A summary of the data revealed that there was a modest rise in construction output, but cost pressures remained at an eight-and-a-half year high. Other key findings were: Solid upturn in civil engineering activity underpins growth in February; House building activity expands at slowest pace for six months; Input price inflation little-changed from January’s peak.
FIS is in the process of producing a new guide to office fit-out and refurbishment. We require images that we can utilise to reinforce the key messages within the guide along with examples of:
– different types of interiors
– mood boards
– concept designs
– schedules
– work in progress
The guide will be aimed at end users, professionals and fit-out contractors, helping to explain the process to clients and demonstrate best practice. If you have any high-resolution images and/or any tips on fit-out and refurbishment that we can use in publicising the guide, we’d be delighted to hear from you.
Please email Erika Skinner erikaskinner@thefis.org no later than Monday 13 March.
We anticipate that the guide will be ready for launch early in the summer.
FIS member Saint Gobain is hosting a free Apprenticeship Levy workshop on 3 March, in Birmingham, on behalf of Supply Chain Sustainability School.
The workshop is targeted to SMEs to aid understanding of the new Levy and its implications for them.
The Government is introducing the new Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017. This has been designed to increase the use of apprentices within business, changing the way
organisations recruit and train their apprentices throughout the construction supply chain.
By attending the workshop you will:
– Hear from CITB on the changes to the Apprenticeship scheme and how they affect you
– Explore the implications for your organisation
– Be able to share best practice with your peers
– Influence the guidance produced by Supply Chain Sustainability School and ensure it is fit for use
The workshop runs between 09:30 – 12:00 at Saint Gobain’s Greenworks Training Academy, Unit 1, Bromford Central, Bromford Lane, Birmingham, B8 2SE.
To book your free place, click here
Today is the final chance to provide your company’s training needs, enabling the FIS skills team to evidence a bid for £3.2 million of training funding.
We have a shortened version of the Training Needs Analysis to aid members in returning by the end of today – Friday 17 February: https://www.thefis.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TNA-v2.pdf
Please return all completed forms to Penny Yeulet: pennyyeulet@thefis.org
Your evidence is crucial in helping the team collate the bid, thus giving members opportunity to provide their workforce with the required skills in 2017.
If you need assistance, or would like to give your figures over the telephone, please contact Penny who will put you in touch with one of the skills team.
According to the CSCS website the withdrawal of the Construction Related Occupation card will affect over 230,000 CRO card holders, however there are solutions for the following scenarios:
– If you already have an approved qualification you will be eligible to apply for a skilled worker card without having to complete any further qualifications.
– There are over 70 occupations that are better represented by one of CSCS’s Partner Card Schemes. If your occupation is listed on this form you need to contact the appropriate scheme to discuss the application requirements.
– A number of CRO occupations are classified as labouring and should be moved to the green Labourer Card. If you are a CRO cardholder working in a labouring occupation, you must complete an approved qualification and apply for the green Labourer Card.
– There are over 60 occupations classed as non-construction related and will be removed from the scheme. If you fall within one of these occupations it will be the responsibility of site managers to induct you as a non-construction related worker and escort you where appropriate in order to carry out work safely on site.
In order to comply with the Construction Leadership Council’s requirement, further investigation and collaboration will continue in the following two areas:
– There are a number of CRO occupations with existing qualifications that do not meet the nationally recognised standards for those skilled occupations. Industry is working together to bring these qualifications up to the agreed nationally recognised standards.
– Industry has identified 25 CRO occupations that require further investigation before making a decision. If your occupation is one of these, CSCS are asking for individuals or sector representatives involved in these occupations to get in touch with the CSCS team.
To find out more, visit the CSCS website.
FIS Skills has announced that on Monday 13 February, phase two of CourseSight will go live, enabling every part of the construction sector to benefit from its functionality. The phase two version also includes electronic VQ grant fund claims for CITB-registered employers – meaning no extra paperwork as CourseSight will manage the full submission.
FIS CourseSight is the marketplace for training courses and learning opportunities in construction. Designed specifically for training providers to publish and promote training courses and for companies and individuals to book and manage courses, CourseSight handles every aspect of searching and booking for training. Even better, information from CourseSight gets passed automatically to SkillSight so that newly achieved qualifications can be surfaced on individuals’ CSCS cards.
The system contains a number of powerful and unique features making it also the first choice for trade associations and industry bodies in construction, providing a wealth of industry and sector-specific metrics and analysis.
CourseSight welcome enquiries from construction lead bodies, trade associations, training providers and major contractors, so contact them to find out more: info@coursesight.co.uk
