As part of our ongoing partnership with The Skills Centre, FIS is pleased to highlight a new opportunity for eligible members and their employees to access fully funded Level 3 NVQs, supporting progression to Gold Card status and strengthening supervisory and technical capability across the sector.

Qualifications Available (Fully Funded)

Eligible learners can access FREE Level 3 NVQs in the following areas:

• Occupational Work Supervision
• Construction Contracting
• Operations in:
  • Buying
  • Design Coordination
  • Estimating
  • Planning
  • Site Technical Support
  • Surveying

These qualifications are designed to support career progression into supervisory, management and technical roles, helping businesses build competence, capability and resilience within their teams.

Who Is Eligible?

Funding is available to individuals who meet the following criteria:

• Aged 19+
• UK resident with the right to live and work in the UK
• Residency requirements:
• Minimum 3 years in the UK/EEA
• Or 1 year remaining on valid residency documentation
• In employment
• Not in full-time education or enrolled on another funded programme
• No prior Level 3 qualification
• Aged 24+ earning below the National Living Wage

(Those aged 19–23 are exempt from this earnings requirement)

Eligibility rules apply by region, including non-devolved regions, Birmingham and London.

Why This Matters for FIS Members

This funding provides a valuable opportunity for employers in the finishes and interiors sector to:

• Upskill supervisors and technical staff at no cost
• Support progression to Gold Card status
• Strengthen competence and compliance under evolving regulatory expectations
• Retain talent through structured career development

Click the link to explore this opportunity and consider how funded qualifications can support workforce development and long-term business resilience.

Registration has opened for the SkillBuild 2026 Regional Qualifiers, giving learners across construction the opportunity to showcase their skills and compete at a national level. Entries are open now and will close on 20 February 2026.

SkillBuild is the UK’s largest multi-trade skills competition and plays a vital role in promoting skills excellence, raising standards, and inspiring the next generation of construction professionals. The regional qualifiers are the first step on the journey to the SkillBuild National Final, providing competitors with valuable experience in a live competition environment.

What’s New for 2026

For the first time, regional competition drawings will be published in advance on Go Construct, allowing competitors to practise and prepare ahead of their qualifier. This change is designed to improve accessibility, support better preparation, and help competitors perform at their best on the day.

How to Get Involved

All competition information, eligibility criteria and required documentation are available via Go Construct:

FIS encourages members, training providers and employers to support SkillBuild by promoting the competition to learners and apprentices. Taking part not only builds confidence and technical capability but also highlights the quality and professionalism within the finishes and interiors sector.

Supporting initiatives like SkillBuild is an important part of strengthening the skills pipeline and celebrating the talent that will shape the future of our industry.

The Scottish Government has published a new Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline, as part of the Scottish Budget 2026/27.

The pipeline details £11.1 billion of investment across major projects and programmes over the next four years, including 36,000 new homes, the A9 Dualling Programme, and HMP Glasgow and HMP Highland, with progress reports to be published every six months.

UK government has announced that it is scrapping the long-awaited Audit and Corporate Governance Reform Bill saying that the rule changes would be too costly for large companies. This is a blow to the construction supply chain who bore the brunt of the failure of Carillion, has been impacted by persistently high levels of insolvency, the recent news of the escalating exposure to ISG and serious governancee failings being investigated following the failure of Henry Construction,

The Bill had, among other reforms, aimed to hold company directors to account for existing corporate reporting responsibilities and to create a new regulator with stronger powers. According to Department of Business and Trade the decision to scrap the Bill was made to “avoid significant new costs” for large organisations.

A letter from the Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation, Blair McDougall, to the Chair of the parliamentary Business and Trade Committee, has also been published and further explains the change of direction.

McDougall confirms that with the government’s key priority being to promote growth and reduce administrative burdens, that it would “not be right” to prioritise the introduction of measures that would increase costs on businesses.

“We intend to focus instead on the simplification and modernisation of corporate reporting. We want to make the UK’s reporting regime the most streamlined and proportionate in the world,”

he wrote.

Another key factor in the decision, according to McDougall, was supposed progress in audit quality and regulation since the collapse of Carillion.

Reacting to the news ICAEW’s Chief Executive, Alan Vallance, has stated:

“We cannot hide our disappointment that after many false dawns, the government has decided to scrap the Audit and Corporate Governance Bill. The government had itself recognised that an Audit Reform Bill would increase global investor confidence in UK companies and increase the prospects of growth.”

FIS Chief, Iain McIlwee added his concerns to this decision reflecting:

“We continue to underestimate from a policy perspective how important the construction supply chain is to delivery and growth at our peril. It is all very well to consider the cost to large corporations, but SMEs are the backbone of the construction sector and economy and there is little consideration here to them.  The uncertainty added by the risk of insolvency further undermines our ability to innovate, and to invest in skills and does not take into account the confidence of investors who will be taking a view on the viability of projects based on the resilience of the supply chain.  The backdrop to all of this is that failure to build protection also impacts confidence in the loan, bond and credit insurance market, further removing much needed support from the supply chain..

Almost 8 years after the failure of Carillion it is a disgrace that nothing tangible has been done to protect our supply chain from exposure here. This announcement comes at a time when our community continues to deal with the fall-out from ISG, the evident lack of controls were in place and frankly this another kick in the teeth to those that are footing the bill for the failure of others. We need stability to support growth. Whilst I remain optimistic about the interventions proposed to improve payment and put a nail in the coffin of retentions, we have missed a huge opportunity here to help stabalise the sector. FIS has fed these views into the Construction Minister.”

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Davinder Jhamat to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. Davinder is a dynamic and commercial minded leader and joins FIS during an exciting time of transformation.

This role is key to helping lead our organisation and members into an increasingly digitally enabled future.  Davinder will play a pivotal role in reimagining how we serve the industry, and our members, championing the adoption of emerging technologies, developing our digital offering and the commercial performance of FIS.

With a career built in real estate and the built environment, Davinder has worked at the intersection of policy, strategy and leadership, driving organisations to deliver meaningful impact. She has 18 years of senior leadership experience, building organisational resilience and influencing at the highest levels of government to drive needed change enabling sectors to thrive. She is an avid golfer, swimmer and now learning to ski.

Commenting on the new role, Iain McIlwee, FIS Chief Executive said:

“This is an exciting time for the FIS as we stand on the precipice of a new information age with Artificial Intelligence and E-Learning providing opportunities that can transform the way we work and how our members are able to engage with the content and resources that are being developed through our working groups.  In many ways this is a relief as the compliance landscape is becoming ever more complex and it certainly isn’t getting easier out there.  We have to step up and be more effective in protecting our members from risks, poor behaviour and helping them to navigate change.  Davinder is joining our team at a critical time and bringing with her a wealth of experience to ensure that we focussed and structured in delivery and harnessing the full potential of technology and the information we hold to further improve the support we give to this vital community.”

Davinder added:

“It is a pleasure to be joining the FIS at this exciting time where the construction sector, like many other sectors, is not immune to technological change that we all must stay abreast of. Indeed, in how we can ensure the finishes and interiors industry – a fundamental part of the construction sector – can effectively respond to this change, taking a proactive step to futureproof. And how we do this? Through investing in our skills and our future talent pipeline, challenging the negative perceptions the wider construction sector perhaps does battle with, and showcasing the wealth of rewarding opportunities and careers this sector has to offer. And FIS is here to collaborate and work with you as we jointly embark on this journey.

“I am fervently looking forward to meeting and working with our members and the wider sector, of how we can collectively come together and build a better and resilient finishes and interiors industry, ensuring that it prospers and thrives for both the now, and for future generations to enjoy”.

FIS is reminding members of the importance of carrying out correct Right to Work checks, as the Government continues to step up immigration enforcement across the UK, with construction identified as a priority sector.

According to the Home Office, arrests for illegal working are now at a record high. This increase in enforcement activity means employers must be confident that their processes for checking an individual’s right to work in the UK are compliant and up to date.

What Employers Can Do

There are three accepted routes for carrying out Right to Work checks, depending on the individual’s status and documentation:

Digital checks via a certified Identity Service Provider (IDSP)

Employers can use an approved digital identity service to check individuals holding a valid British or Irish passport (or Irish passport card). Employers must still confirm that the person presenting for work matches the verified identity, which can be done via a video call.

Online checks using Home Office services

Where an individual holds an eVisa or certain other documentation, checks can be completed using the Home Office online service. In specific circumstances, such as where an application or appeal is outstanding, employers can use the Employer Checking Service.

In-person manual document checks

Employers may also conduct manual checks by physically obtaining, checking and copying acceptable documents. However, FIS highlights that not all commonly presented documents are valid. A Home Office report found that 70% of construction employers incorrectly accept a driving licence, which is not an acceptable Right to Work document.

Why This Matters

Employers who carry out Right to Work checks correctly, in line with Home Office guidance, gain a statutory excuse, protecting them from liability if an individual is later found to be working illegally.

Without this protection, employers face significant financial risk, with civil penalties of up to £60,000 per worker.

FIS encourages all members to review their Right to Work procedures, ensure managers are properly trained, and seek professional advice where there is any uncertainty. Getting this right is critical to protecting your business, workforce and reputation.