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FIS develop training qualification for drylining in housebuilding

FIS develop training qualification for drylining in housebuilding

by | 15 May, 2020 | Drylining, Main News Feed

The Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) has today announced a new industry qualification. The Drylining in Housebuilding qualification has been created by National Open College Networks (NOCN) to address the lack of a recognised qualification for the sector specific skill and support a more robust approach to training and measuring competence.

Housebuilding makes up approximately one third of the drylining marketplace with some businesses and individuals focused entirely on this market.  The new qualification offers a flexible delivery approach and specific trained outcome to support both employers and individuals to by a step by step approach to demonstrate competence in a vocational setting.  It ensures that those companies and individuals investing in training can be supported with funding even if they are not able to offer the full scope of experience required to meet the new English Drylining Apprenticeship Standard.

The FIS supported by industry partners created a working group to identify the skills and agree the level of training required to create a standalone qualification. The working group comprised Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) standards team, NOCN, Home Builders Federation (HBF) along with colleges and training providers.

The project objectives were to:

  • Develop standardised, formally recognised training that enables the delivery of drylining within housebuilding.
  • Identify and agree the funding available that will enable the delivery of the training.
  • Ensure quality of provision of training in the right locations.

The outcome is an Office of the Qualifications Examinations Regulators (OfQual) registered training qualification that can be delivered on housebuilding sites at the point of installation with a formal trained outcome and national recognition.  The training can be delivered in-house by a qualified instructor, this can be a suitably qualified employee (e.g. Level 3 Award in Education and Training (PTLLS), which can be achieved in 5 days) or an independent trainer.  In order to ensure quality, sites will need the required resources as specified in the NOCN qualification criteria.

NOCN Executive Director of Job Cards and Services, Mark Buckton, said: “NOCN has been delighted to work with FIS on the drylining in housebuilding qualification. At NOCN we know that specialist trades are absolutely vital to the success of the industry and in accomplishing the aims of the nation, like achieving the Government’s housebuilding targets. The drylining in housebuilding qualification fitted perfectly into the new suite of construction training qualifications, where we have totally redesigned each trade’s syllabus and provided greater teaching and learning materials. NOCN is dedicated to ensuring we provide top quality qualifications for both specialist and the larger trades.”

This project clearly highlighted the need for a new qualification for dryliners in the housing sector. This is now complete and ready to deliver. With training providers and colleges working alongside contractors and individuals, together with the support of the FIS, housebuilders and the backing of CITB, it is unanimously agreed the form of qualification and method of delivery will provide a solution that the construction industry needs.

HBF Home Building Skills Partnership Manager, Sara Cartin, said: “The new qualification will help to deliver quality workmanship to industry-agreed standards for home buyers. It is another key part of our skills framework and, combined with the virtual skills cards we are developing, will ensure that training gaps are addressed”.

FIS CEO, Iain McIlwee, said: “It is vital that we move the conversation about skills onto supporting competence within our workforce. As part of this project, we interrogated the current training situation for the housebuilding market and it was clear intervention was needed to support change and help our community meet future skills needs. The key aspect of this is the flexibility that it delivers within a framework.

We often talk of sectors as though they are one harmonious constant, but this is not the case. From business to business and throughout the regions of the UK there are different practical considerations. Within this work we have been mindful of the employer-defined competency requirements. With the support of training providers, housebuilders, and specialist contractors, we have ensured this trained outcome can be adapted to meet specific workplace requirements.

We are grateful to CITB and particularly NOCN for their support in targeting and delivering this new qualification. We are confident that it will be a valuable, new asset to support the measurement and management of competence in the sector”.

The Drylining in Housebuilding Report can be downloaded here.

ENDS

Editor notes

  1. FIS is the representative body for the £10 billion finishes and interiors sector in the UK. The FIS has more than 500 members drawn from contractors, manufacturers and distributers of ceilings, facades, partitions, plastering, drywall and specialist interior fit-out and refurbishment businesses.

FIS exists to support its members, improve safety, minimise risk, enhance productivity and drive innovation in the sector. As well as specialist publications, technical support and expert helplines, FIS is a dynamic network that brings the sector together through a range of events, awards and specialist working groups, all aimed at sharing best practice, setting standards and advising Government, that help its members to improve performance and win work. Members of the FIS are subjected to an audit and vetting process when they join and then again, every three years that underpins the values by which the organisation operates. To drive quality and ensure the future sustainability of the sector, FIS has a dedicated skills and training team and works with a number of Approved Training Providers to attract new people to the sector and deliver a fully qualified and competent workforce.

FIS is dedicated to collaboration in construction and a proud member of BuildUK, the Construction Products Association and the Passive Fire Protection Forum.

  1. The Home Building Skills Partnership (HBSP) was set up by the Home Builders Federation in 2016 (initially funded by CITB) and is a collaboration of home builders and supply chain organisations working together to attract and develop the workforce of the future and in doing so change the culture of the home building sector.
  2. For more information contact: George Swann – FIS Skills and Training Manager
    Finishes and Interiors Sector Olton Bridge, 245 Warwick Road Solihull

West Midlands B92 7AH

www.thefis.org
E-mail: georgeswann@thefis.org 

Tel: +44 (0)121 707 0077

Mobile: +44 (0)7792 959481

The Drylining in Housebuilding Report can be downloaded from our Skills Hub:

Government gives green light to extend working hours for construction sites

Government gives green light to extend working hours for construction sites

by | 15 May, 2020 | Main News Feed

The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Robert Jenrick) issued a written statement yesterday around the need for the construction industry to adapt its normal practices.

To enable this he has requested that, with immediate effect, local planning authorities should take a swift and positive approach to requests from developers and site operators for greater flexibility around construction site working hours. This is to ensure that, where appropriate, planning conditions are not a barrier to allowing developers the flexibility necessary to facilitate the safe operation of construction sites during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to proceed at pace with work otherwise delayed as a result of COVID-19. 

A Q&A to support this approach is available here.

The full script of the announcement is available here.

Comments invited on Specifiers Guide to Ceilings and Acoustic Absorbers

Comments invited on Specifiers Guide to Ceilings and Acoustic Absorbers

by | 14 May, 2020 | Main News Feed

FIS is seeking comments on its final draft of the Specifiers Guide to Ceilings and Acoustic Absorbers.

This Specifiers Guide has been produced to assist the selection and specification of a suspended ceiling and acoustic absorbers by providing a structured approach to help specify products.

It is not a definitive list of standards, regulations or product types. Importantly it is not a replacement for professional consultation on critical performance requirements or discussions with manufacturers on specific product use.

Once published, this guide will be freely available to specifiers and designers to access on the FIS website.

Comments should be returned by 5 June using this comments sheet. A copy of the draft guide is available here.

Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum issues five-point plan to help contractors

Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum issues five-point plan to help contractors

by | 12 May, 2020 | Main News Feed

The CICV Forum has written to Holyrood urging the Government to adopt a five-point plan to assist contractors through the worst of the COVID-19 crisis.

The collection of 23 trade and professional bodies (including FIS) has addressed its appeal to Kevin Stewart MSP, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning.  The letter asks the Scottish Government to implement the following five key points, along with desired aims:

  • Agreement by public sector procurers on all project costs at March 31, including resolution of disputes, and payment within 14 days.
    Aim: Release cash to the industry and the supply chain.
  • Public sector procurers to consider release of all or part of retentions.
    Aim: As above.
  • Introduction of 14-day payment period when construction recommences.
    Aim: Improvement of cashflow.
  • Introduction of Project Bank Accounts (PBAs) when construction recommences.
    Aim: Ensuring rapid cashflow.
  • Lowering PBA threshold on public sector procurement to £250,000
    Aim: Ensuring rapid cashflow.

The urgency of the appeal was highlighted by the fate of the latest victim of the building industry shutdown – Central Building Contractors (Glasgow), which went into administration at the end of April, making 148 staff redundant and sending shivers down the supply chain.

Len Bunton, head of the CICV Forum Clients sub-group, said: “Even before the sudden shutdown of the construction industry in Scotland, the sector was experiencing extreme difficulties in relation to cashflow and payment. Urgent attention to payment cash flow and fairness is now needed by the public and private sector in Scotland.”

Iain McIlwee, CEO of Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) added, “Our industry faces an unprecedented challenge in Scotland and we need to to all we can to ensure that we protect it during this hibernation phase so that it is ready to scale back up and support growth again in Scotland.  Critical to this is protecting cash reserves and Government must lead by example.”

The CICV Forum, which was set up two months ago, now has 23 trade and professional body members. It has established a series of influential sub-groups dealing with mission-critical aspects such as Health and Safety, Skills, Communication and Future Planning.

Find out more about the CICV Forum here

Guidance from HMG on how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic

Guidance from HMG on how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic

by | 11 May, 2020 | Main News Feed

New guidance on safer working has been published for a variety of sectors including “Construction and Other Outdoor Work” and also “Guidance for people who work in or run offices, contact centres and similar indoor environments” can be accessed here.  The Guidance does little to extend the work of the Construction Leadership Council.  On the construction specific elements there is a working group in place to review whether new guidance will result in changes to the Site Operating Procedures, but in the meantime it is worth referring to new Guidance on PPE and Face Masks to support existing risk management strategies (note this is not construction specific and repeated for all sectors).

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE protects the user against health or safety risks at work. It can include items such as safety helmets, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear and safety harnesses. It also includes respiratory protective equipment, such as face masks.

Where you are already using PPE in your work activity to protect against non-COVID-19 risks, you should continue to do so.

At the start of this document we described the steps you need to take to manage COVID-19 risk in the workplace. This includes working from home and staying 2m away from each other in the workplace if at all possible. When managing the risk of COVID-19, additional PPE beyond what you usually wear is not beneficial. This is because COVID-19 is a different type of risk to the risks you normally face in a workplace, and needs to be managed through social distancing, hygiene and fixed teams or partnering, not through the use of PPE.

The exception is clinical settings, like a hospital, or a small handful of other roles for which Public Health England advises use of PPE, for example, first responders and immigration enforcement officers. If you are in one of these groups you should refer to the advice at:

Workplaces should not encourage the precautionary use of extra PPE to protect against COVID-19 outside clinical settings or when responding to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19.

Unless you are in a situation where the risk of COVID-19 transmission is very high, your risk assessment should reflect the fact that the role of PPE in providing additional protection is extremely limited. However, if your risk assessment does show that PPE is required, then you must provide this PPE free of charge to workers who need it. Any PPE provided must fit properly

Face coverings

There are some circumstances when wearing a face covering may be marginally beneficial as a precautionary measure. The evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others if you are infected but have not developed symptoms.

A face covering can be very simple and may be worn in enclosed spaces where social distancing isn’t possible. It just needs to cover your mouth and nose. It is not the same as a face mask, such as the surgical masks or respirators used by health and care workers. Similarly, face coverings are not the same as the PPE used to manage risks like dust and spray in an industrial context. Supplies of PPE, including face masks, must continue to be reserved for those who need them to protect against risks in their workplace, such as health and care workers, and those in industrial settings like those exposed to dust hazards.

It is important to know that the evidence of the benefit of using a face covering to protect others is weak and the effect is likely to be small, therefore face coverings are not a replacement for the other ways of managing risk, including minimising time spent in contact, using fixed teams and partnering for close-up work, and increasing hand and surface washing. These other measures remain the best ways of managing risk in the workplace and government would therefore not expect to see employers relying on face coverings as risk management for the purpose of their health and safety assessments.

Wearing a face covering is optional and is not required by law, including in the workplace. If you choose to wear one, it is important to use face coverings properly and wash your hands before putting them on and taking them off.

Employers should support their workers in using face coverings safely if they choose to wear one. This means telling workers:

  • wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on, and after removing it
  • when wearing a face covering, avoid touching your face or face covering, as you could contaminate them with germs from your hands
  • change your face covering if it becomes damp or if you’ve touched it
  • continue to wash your hands regularly
  • change and wash your face covering daily
  • if the material is washable, wash in line with manufacturer’s instructions. If it’s not washable, dispose of it carefully in your usual waste
  • practise social distancing wherever possible

You can make face-coverings at home and can find guidance on how to do this and use them safely on GOV.UK

Further details of the recovery strategy and social distancing guidelines can be found below:

You can visit the FIS COVID-19 Hub here.
You can access the FIS COVID-19 H&S Toolkit here (this includes the FIS Guide to PPE)

Construction products annual sales decline in Q1 – the lowest in seven years

Construction products annual sales decline in Q1 – the lowest in seven years

by | 11 May, 2020 | Main News Feed

The latest Construction Products Association’s State of Trade Survey for 2020 Q1, looks at the early impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. Key survey findings include:

  • A balance of 14% of heavy side firms and 8% of light side firms reported that construction products sales declined in Q1 compared with a year earlier, the lowest balances in seven years
  • On balance, 54% of heavy side manufacturers anticipated a fall in sales in the next year, the lowest balance in nearly 10 years
  • On the light side, 92% of firms expected a decline in product sales in the next 12 months, the lowest balance in the survey’s history
Access the report here