FIS members can now advertise all their opportunities for new entrants, including apprenticeships and work experience, for free on TalentView Construction, a new dedicated online platform for those looking to secure their first role in construction.  

TalentView sits alongside the Construction Talent Retention Scheme providing a ‘one stop shop’ for the recruitment and retention of skills across the industry.  After calling for an apprentice matching service for a number of years FIS is delighted to welcome the launch of TalentView which should make it much easier for young people to join the industry.

Members can register for TalentView now and upload all their ‘first job’ vacancies.  This service is free of charge.

National Apprenticeship Week 2022 takes place from 7-13 February. The week will bring together everyone passionate about apprenticeships to celebrate the value, benefit, and opportunity that apprenticeships bring.

The theme of National Apprenticeship Week 2022 is ‘Build the Future’, a continuation of the theme used in 2021 and allowing the week to link to the key pillars of the Build Back Better campaign.

Technical education has been transformed in recent years through programmes such as apprenticeships, Traineeships, T Levels, and KickStart. The week will encourage the country to consider and celebrate how technical education can help individuals to develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and employers to develop a workforce with future ready skills.

Across the week there will be engaging stories of apprentices’ progression – the increase in their confidence, skills, knowledge and how apprenticeships have kick-started incredible careers. It will also showcase the business benefits and return on investment of employing apprentices, how employers are using apprenticeships to fill skills gaps, upskill and revitalise their workforce ensuring they are future proof and future ready!

Let’s also use the week to recognise the resilience of employers, training providers, EPAOs (End Point Assessment Organisations) and apprentices during Covid. Visit https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/influencers/naw-2022 to find out more.

How to get involved

Employers: Encourage everyone to consider how training apprentices can build their business for years to come. Speak about the return on investment you are already seeing and how investing in your workforce helps you retain talent. Tell everyone of any successful levy transfers or examples of excellent brokerage by intermediaries. Host a Graduation or Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony. Showcase the diversity of career options and industries now available and what you can achieve through apprenticeships. You might also choose to showcase your wider recruitment offer, such as KickStart, Traineeships, or T Levels.

Individuals: Tell your story and discuss the impact of your apprenticeship training, progression opportunities and how you have achieved your career goals.

Training Providers: Highlight the great apprentices and employers you work with, and the opportunities available. You may wish to highlight individuals who have progressed from a Traineeship to an apprenticeship, or through the apprenticeship levels.

Applications are now open for the £3,000 incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice.  Employers need to have recruited new apprentices before 31 January 2022.

How employers apply:

Employers should check their apprentices’ eligibility – they must have:

• an employment start date from 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022
• an apprenticeship start date from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022

To receive the payment, employers must submit an application for each eligible apprentice using their apprenticeship service account.

There is a step-by-step guide for more information.  When applying for the incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice, employers should make sure they have:

• added the correct PAYE schemes, that they use to pay their apprentices, to their apprenticeship service account, in line with the service terms and conditions
• only applied for eligible apprentices and they have documentation which can validate their claim, as listed in the apprenticeship funding rules
• checked their training provider has the correct National Insurance Number for each of their apprentices, and that they have included this in their funding submissions.

If the employers’ information is incorrect, this will delay their incentive payments.

If you have a query about the incentive payment, check the help articles in National Apprenticeship Services help portal.  If your query is about an application that has already been submitted, read the help article about how you can view your application and its status.

As announced by the Prime Minister in his 2020 Skills Speech, ESFA are launching a pilot scheme for flexi-job apprenticeships (previously known as portable apprenticeships) beginning in April 2022.  Flexi-job apprenticeship put apprentices in the driving seat and enable them to complete their apprenticeship across multiple short employment contracts.

Providers are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to engage in the pilot to test an exciting new model of apprenticeship delivery and support ongoing developments in the apprenticeship programme.

The Expression of Interest and further details about flexi-job apprenticeships can be found on Jaggear, the DfE’s eSourcing platform.  The closing date for Expressions of Interest is 28 January 2022.

A new app, developed by the 38 card schemes displaying the CSCS logo, is set to radically improve the construction industry’s card checking procedures and site safety.  The CSCS Smart Check app represents a major step forward as, for the first time, all 2.1 million cards displaying the CSCS logo can be electronically verified using a single app.

The roll out of the app begins in April 2022, providing employers with a quick, easy and secure way of ensuring everyone on site has the right qualifications and training for the job they do.  The app will be free to use and available for Apple iOS and Android devices.  Visit https://www.cscs.uk.com/about/cscs-smart-check/ to find out more about the CSCS Smart Check app.

What does this mean for employers?

Sites should require everyone working in a construction occupation to hold a card displaying the CSCS logo and they should be checking those cards regularly to ensure they are genuine and in date.  However, with 38 schemes offering CSCS logoed cards and many using their own (often incompatible) card checking systems, the process can be complicated.  This places an unrealistic expectation on site management teams to know every scheme and every type of card available together with the different verification systems used.  Having one app to electronically check all cards at the site gates will make life easier for those responsible. It doesn’t matter what card turns up at the site gates, from asbestos to welding, if it displays a CSCS logo it will be compatible with the CSCS Smart Check app.

Early Adopters:  Are you a technology early adopter?  CSCS need some help to test the app.  If your site would like to take part in a pilot programme then please email the project team at communications@cscs.co.uk.

Next steps:  The roll out of the app will result in some changes to the way in which employers check cards at the site gates.  Over the coming weeks the 38 card schemes are committed to keeping the industry updated on our progress and everything you need to know about CSCS Smart Check.  Regular progress reports will be issued and we are planning several events to keep you and your colleagues updated. Further details on these events will be made available in the new year.

“It must be emphasised this is to check the CSCS card is genuine and in date, FIS strongly encourage members to ensure employees are operating on the card applicable to their status (trainee, apprentice, operative, supervisor, manger) and occupation.  When the Building Safety Bill takes hold a green Labourers card for a trades person could lead to that individual being turned away at the site gate.  The FIS Approved Training Provider Network have offers and discounts (including some free of charge qualifications) to help employers qualify the workforce and register for the appropriate CSCS card.  Remember CITB grants also apply to individuals working for organisations as LOSC which should help employer recoup so of the costs.  If you need help give FIS a call 0121 707 0077 or email info@thefis.org”.