Skills Archives - Page 9 of 58

Inspiring the Next Generation: Join FIS at the ‘50 Careers in a Day’ Festival

by Oscar Venus | 10 Apr, 2025 | Labour, Skills

FIS is proud to be partnering with Building Our Skills to deliver an exciting Careers Festival – showcasing ‘50 Careers in a Day’ – designed to open young minds to the diverse opportunities available within the finishes and interiors sector and the wider construction industry.

Taking place on Tuesday 20th May at the AluK Design Centre in London, this one-day event will bring together school-aged children, teachers, careers advisors, and parents to explore what a future in construction could look like. The festival will feature real stories from real people, with industry professionals sharing insights into their own career journeys, what inspired them, and the variety of roles available across the sector.

Why Get Involved?

This initiative is about more than just awareness — it’s about making construction a career of choice for the next generation. The event aims to:

Position construction as an exciting and rewarding long-term career
Provide clear, practical information and guidance
Enable direct engagement with passionate people working in the industry

We’re inviting FIS members to get involved — whether it’s by giving a short talk, sharing your story, or bringing along a hands-on activity that helps bring your work to life.

Event Details

Tuesday 20th May
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
AluK Design Centre, Henry Thomas House, 5-11 Worship St, London EC2A 2BH

Interested in Taking Part?

If you’d like to be part of this inspiring day and help us shape the future of our industry, please get in touch with Beena Nana at
beenanana@thefis.org by Friday 8 May.

Recruiting and Retaining the Construction Workforce

by Oscar Venus | 10 Apr, 2025 | Labour, Skills

FIS joins concerns in the level of challenges that the workforce are facing as we take part in last week’s Build UK Forum, where we joined industry peers to explore the initial findings of ongoing research by Warwick University into workforce challenges across construction.

The discussion reinforced what many within the finishes and interiors sector are already experiencing which is that the way our industry operates has a direct impact not only on the ability to recruit and retain skilled workers, but also on overall quality, productivity, and performance.

The research is shedding light on some of the key structural and cultural issues affecting our workforce, including:

High levels of self-employment
Intense project timelines and long working hours
Extended periods working away from home
A lack of recognition and reward
Poor mental health and wellbeing support

As a sector already facing a significant skills gap, these findings underline the urgent need for change. We welcome Warwick University’s continued work, particularly its focus on understanding what draws new entrants into the industry. This insight will be critical to shaping more effective recruitment strategies and building a more sustainable and supportive working environment.

FIS remains committed to supporting members in tackling these challenges and championing improvements that will help attract and retain the skilled workforce our sector needs.

FIS Mental Health Hub

Here you can find information and resources to help you with your mental health and wellbeing.

Click Here

Government to fund construction skills

by Oscar Venus | 28 Mar, 2025 | Skills

Promising to ‘back the builders, not the blockers’ in Wednesday’s Spring Statement, the Chancellor has announced £600 million of investment to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers by 2029 in order to tackle the industry’s skills shortages. The funding package is designed to ensure the Government can meet its target of delivering 1.5 million new homes as part of its Plan for Change and includes:

£165 million to help colleges deliver more construction courses
£100 million to fund 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges
£100 million to expand Skills Bootcamps, ensuring new entrants, returners or those looking to upskill within the industry will be able to do so
£100 million to fund over 40,000 industry placements each year for all Level 2 and Level 3 learners, supported by a £32 million contribution from CITB
£80 million for a capital fund to support employers to deliver bespoke training based on their needs
£40 million for new construction foundation apprenticeships to be launched in August 2025
£20 million to form partnerships between colleges and construction companies within all Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) areas.

The funding will be overseen by a new Construction Skills Mission Board, co-chaired by Mark Reynolds, Executive Chair of Build UK member Mace Group and Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) which will develop and deliver a construction skills action plan and provide strategic leadership to the sector. The huge success of Open Doors last week shows that people are interested in joining construction and Mark has called on the industry to “embrace the Government’s growth mission and match their ambition” by investing in new jobs and training. This is a great opportunity to address some long-standing skills issues and scale up the systems we have in place to make a real difference to employers across the supply chain and their workforce.

Can you offer work experience to trainees in internal / external insulation and drylining?

by Clair Mooney | 28 Mar, 2025 | Main News Feed, Skills

The Skills Centre at Southwark are running new Skills Bootcamps in partnership with FIS in Internal / External Insulation and Drylining and we are seeking employers support in offering a work trial and/or potential employment to candidates that are taking part.

The Skills Bootcamps are aimed at London residents aged 19+ and start of various dates from 1 April 2025.

These intensive, hands-on training programmes are designed to equip individuals with the critical skills needed to meet our industry demands. The bootcamps will provide practical experience, industry-relevant knowledge, and career support; helping bridge the gap between talent supply and employer needs. They offer entry routes into construction and green construction as well as upskilling opportunities for those already in the industry.

If you are interested in supporting and are able to provide work experience or employment please get in touch with Beena Nana or Marie Flinter at FIS.

As part of this partnership with The Skills Centre, there is an opportunity for employers to visit the centre and see first-hand the training that is taking place. Details are below:

Date: 9 April
Time: 11-2
Address: Surrey Quays Road, Junction of Canada Street, London SE16 7PJ

Employers wanted for Skills Bootcamp in Interior Systems

by Oscar Venus | 25 Mar, 2025 | Skills

FIS, in collaboration with Construction Skills People and British Gypsum, is set to host a comprehensive skills bootcamp focusing on interior systems at Erith Academy. This 10-day intensive course, titled “Build Better Academies,” will run from March 31 to April 11, with all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) provided to participants.

Bootcamp Agenda:

Day 1: An introduction to the course, covering health and safety in construction and interior systems.
Day 2: Insights into understanding carbon footprints and raising mental health awareness.
Days 3-4: Training on beginner metal stud work for drylining systems.
Day 5: A focus on Gyplyner wall lining systems.
Day 6: Techniques for metal frame (MF) ceiling systems.
Days 7-8: Mastering the dotting and dabbing boarding technique.
Days 9-10: Skills in hand jointing and tape and jointing systems.

Upon completing the course, all participants will receive guaranteed interviews with potential employers, offering a valuable opportunity to advance their careers in the construction industry.

To back this initiative, FIS encourages its members to assist in the employment of students by offering to interview candidates. If you would like to find out more, please reach out to Marie Flinter

Construction Industry Levy Consensus 2025 – 2029

by Oscar Venus | 20 Mar, 2025 | Skills

The CITB Consensus is underway and FIS members who are likely to pay the Construction Industry Levy as proposed by CITB for 2026 to 2029 are invited to have their say by participating in the Consensus Survey. The deadline for response is 2 May 2025.

The proposals for raising and collecting the Levy for the next 3 years (2026 – 2029) are:

• A PAYE payroll contribution of 0.35% and

• A net CIS contribution of 1.25%.

• Employers with an annual wage bill of less than £150k will be exempt; and

• Employers with an annual wage bill of between £150k and £500k will receive a 50% deduction on the Levy assessment, meaning employers will only pay the full assessment if their annual wage bill is £500k or above.

• No other Levy Exemptions Schemes shall apply.

FIS is a ‘Prescribed Organisation’ which means that we are required to formally consult members on the Levy proposals put forward by CITB and respond collectively on their behalf.

To this end, we are asking members to complete our short survey – it should only take 5 minutes to complete. Only the views of those contractors likely to pay levy will be counted in the consensus vote.

If you have any queries, please contact Beena Nana or Marie Flinter on 0121 707 0077 or email beenanana@thefis.org or marieflinter@thefis.org