by Clair Mooney | 16 Jun, 2022 | Skills
The Construction Skills Network has published it forecasts and analysis for 2022-26, which provides market intelligence and insights for the industry. The data highlights trends and shows how the industry will change year on year, allowing governments and businesses to understand the current climate and plan ahead for the future.
Some key facts from the UK report:
• An extra 266,000 workers will be required to meet projected UK construction demand by 2026 (53,200 workers per year)
• Construction employment would reach a high of nearly 2.78 million workers by 2026 if projected growth is met
• Growth is predicted across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• All major sectors are forecast to experience recruitment pinch points as demand soars with private housing, infrastructure and repair and maintenance most affected
George Swann FIS Skills and Training Lead explains:
This data helps us identify the recruitment challenges for the years ahead based on the predicted growth of the construction industry. However, the Construction Skills Network data does not directly align to all of the 37 occupations employed within the finishes and interiors sector, so we also consider the latest Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card registration data and information collected from various FIS surveys, we emphasise the figures reported by FIS are our best estimates. The sectors occupations are approximately 10% of the recognised roles available in the Construction Industry and its been identified approximately 50% of the sectors workforce are not CSCS registered. FIS will continue to support employers to qualify their workforce, take a look at the FIS Skills Hub: https://www.thefis.org/skills-hub/ or give us a call on 0121 797 0077 or email info@thefis.org
by Clair Mooney | 16 Jun, 2022 | Skills
The deadline for employers registered with CITB to submit their completed 2022 Levy Return is Thursday 30 June 2022. Failure to submit it by this date will result in grant claims being withheld until it is received, and any employers who do not submit a completed Levy Return by 30 November 2022 will lose eligibility for all grant claims.
CITB Chief Executive Tim Balcon will be joining the next Build UK Trade Association Forum on Tuesday 5 July to present the CITB Business Plan 2022/23. Build UK will also be hosting a roundtable meeting for Trade Association members in‐scope to CITB on Tuesday 19 July, where CITB Engagement Director Deborah Madden will provide an update and take questions on grants and funding, including the new and increased grant rates from 1 April 2022.
by Clair Mooney | 15 Jun, 2022 | CSCS, Skills
Launched in April, the CSCS Smart Check app is already improving site safety and card checking procedures on UK construction sites. Developed by the 38 schemes displaying the CSCS logo, CSCS Smart Check allows those responsible for checking cards to verify all 2.1 million cards using one app on their smartphone or tablet. You can watch a short video here.
Having already improved card checking procedures at site gates, CSCS Smart Check now includes a number of additional card schemes that display the CSCS logo and an improved process for reporting cards that may have been obtained fraudulently.
Since its launch, CSCS Smart Check has been downloaded over 15,000 times and is primarily used by construction site managers and gatekeepers to ensure people are qualified and have the right training for the role they do on site. The app was designed and implemented to meet Construction Leadership Council requirements, which demand the development of a solution that uses smart technology to validate all cards displaying the CSCS logo.
Currently CSCS Smart Check functions as a standalone application, incompatible with existing site entry systems such as turnstiles and desktop card readers. There is no immediate impact on existing card checking operations and employers can continue to use these systems if required. Over the coming months, the app’s project team will reach out to employers and stakeholders to begin the process of enabling existing card checking systems to become compatible with CSCS Smart Check. The app is free and available to download from the App Store and Google Play. For more information visit www.cscs.uk.com/smartcheck.
by Clair Mooney | 15 Jun, 2022 | Skills
The Department for Education are introducing a number of changes to apprenticeships through the 2022 to 2023 funding rules:
- DfE are making it simpler for individuals to accelerate their apprenticeship. By improving how providers assess prior learning and experience at the start of the programme and funding providers to deliver a robust assessment apprentices will be able to cut out training they do not require and complete their apprenticeship more quickly.
- DfE are introducing a new minimum number of off-the-job training hours. From 01 August, the minimum time spent on off-the-job-training will no longer be linked to the apprentice’s working hours. Instead, DfE will have a consistent figure, irrespective of the hours worked by the apprentice. This will be 6 hours per week. This change will simplify the reporting for providers and create a level-playing field among apprentices who are on the same standard but working different hours.
- DfE are changing English and maths requirements for those Level 2 apprentices who start with the lowest level of prior attainment in English and maths. People who start a L2 apprenticeship without L1 English and maths will no longer need to automatically attempt L2 English and Maths tests to complete their apprenticeship.
The apprenticeship funding rules are published in draft on gov.uk to give providers and employers an opportunity to provide feedback on how we can make them better understood. Please email any suggestions to fundingrules.comments@education.gov.uk by 24 June 2022.
by Clair Mooney | 13 Jun, 2022 | Skills
Grants provide financial support for employers who supply construction-specific training for their workforce. CITB grants help ensure workers are safe, skilled and have opportunities to grow.
From 1 April 2022, the following grants are available through the CITB Grants Scheme:
Drylining – The apprenticeship attendance grant for all new dry lining apprentices has been increased by £2,000:
- An additional £1,000 paid with the first attendance grant (after 13 weeks)
- An additional £1,000 paid with the final attendance grant (towards the end of the apprenticeship).
Enhanced Grant for Rainscreen Cladding VQ Achievements
An additional £400 will be paid on top of the existing £600 Achievement grant for Rainscreen Cladding VQs completed.
Almost 14,000 businesses have been supported with grants, with over £77m paid out in the last year. Members are encouraged to apply for grants to support training within their businesses, including apprenticeships, short courses, and short/long qualifications. More information is available at citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding
by Clair Mooney | 9 Jun, 2022 | Skills
With the requirement to demonstrate competency in your workforce being carried into law with the new Building Safety Act, FIS has teamed with MyProPass (MPP) to provide a platform for businesses to manage the competency of their workforce and for individuals to demonstrate their training history.
The benefit of the MyProPass platform to individuals is that it allows them to store all of their certificates in one place and to share their training history with their employer or anyone else they grant access to their account. They can also browse and sign up to hundreds of training, CPD or industry events in the events directory. Employers can link to individuals accounts, with their permission, to view and download their training history. They can also manage any training activity which requires a certificate through the platform, issuing a digital certificate directly to an individual’s account. At a time when the industry is facing intense scrutiny, this new platform will enable companies and individuals to provide evidence of competency.
FIS Chief Executive Iain McIlwee said:
“This is an exciting next step and builds out from core tools like CSCS. It is clear that better consistency is key to competence management, especially in a fast-moving sector like ours with an uber flexible workforce – only around 30% of our trade workforce are in employment.
“MPP provides the ideal platform for us to start building digital competence passports. This is about more than the core qualifications, as it’s also about encouraging and recognising wider training activities and will offer more of a formal approach to developing and hopefully retaining people in our sector. This platform and the work we are doing around it gives us an opportunity to reset and focus not just on how we recruit, train and develop our workforce, but ultimately how we reward and encourage individuals, investing in the future of the people who are building our future.”
MPP CEO and co-founder Pia Osseforth said:
“We are truly delighted to be partnering with FIS who are leading this space of digitisation and unpicking the challenges of the industry. MyProPass is passionate about digitising competency within the construction industry. The power of data has a big role to play, and this can only be truly realised when skills gained through learning and work experience are detailed and captured digitally. As highlighted within the recent Building Safety Act, this is also becoming paramount for regulators in terms of assessing the competency of individuals working on projects. Talent management that focuses on the needs of individuals and enhances their employability can increase employee motivation and productivity and improve the attractiveness of companies as employers – issues that are particularly significant in the digital age for recruiting and retaining staff. Provision of further training, retraining and skills management are all important aspects of Continuous Professional Development. Employees will have to engage in lifelong learning through further training if they are to be capable of responding as rapidly as possible to changes in skills requirements triggered by automation and digitalisation. Working collaboratively with FIS, we look to provide value to both employers and employees and look forward to creating positive change and impact.”
To support FIS members to meet the need to prove competence, FIS has negotiated a discount for organisations wishing to engage with MyProPass. Absolutely everything and anything can be stored digitally by individuals and organisations.
For further information about MyProPass visit www.thefis.org/skills-hub/competency-passport/ or call FIS on 0121 707 0077 or email info@thefis.org
