Skills Archives - Page 16 of 57

Unlock the door to a career in construction

by Clair Mooney | 5 Mar, 2024 | Ceilings & Absorbers, Drylining, Employment, Main News Feed, Skills

FIS is looking for members in London to provide support for individuals that have undertaken an introduction course for Interior Systems. The course is taking place in April, so if you can offer a work trial, work experience, or employment then please contact FIS Head of Skills and Training, Beena Nana beenanana@thefis.org before the end of March for more details.

Background
The Skills Centre London are putting together a four-week introduction to Interior Systems in London, in collaboration with FIS and Worshipful Company of Plaisterers.

Individuals will be provided with the following training:

Green Labourers CSCS card
Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment
Level 1 Certificate in Basic Construction (including Plastering Techniques)
First Steps into Construction
Personal Wellbeing in Construction
Introducing Environmental Awareness and Sustainability
Practical skills training in our training environment
Work experience with an interior systems employer
Employability skills, mock interviews, CV support and career information, advice and guidance

A graduation ceremony will held at Plaisterers Hall on Monday 29 April, for both the candidates and members.

More information on the course is available here.

Careers in construction: Go behind the scenes with Open Doors 2024!

by Clair Mooney | 19 Feb, 2024 | Skills

There is just a month to go until Open Doors 2024 when construction companies across Great Britain will take visitors behind the scenes to showcase the diverse range of career opportunities available in the industry.

Open Doors 2024, delivered by Build UK, will see more than 210 events take place from Monday 18 to Saturday 23 March, giving young people and those looking for a change of career a unique opportunity to see construction in action.

Visitors are encouraged to go to the Open Doors website and see what’s happening in their local area, with a wide variety of construction projects offering the chance to go behind the hoardings. Sites include HS2 stations, skyscrapers, hospitals, schools, leisure centres, prisons and more, whilst factories, offices and training centres will also be opening their doors to demonstrate the off-site roles on offer across the sector.

An Open Doors visit gives a real insight into the opportunities within construction, dispelling many of the myths that surround the industry. For example, the average annual salary in construction is higher than many people think at almost £45,000. Build UK research also shows that the average completion rate for apprenticeships delivered by members is 85%, compared to the Government target of 67%, whilst 90% of other new entrants who come via college or university remain with their company after completing their training or probationary period.

With construction traditionally seen as outdoor physical work, Open Doors visitors will also see the huge range of office-based roles along with a significant increase in the use of technology and demand for digital skills.

With more than 180 careers available and currently 36,000 vacancies in construction, the industry has something to offer everyone, whatever their age, background or skills. There is so much more to construction than just building – from design and engineering through to project planning and sustainability initiatives – and more companies are embracing flexible working to help make it a positive career choice for everyone.

Find out more and book your place on the Open Doors website.

Understanding the barriers and challenges when recruiting

by Clair Mooney | 16 Feb, 2024 | Skills

The FIS Skills Team are working on setting direction to support the skills strategy for the year. To help suport this, we want to understand the barriers and challenges members have with recruiting.

Your support in completing the Skills Pulse Survey will help ensure FIS provides the right support.

We would like to understand:

What the challenges are with training
What is being done to recruit and engage with potential apprentices/trainees and how can we share best practice wider
Is there sufficient provision for training?

This data will help FIS to build evidence and focus our priorities to ensure we are responding to the needs of our members and the wider sector.

The survey can be completed here and the closing date for responses is Friday 9 February.

National Apprenticeship Week 2024

by Oscar Venus | 9 Feb, 2024 | Skills

It’s the last day of National Apprenticeship Week 2024 where the focus has been ‘Skills for Life’. Apprenticeships are designed by employers to help apprentices gain the skills and knowledge needed in the workplace. Apprenticeships can support your business to grow talent and develop a skilled workforce.

FIS members have been actively demonstrating their support and dedication this week by investing in training the next generation through apprenticeship programs. Here are some highlights:

CG Reynolds established a specialised Trade Academy last year and brought in Trainee Fixers, leading to notable successes for both the company and the apprentices.
Alby Gumble and Aaron McElligott, Assistant Site Managers at Pexhurst Services Limited, and Tom Kasoulis, Assistant Contracts/Commercial Manager, shared their positive experiences with the apprenticeship scheme and discussed their future career goals.
British Gypsum proudly supports over 1,200 apprentices across 51 Thistle Partnership Colleges in the UK. They spoke with plastering apprentice Ryan to learn more about his motivation for joining the apprenticeship program.
Errigal featured apprentice Nicole, who aspires to become a project manager, and highlighted the valuable support she has received.
Domino Commercial Interiors hosted an open event to engage with the community and showcase their diverse range of services.

Offering an apprenticeship can:

introduce fresh talent and ideas to your business by recruiting new staff and upskilling existing members
align training to your business needs
boost staff loyalty and motivation

Apprenticeships available for Finishes and Interiors are:

Level 2 Interior Systems Installer – pathways are:
- Ceilings and Partitions
- Drylining

This apprenticeship includes learning about Installing, repairing and maintaining various elements of the internal structure of a building.

In addition, the government will fund up to a maximum amount of £14,000 for this apprenticeship training.

Level 2 Plastering

Plastering includes preparing walls and ceilings for decoration and finishing.

In addition to supporting NAW 2024 and following the theme of ‘Skills for Life’, FIS have produced and launched a competency framework to demonstrate routes to baseline installer competence for Drylining. The framework can be found here: Competence Framework for Dry Liners – FIS (thefis.org)

This framework aims to support members to identify Drylining routes to competence and SKEB Statements, which will help to understand what training, qualification and competence does and should look like for this area, and help identify potential training gaps and how they can be addressed.

New Competence Framework for Project Managers in the Built Environment

by Oscar Venus | 26 Jan, 2024 | Skills

The competence framework for project managers is now available for use.

The new competence framework for project managers in the built environment is a fantastic resource for those looking to develop their skills and knowledge in the field. The framework is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the competencies required to excel as a project manager, with a particular focus on the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the built environment.

To learn more about the framework and its benefits, you can visit here. Additionally, if you’re interested in attending a joint webinar hosted by APM, RICS, and CIOB, you can register for by clicking here. This is a great opportunity to gain further insight into the framework and to connect with other professionals in the field.

To see more about the FIS competency framework for dryliners, click here

Discover careers in construction with Open Doors 2024

by Clair Mooney | 15 Jan, 2024 | Main News Feed, Skills

FIS is encouraging its members to get involved in this year’s Open Doors event which allows young people and career changers to visit construction sites and workplaces across Great Britain from Monday 18 – Saturday 23 March. This is our chance to showcase the range of career opportunities available in our sector.

Open Doors, delivered by Build UK of which FIS is a member, offers a unique insight into what it is like to work in construction by taking visitors behind the scenes to showcase the diverse range of opportunities available in the industry.

Construction needs to recruit almost 45,000 new entrants each year, and Open Doors aims to show that the industry offers exciting and rewarding careers for everyone – whatever their age, background or skills.

Schools and colleges can book group visits for their students to discover first-hand what the industry has to offer, including a wide range of apprenticeships. New events will continue to be added over the coming weeks, so keep an eye on the Open Doors website for events taking place in your local area.

Visitors can book their place now at more than 150 events already registered across England, Scotland and Wales. From high profile projects – including One Leadenhall in London, the new Aquatics Centre in Manchester, and the Paisley Museum in Scotland – to manufacturing facilities, offices and training centres, Open Doors enables visitors to see the industry in action and learn more about the 180 careers available.

Julie White, Chair of Build UK, said:

“I am passionate about making the world of construction open and accessible to as many young people as possible, so they can see all the different career opportunities there are in our industry. Open Doors is a fantastic way to find out more about the amazing things we build and what the industry has to offer, so book your visit today to see where a career in construction could take you.”

Michael Oppong, Management Trainee Quantity Surveyor at Willmott Dixon who attended an Open Doors visit in 2015, added:

“Open Doors definitely sparked my interest in a career in the construction industry. I have since taken the degree-level apprenticeship route, combining on-the-job training with university studies. I would encourage everyone to attend an Open Doors visit and consider a career in the industry – just like me!”