Skills Plan launched to help industry close skills gaps and reach net zero

by Clair Mooney | 20 Apr, 2023 | Skills

A plan to support the net zero challenge and get young people into high-skilled, well-paid jobs has been launched today (20 April) by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC).

In its new Skills Plan, CLC highlights how much the construction and built environment industry has to offer society, while providing solutions to short and long-term challenges in England.

Construction is a major engine of the UK economy, employing 2.7million people and contributing 8% output to the economy.

But it also faces a major skills shortage, with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) estimating an extra 225,000 workers will be required across the UK from 2023 – 2027.

To tackle this shortage, while supporting net zero goals, CLC’s Skills Plan focuses on four main priorities: culture change, routes into construction and built environment, competence and future skills.

This includes meeting employers’ demand for skilled workers, training and retaining people, ensuring competency, expanding the career appeal of construction and built environment, while also training experienced workers to become teachers.

As part of the Skills Plan, CLC has developed a range of projects for 2023-24, including:

• The launch of a new competence approach to ensure there is an accepted, accredited definition of competence for all construction and built environment occupations.
• Expansion of the new entrant apprenticeship brokerage service and introducing a new apprenticeship mentoring standard to increase apprenticeship starts, continuation and completions.
• The launch of Phase 1 of the Career Pathway Hub, an online portal aimed at defining high value career pathways for net zero, digitalisation, smart construction and repair maintenance and improvement.
• A pilot scheme to give schoolchildren a chance to learn about a career in construction

Adrian Beckingham, CITB Strategy and Policy Director and Co-Chair of CLC People and Skills Network, said: “Construction will be at the forefront of arguably the biggest challenge – supporting the transition to net zero – which makes our industry a career of meaning and value.

At the same time, we have a pressing need to attract and support new entrants into the industry.

This new Skills Plan by CLC will tackle these challenges by creating opportunities to get young people into high-skilled, well-paid jobs, while encouraging workers to adopt modern, green skills across the globe.”

Nick Roberts, Chief Executive of Travis Perkins plc and Industry Sponsor of CLC People and Skills Network, said: “I’m looking forward to helping the whole of our industry support the CLC in the delivery of this plan.

“Partnering for skills is paramount. This means employers of all sizes investing in people, improving industry’s working culture and attracting new talent for future skills demand.”

To read the Skills Plan in full, click here.

People, numbers, possibilities and the future

by Clair Mooney | 30 Mar, 2023 | Skills

Having interrogated the CITB Construction Skills Network data it’s estimated 266,000 people are employed in the construction occupations of the finishes and interiors sector.  To sustain this there’s an Annual Recruitment Requirement of approximately 6052 people per year to 2027.  As there are approximately 10,000 organisations working in the sector that’s 1.65 people per organisation, or if every FIS member took on one new entrant per year that would meet one tenth of the estimated requirement.  The recent FIS Skills Pulse Survey shows 45.5% of respondents are currently experiencing labour shortages and do not feel there will be any improvement in recruitment for the next 12 months.

It’s certainly no longer feasible to think other bigger organisations with more resource will train enough people to go round.  People poaching, the act of tempting or accepting newly qualified individuals away from the organisation that supported the training for a pound or so more, is rife within the finishes and interiors sector.  Evidence shows people poaching contributes to a decline in the quality of workmanship as these individuals although qualified often do have the full range of experience needed by the sector and without the ‘safety net’ of the people who trained, coached and mentored them mistakes are inevitable.

Apprenticeships are the employers preferred training and qualification option for new entrants.  As an indication here are the figures for two occupations in the sector 2022 to 2023, due to the duration of the training programmes successful achievements are not shown:

This is approximately 80% of the estimated Annual Recruitment Rate for these two occupations reinforcing the drive needed by employers to ensure there will be enough competent people to complete work coming up through to 2027.  If you have never taken on a apprentice there is a raft of free support available from recruitment to funding and the rewards for an organisation can be unlimited.  To help decision making have a read of the FIS Apprentice – Guidance for Employers available to download here You will likely be surprised at the options and what is there, free of charge, to help employers.

The current business environment is making it more challenging to invest in the training and qualifications needed to ensure a future workforce for the sector, but if organisations don’t step up now what is it going to be like in the years ahead.  Everyone knows investing in training can bring competitive advantages, helping businesses to retain and attract more workers and to ensure they have an upskilled workforce to win new work is a focus for FIS.  With increased legislative demands for proof of competence at every occupational level the FIS Sector Guide to Competency Management Plans: https://www.thefis.org/skills-hub/competency/ can help organisations avoid falling foul of the law.

If you are still undecided and would like to talk through taking on a new entrant, general recruitment or upskilling your workforce give FIS a call on 0121 707 0077.

Changes to the Dryliner Vocational Qualification

by Clair Mooney | 17 Mar, 2023 | Skills

This week Awarding body NOCN has confirmed that the Installation of Fire Resistant Walls and Linings Qualification will now be available as a Vocational Qualification within the Interior Systems Installers family of qualifications.  

This qualification was previously included in the Passive Fire Protection vocational qualification and following a review involving discussions with FIS members and the FIS Skills Board, the organisation has worked with the Association of Specialist Fire Protection and CITB (who are responsible for Occupational Standards in the Construction Industry) to instigate this restructure.  The qualification is now an option within the interior system family of qualifications and can be endorsed on the CSCS card, thus helping those working in Dry Lining prove competence in the Installation of fire resistant walls and linings.

The Awarding organisation NOCN has committed to administering the qualification which will be available via NOCN accredited centres: https://trainingcentre-search.nocn.org/ later this year.  When the qualification is fully available FIS Approved Training Providers will be advised and members should be able to acquire this qualification with an FIS member discount.  In addition CITB will pay the vocational qualification achievement grant of £600 to organisations in scope for the construction industry levy.

Speaking about the these changes, FIS Skills and Training Lead, George Swann stated:

“We appreciate that the qualification landscape can be quite confusing and it is vital that we apply the logic of the way people work to the way that the qualifications are structured.  As new competency requirements come in to force aligned to the Building Safety Act, this qualification option will support FIS Members in demonstrating competence in a more onerous compliance environment.”

For information on new competency requirements in the Building Regulations and implementing a Competency Management Plan, click here

CITB’s employer network pilot to offer specific support

by Clair Mooney | 8 Mar, 2023 | Skills

Employers can now receive expert advice and support from sector specific networks, as part of the Construction Industry Training Board’s (CITB) employer network pilot.  As well as the local training networks, selected sectors will also be supported making it even easier to find and fund appropriate construction training.

The CITB pilot launched its local training networks in August 2022 with an initial £800,000 investment.  With a focus on connecting employers to established and experienced delivery partners, the aim is to help employers recognise their training priorities and the best routes to achieving them.  This transformative way of working provides a huge opportunity for employers to not only voice their training requirements, but also play a fundamental role in deciding how funds are used in their local area.

The 12-month local initiative is available to 3,800 levy-registered construction businesses and offered across five locations in England, Scotland, and Wales.  One business already reaping the rewards is Aspect Group Services Ltd.  The East Anglian business provides various services across roofing, scaffolding, property refurbishment and development, and was informed about the employer network pilot through the Norfolk Construction Training Group (NCTG).

Katie Laws-Chapman, Aspect Group Services Office Manager, said: “Initially we were hesitant, as we were accustomed to claiming training back from CITB through the usual process.  However, through discussions with our contacts at NCTG, we were assured the process would be simple and we would have greater benefits due to the wide scope the employer network covered.  As we are a mix of site-based operatives and office-based staff, we were able to request support for a wider variety of courses than previously possible. It was very beneficial to be able to combine both sets of training requirements for our staff through the employer network.”

FIS is working with CITB to involve the Fit Out and Interiors Sector Training Group (FISTG).  If you need any information advice or guidance on claiming funds for training please contact Marie Flinter on 07799 903103 or email marieflinter@thefis.org or book a skills and funding clinic here.