CITB Funding
- Admin (including setting up your Government Digital Account to access additional Grants)
- Retention
If you wish to find out more, please contact marieflinter@thefis.org for a link to the following Webinars:
26 November 2024 – 09:30/10:30
27 February 2025 – 09:30/10:30
25 March 2025 – 16:00/17:00
by Oscar Venus | 15 Aug, 2024 | Skills
With today being A-level results day we want to reach out to everyone who is thinking about the next step in their career journey.
The construction industry, offers numerous career opportunities. The finesse of the industry lies in the finishes and interiors sector, where Apprenticeships and NVQs in plastering, drylining, ceilings, and partition fixing are available.
Prospective construction professionals can embark on several routes which include opportunities to gain experience in the workplace, underlining proficiency in a specific job role. These avenues equip you with the hands-on skills needed to progress and succeed in the diverse world of construction.
The finishes and interiors sector is a dynamic field, presenting an array of career pathways – from budding novice to seasoned leader. As expertise is gathered, you can climb the ladder from apprentice to site supervisor.
If you have any questions about getting started with a career in the Finishes and Interiors Sector, email beenanana@thefis.org
by Oscar Venus | 9 Aug, 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 | 8 Aug, 2024 | Skills, Technical
FIS is developing a series of modules to help train the next generation of estimators and procurement teams and we would like to preview the modules with specialists who could help shape the final draft.
The training course has been designed to educate and inform new entrants to the sector and those moving from site-based activities to an in house estimating role and is broken into three modules
- The contract Module
- The commercial Module
- The technical Module
The aim of this course is to provide:
- An overview of what estimating entails
- What contractual terms should be known
- How commercial decisions are made
- provide granular information about drylining systems to estimators.
We would like to invite you to have access to our development slides to let us know if we have missed anything or if there should be more emphasis on a particular aspect of the role.
Please contact FIS Technical Director Joe Cilia joecilia@thefis.org for details on how to access the course, and who knows, it could be the best read of the summer break?
by Clair Mooney | 8 Aug, 2024 | Main News Feed, Skills
As construction output is expected to grow the finishes and Interiors sector needs to recruit new entrants so that it can keep working. The STEM Ambassador Programme is partnered with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to facilitate the Go Construct Construction STEM Ambassador scheme. Through this collaboration, they aim to showcase the amazing career opportunities in construction and inspire young people to work in the industry.
Go Construct STEM Ambassadors act as the face of the industry for young people, inspiring them to consider a career in construction and the built environment through sharing their experiences and promoting opportunities. The commitment is to be involved in at least two activities per year. Ambassadors lead a wide range of activities, including:
- Running a trade stand at a careers fair, answering questions and handing out leaflets.
- Delivering a talk, sharing your experiences of getting into and working in the industry.
- Leading practical sessions or workshops, giving young people a taste of life in construction.
- Providing one-to-one mentorship to someone who is just starting out.
- Network with like-minded professionals, developing your own career as an ambassador.
Not only is becoming a Go Construct STEM Ambassador a great way to develop your employability skills and become a part of a community, through activities you will be helping to inspire the next generation of construction workers and change perceptions about the industry and the Finishes and Interiors Sector.
Please contact Marie Flinter a call on 0121 707 0077 or 07799 903103 or email marieflinter@thefis.org for more information and to join the upcoming webinars.
- Tuesday 20 August – 12:00/13:00
- Tuesday 17 September – 10:00/11:00
If you are already a registered STEM Ambassador working in the finishes and interiors sector, please let Marie know.
by Clair Mooney | 13 Jun, 2024 | Skills
FIS is continuing its work with No Going Back, an initiative to support prison leavers, and an opportunity has come up to visit HMP Brixton.
The visit will take place on Tuesday 25 June from 9am and we are looking for employers to join us to explain the pathways into the sector and how they can build a lasting career.
This visit will provide an opportunity to observe the Drylining training programme in action. Employers will witness the skills and dedication of the trainees firsthand. Additionally, there will be a chance to interact with the trainees, many of whom have shown a strong interest in pursuing careers in construction.
Employer involvement would not only bolster our rehabilitation efforts but also potentially address some of the skills gaps within the industry.
It would be valuable for employers with ongoing job openings to meet these men, as well as for those who are hesitant about hiring them. This interaction can help change perceptions and demonstrate the potential these men have to contribute positively in the workplace.
Instructors at HMP Brixton will provide details on the training individuals have undertaken during their sentence. Additionally, No Going Back and Employers can deliver an overall presentation (a talk on the company and pathways to roles in the industry) and men could showcase different drylining tasks.
There will then be dedicated time for one-on-one sessions between employers and the prison leavers.
If you can support this event, email beenanana@thefis.org by Wednesday 19 June.
