by Clair Mooney | 30 Nov, 2018 | Main News Feed
FIS and nine other leading trade and professional bodies have come together to understand what skills are in greatest demand as the UK prepares its exit from the EU.
The survey, which will go out to more than 20,000 companies across the UK construction sector, will ask respondents to indicate which roles they are finding it difficult to recruit now and which they expect to be challenging post-Brexit.
The survey is supported by the following industry groups.
- Association for Consultancy & Engineering
- Build UK and member trade bodies
- Chartered Institute of Building
- Civil Engineering Contractors Association
- Construction Plant-hire Association
- Construction Products Association and member trade bodies
- Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS)
- Federation of Master Builders
- Highways Term Maintenance Association
- National Federation of Builders
Companies that are not part of the above organisations are also invited to contribute to the research to ensure that the survey has as wide reach as possible. Evidence uncovered from the survey will be used to identify where the industry should be focussing its efforts to recruit new workers.
It will also be used to engage with the government and Migration Advisory Committee to support decision-making on appropriate migration for workers from the EU and rest of the world.
Mark Reynolds, Mace chief executive and skills lead for the Construction Leadership Council, said: “We know that our sector will need to recruit hundreds of thousands of new workers over the coming years. We want to ensure that this recruitment is supported with targeted actions by industry and government. The first step in achieving this is the development of a detailed picture of those occupations where we face the biggest challenge. I welcome the fact that the industry is unifying to develop this research and encourage all companies from across the industry to take part in the survey.”
Hannah Vickers, chief executive of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering, said: “With all the uncertainty around Brexit and its impact on skills, we need to make sure that our industry has a sound evidence base from which to argue, which is why I will be asking all our members to participate in the survey. We will need to come together in one voice and collectively make the case for construction to government, ensuring that any post-Brexit agreement secures the skills our sector needs now and into the future.”
Iain McIlwee, FIS chief executive said: “FIS is running one of the most ambitious skills programmes in construction, but we can’t do it alone, it is vital that the industry as a whole unites to focus on the skills we need now and for the future of the construction sector”.
Click here to take part in the industry skills shortages survey.
by Clair Mooney | 27 Nov, 2018 | Main News Feed
An outline of the Political Declaration setting out the draft framework for the future UK/EU relationship has been summarised covering those aspects which of specific interest to members of the Construction Products Association. Being a Political Declaration this carries no legal certainty. View the full document here, under the ‘Construction Products Association’ tab.
by Clair Mooney | 27 Nov, 2018 | Main News Feed
To enable a smooth transition for UK/EU activities in mid-process at the end of the Implementation Period, specific rules need putting in place to ensure the orderly continuation of activities between the two parties. This CPA information paper summarises some aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement of importance to CPA members. View the full document here, under the ‘Construction Products Association’ tab.
by Clair Mooney | 26 Nov, 2018 | Main News Feed
CITB is seeking influential industry representatives to apply to become a Trustee of its Board.
Construction skills are critical to the economy and this is a particularly important time to join the Board. Trustees have collective responsibility for CITB’s strategic direction, monitoring delivery and business performance, maintaining proper financial oversight and ensure effective Board governance. The Board is accountable to the Secretary of State for Education, the Charity Commission and more generally to Construction Industry stakeholders. Trustees will bring their specific knowledge and expertise to the Board. They seek to deliver the statutory functions of the Board in the best interests of the Construction Industry as a whole and must make decisions independent of any affiliation to their own business or sector interests.
The Board formally meets at least four times a year at locations throughout the UK. All Trustees are expected to undertake occasional UK travel to relevant stakeholder locations.
Full details on this vacancy can be found online at https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/appointment/construction-industry-training-board-trustee/
by Clair Mooney | 21 Nov, 2018 | Main News Feed
Following the success of our third Scottish Awards Lunch in September, we’re delighted to be continuing with the Scottish Awards scheme and Lunch in 2019.
The awards aim to demonstrate the quality of work and range of projects that are carried out in Scotland. All FIS contractor members are eligible to enter and the deadline for entry is 28 February 2019. All projects must be in Scotland and completed between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018.
Entries will be visited by two FIS award judges, who will determine the winners in the seven contract categories. In addition, the awards include a category for Apprentice of the Year (who must be training in Scotland).
The winners of the awards will be announced and presented at our Scottish Awards Lunch which will take place on 27 September 2019 at the Principal Edinburgh Hotel, George Street, Edinburgh.
Award Categories
- Interior Fit-Out
- Partial Fit Out
- Drywall Construction
- Plasterwork (general and heritage)
- Suspended Ceilings
- Partitioning
- Judges’ Award (for projects which do not fit into categories A to E or are unusual and/or innovative)
- Apprentice of the Year (Apprentice must be undertaking their training in Scotland)
by Clair Mooney | 20 Nov, 2018 | Main News Feed
Last week, at World Skills UK Live, FIS launched its new work experience programme aimed at lining up suitable employers and FIS Approved Training Providers to help college learners get real industry experience – introducing BuildME.
It’s no trade secret that an aging workforce, widening skill gap and a decline in interest from younger generations are amongst the biggest challenges that face the construction industry today. The recent Construction Skills Network (CSN) report shows that the wider industry will need 36,000 new recruits per year from 2017 to 2021. In some specialist occupations the need for new workers remains acute, with wood trades and interior fit-out highlighted as areas of particular concern. There is also the ongoing challenge of replacing an ageing workforce, which will become more pressing if Brexit stems the flow of mainly younger workers from abroad.
The programme aims to match interested employers with suitable candidates and simplify and support the employer through the process. Focus is on basic construction, plastering, drylining, carpentry and joinery, interior systems and painting and decorating courses from Level 1 to 3, but FIS is committed to ensuring that good students from across construction find employment within the industry.
BuildME helps the employer (via a dedicated helpline and toolkit) to create a structured two-week work experience placement designed to give the candidate a real look into the industry, to see how their skills will be used, to work amongst their future colleagues and to meet with an employer who could serve as a first reference, or better still, a potential employer themselves. This work experience also has a whole range of benefits for an employer including the ability to trial a potential new hire or apprentice and create mentoring experiences for current staff.
Iain McIlwee FIS chief executive “We do need to do more to attract talent, but we also need to identify and eradicate waste – an obvious example being the huge proportion of those who start Level 1 Diploma’s in the construction sector that never work in industry. The beauty of this programme is its simplicity. The candidate gets some real-world experience and in the process, we help to remove the fear of the unknown and to dispel some of the many myths associated with working in construction.
From the employers’ side, who wouldn’t want to pick from the cream of the crop and to ensure talented individuals, worth hanging on to, are not allowed to drift out of the sector. By simply removing the time and complexity associated with creating work experience opportunities, BuildME opens the doors (literally!) for employers to address this wastage and ensure the monies and resources spent on new entrants in construction trades is a genuine investment for the whole economy.”
If you’d like to hear more about BuildME or for more information about any of the current programmes being led by the Skills Team, please email skills@thefis.org call 0121 707 0077 or visit www.thefis.org/skills-hub/sector-training/buildme/
