by Clair Mooney | 7 Jul, 2021 | Skills
At this time of year many young people will be considering ending their academic studies and entering the world of work. The opportunities available are many, as an employer it is a great time to consider taking on an apprentice in roles such as dry lining, ceiling fixing, partitions installer, plastering, design, estimating, planning or quantity surveying.
The road to a quality apprenticeship has been published by Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to help employers understand the steps involved in delivering high quality, successful apprenticeships in their businesses. The document provides links to information that employers can use to help them achieve a quality experience for their apprentices while maximising the benefits for their business. It will be followed by similar guides for end-point assessment organisations and apprentices.
The government continue to provide incentive grants for employers that take on apprentices:
In England
From 01 June 2021 employers of all sizes in England can apply for extra funding to help them take on new apprentices. The boost to the apprenticeship incentive scheme was confirmed by the Chancellor in the Budget in March. Business can apply to claim £3,000 for each new apprentice hired as a new employer from 01 April until 30 September 2021. The cash incentive is designed to help more employers invest in the skilled workforce they need for the future as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs.
This is in addition to the £1000 available for:
- aged 16 to 18 years old
- under 25 with an education, health and care plan or who has been in the care of their local authority.
In Scotland
£5,000 for employers taking on or upskilling a 16 to 24-year old apprentice, and for those aged up to 29 years who are disabled, care leavers and Minority Ethnic.
£3,500 for employers taking on or upskilling an apprentice aged 25 plus.
In Wales
Until 30 September 2021 businesses will be able to claim up to £4,000 for each new apprentice, they hire under the age of 25.
Skills and Training Lead George Swann say:
“Now is the ideal time to recruit the workforce of the future via apprenticeships. For more information on the options available to employers please see the FIS Apprentice – Guidance for Employers. If you would like to discuss this please give us a call we will be happy to help”.
Thinking of taking on an apprentice? FIS is here to help
Apprenticeships are key to building the pipeline of skilled workers in the Finishes and Interiors Sector. With a range of apprenticeships available and funding support from both Central Government, Local Funding and the CITB complex to navigate, FIS can offer FREE specialist one to one support help you to work out your options, recruit candidates and identify training providers who can help you to get started or keep going. See our Apprenticeships – Guidance for Employers for more information, email Apprentice Help! with your contact details to info@thefis.org or simply call FIS on 0121 707 007
by Clair Mooney | 7 Jul, 2021 | Labour, Skills
The Construction Leadership Council has added its voice to other industry representatives including the CBI and the Road Haulage Association calling for a review of the occupations eligible for a visa and an immediate update to the shortage occupations list to include specialist piling rig operators, HGV drivers and others.
Along with other industry sectors, construction is feeling the impact of the new Points Based Immigration System and it is not just core construction skills that are affected. The availability of HGV drivers has been a growing cause of concern and complaints within the CLC’s Product Availability Group, and has clearly worsened to the point that it is now delaying deliveries and inflating costs across the UK.
Parliament’s Transport committee recently heard that the industry faces “a huge challenge of shortages, both in craft and particular skills” and that this shortage will have a greater impact as more major infrastructure programmes get under way. Employers of all sizes are now reporting challenges in employing suitably skilled workers and are calling for the new visa system to accommodate specialist construction workers to help alleviate the shortage in the short term whilst education policies are aligned to support UK workers gain appropriate qualifications and training including apprenticeships.
Whilst exploring the changes required to boost the construction sector workforce the CLC is supporting the Road Haulage Association’s calls to add HGV drivers to the Government’s Skilled Worker Shortage Occupation List and offering a seasonal visa scheme for qualified HGV drivers.
The recent upturn in the economy since the lockdown is increasing demand across supply chains, and the reopening of non-essential retail outlets and parts of the hospitality sector is making the situation more acute. According to the RHA, the UK has lost 15,000 European drivers this year due to Brexit, and 30,000 UK driver tests due to Covid, exacerbating the existing 60,000 driver shortage.
The construction industry is one of the largest users of the UK road network. With Government intervention and support, the sector was amongst the first to return to work during the pandemic; but the resulting sharp increase in activity has made clear an imbalance in supply and demand, including labour shortages.
Construction Leadership Council co-chair Andy Mitchell, said:
“We now have a situation where we believe the Government needs to intervene. Manufacturers, merchants and builders large and small are having products and materials delayed or not delivered, and warn that it is having a knock-on effect on construction schedules and leading to higher build costs. Industry can only take this so far, and as Government is also the largest client of construction services, we trust it will listen to the calls from all sectors to enable timely and appropriate reviews of the new immigration system.”
Suzannah Nichol MBE, CEO of Build UK, said:
“We do not have all of the specialist skills we need for the volume of construction projects underway and those in the pipeline across the UK. The new immigration system is proving difficult to navigate, is costly and actually prevents many of the people with the skills construction needs from coming here to work. By reviewing the eligible skilled occupations and the shortage occupation list we can ease the current pressures, support businesses to grow the economy and keep building faster, better and greener”
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, added:
“The construction industry cannot be expected to ‘build back better’ when the industry is struggling to access key inputs – be that labour or materials. Small builders are already struggling to hire bricklayers and carpenters. Shortages of HGV drivers to get goods to merchants are now adding to the troubles they face. Clearly what SME builders are experiencing is part of a larger problem, and we hope the Government addresses it with the big picture in mind. The Road Haulage Association’s recommendations are sensible, achievable, and work for both the short term and long term.”
Richard Burnett, Chief Executive at the Road Haulage Association, said:
“We welcome the support of the Construction Leadership Council and the industry it represents. It is our view that there has never been a more challenging time for road haulage. We have strongly urged Government to take these decisive steps to ensure that we can continue to maintain the UK’s integrated and finely balanced supply chains. We certainly encourage the construction industry to ask Government and their local MPs for swift action.”
by Clair Mooney | 1 Jul, 2021 | Drylining, Labour, Skills
In light of severe shortages predicted in the drylining sector, FIS has been helping to train new talent serious about a career in drylining.
For every 5% of EU workers that leave the UK, we double our annual recruitment target for drylining. The Settlement Scheme is now officially closed.
Through the FIS BuildBack programme, we have scheduled a number of courses which will help to get candidates site-ready, have a grounding in the skills and competencies required for installing drylining and have undergone an assessment and robust training course and that includes mandatory HS&E training and the provision of a Provisional CSCS card, PPE and basic tools.
The next step is where we need YOU.
We are looking for employers to provide the candidates with two-weeks work experience. There is no cost involved, we make all the arrangements for you. You can meet and select the candidates you want to offer work experience in order to ensure they are the best fit for your business.
If you are interested in finding out more, or can offer a placement, email catherinebullough@thefis.org
by Clair Mooney | 29 Jun, 2021 | Labour, Skills
The West Midlands is set to benefit from a new scheme to assist residents looking for employment or change of career and fill a skills shortage in local construction.
FIS BuildBack 2021 will see people from the region take on training at Sandwell College and work experience with local construction companies to enable them to begin apprenticeships and jobs.
FIS has set up the initiative with funding from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
Courses in drylining will start from June at the college, initially involving up to 28 places, with a view to progressing to an apprenticeship and ongoing NVQ professional development funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
CITB-funded research for the WMCA showed that in the West Midlands the construction workers in highest demand are in the interior fit-out and wood trades, with more than 15,000 needed across the Black Country, Greater Birmingham and Solihull, and Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas.
The West Midlands region is also forecast to have the highest construction growth rate of anywhere in the country in the coming years, at 4.8%.
BuildBack 2021 is aimed at recruiting from local people who are out of work, or looking for a change of career, or underrepresented groups in construction such as women or those from diverse backgrounds.
Lorraine Gregory, CITB Senior Customer Engagement Manager for the Midlands, said:
“We know there’s a skills shortage in the West Midlands for interior fit-out, and with the construction sector playing such a key role in the recovery BuildBack 2021 will help people enter a varied and exciting new career path.”
Catherine Bullough, FIS Skills and Training Coordinator, said:
“There’s real demand for finishes and interiors professionals in the West Midlands, and a strong pipeline of work including the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year makes this an exciting time to train up in a new trade.”
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said:
“Retraining and upskilling hold the key to getting people back into work following the impact of the Covid pandemic, and that is why they are a cornerstone of my ambitious but practical plan to create 100,000 jobs in just two years.
“By controlling the region’s training agenda, we can ensure local people are getting access to the skills they need to match employers’ needs. We know construction for example is going to continue to be a huge employer in the coming years, creating tens of thousands of new jobs in the West Midlands. So through schemes like BuildBack 2021 we can use our adult education budget to get people trained in the construction techniques that we know will get them into work.”
Further partners include and the Department for Work and Pensions. BuildBack 2021 in the West Midlands is part of a national scheme by FIS to attract hundreds more people into the trade.
Find out more about BuildBack 2021
by Clair Mooney | 24 Jun, 2021 | Skills
The FIS Skills Board met to discuss all matters related to training and qualifications last week on Thursday 17 June 2021. The board comprises volunteers from membership and meets four times a year to:
- Guide FIS in support of the sector for all types of training and qualification outcomes.
- Guide the activities of the Training Group (FISTG).
- Support innovation and promote best practice in Training Delivery.
- Support the sector to ensure sufficient skills and knowledge for a competent workforce.
- Comment on and contribute to the content of qualifications and standards for the sector.
To provide information to members the associated documents and minutes of these meeting are available to view at www.thefis.org/about-us/skills-board/
There are some vacancies for employer members, if you would like to get involved or need more information please contact George Swann, FIS Skills and training Lead via email georgeswann@thefis.org or call 07553 874838.
by Clair Mooney | 24 Jun, 2021 | Skills
Calling all apprentices, employers, ambassadors and individuals who champion apprenticeships… the National Apprenticeship Awards 2021 will be open for entries from 5 July to 28 July 2021. It is free to enter the awards, and all entries must be made through the application website.
Back for their 18th year, the National Apprenticeship Awards are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the apprentices, employers and champions who have gone above and beyond, in spite of the challenges faced during the last year.
There are nine categories to recognise exceptional employers, apprentices and apprenticeship champions:
Employer of the Year categories
• SME Employer of the Year (for organisations with 1 to 249 employees)
• Large Employer of the Year (for organisations with 250 to 4,999 employees)
• Macro Employer of the Year (for organisations with 5,000+ employees)
• Recruitment Excellence (Selected from Employer of the Year award entries, and awarded to an organisation that has recruited a diverse and high quality apprenticeship workforce).
Apprentice of the Year and Apprenticeship Champion categories
• Intermediate Apprentice of the Year (level 2)
• Advanced Apprentice of the Year (level 3)
• Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year (level 4 or higher)
• Rising Star of the Year* (Apprentices that have made impressive progress in their career to date, and have the potential to go even further. Nominations are made by their employer).
• Apprenticeship Champion of the Year (Individuals who go ‘above and beyond’ to champion apprenticeships. Nominations are made by a colleague or contact who recognises an individual’s ‘champion’ credentials).
*The Rising Star category will not include a public vote this year due to the condensed format of the awards.
Webinars to explain the awards process in more detail, including hints and tips on completing your application, will be made available on appawards.co.uk later in June.
Dates for your diary
Regional ceremonies will take place in October 2021, with the national ceremony taking place on Wednesday 1 December.
All regional winners will be recognised via virtual ceremonies, and national finalists will be invited to a ceremony in London.
Click here to find out more about the National Apprenticeship Awards 2021. In the meantime you can join the conversation on Twitter using @Apprenticeships and #AppAwards21
