by Clair Mooney | 25 Jan, 2019 | Labour, Main News Feed
The Home Office has published the future skills-based immigration system white paper which sets out the Government’s plans to introduce a new single immigration system, ending free movement.
Through Build UK, FIS has supported this important piece of work and we would like to thank all of our members who took the time to respond to the questionnaire. The report identifies occupations that are experiencing, or may experience shortages, of available staff in the UK construction sector.
Helen Yeulet, FIS skills delivery director said: ‘It is concerning, but not surprising to see a number of our interiors trades, pulled out in the list of “severe difficulties now” against the back drop of Brexit looming, with Drylining an obvious highlight,. We will be working with Build UK and other trade bodies to inform MPs and the relevant Ministers to ensure that the implications are understood.
Our views on the recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee are clear, they simply don’t address the very real problem we face in terms of delivering the skills we need in the numbers we need in a realistic timeframe. The supply chain absolutely understand the need to invest and develop our workforce and we have a very busy programme doing this, but setting arbitrary triggers around qualifications and salaries around need and demand makes no sense at all, creating a real risk to the construction sector.’
by Clair Mooney | 25 Jan, 2019 | Main News Feed
FIS is working with Build UK on the new industry pre-qualification (PQ) system, which is due for soft launch in March. When it is rolled out later this year, it is anticipated that companies will be audited once a year by a recognised assessment body and this will be accepted by clients and contractors which will not specify a particular assessment body. For full details click here.
As part of ongoing work it would be useful to establish which PQ systems are being used. Please complete the poll below.
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by Clair Mooney | 21 Jan, 2019 | Main News Feed
If you’re an EU citizen, you and your family will be able to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. If your application is successful, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status.
You may be able to stay in the UK without applying – for example, if you’re an Irish citizen or have indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
The EU Settlement Scheme will open fully by 30 March 2019. You may be able to apply now if you meet the criteria. The deadline for applying will be 30 June 2021 (NB: The deadline for applying will be 31 December 2020 if the UK leaves the EU without a deal).
When you choose to apply may depend on your circumstances.
More here: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
by Clair Mooney | 21 Jan, 2019 | Main News Feed
According to the latest CPA forecast, construction output is forecast to remain broadly flat in 2019 before growth of 1.6% in 2020 (assuming a revised Brexit Withdrawal Agreement that enables the UK to enter an implementation period or a delay to Article 50 to allow a renegotiation with the EU).
by Clair Mooney | 11 Jan, 2019 | Main News Feed
After careful consideration, the shortlist for the FIS Fit-Out Futures Awards has now been confirmed.
The standard of entires into this year’s Awards was extremely high, so congratulations to the individuals who made the shortlist and thank you to everybody who entered. The winners in each category will be announced at the President’s Lunch on 5 February 2019.
A special thanks goes out to our judges who gave their time to look closely at the nominations.
Apprentice of the Year
Danny Beadle – Pexhurst Services
Charlie Hazeltine – Pexhurst Services
John Taylor – Stortford Interiors
Future Leader – sponsored by CCF
Richard Austen – Stortford Interiors
Simon Broggio – Meronden
Outstanding Employee
Ed Kelly – ETAG Fixings
Matthew Sexton – British Gypsum
Matt Taylor – Astins
Chloe Jones – Nevill Long
Lifetime Achievement Award – sponsored by CCF
Ray Deeks – G Cook & Sons
Mick Jacznik – BDL Group
Robert Allen – British Gypsum
by Clair Mooney | 20 Dec, 2018 | Main News Feed
FIS strives to drive up quality, productivity, safety and sustainability by working with its members and this project ticks all these boxes.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are on a mission to reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) in site operatives and have identified that dryliners are particularly prone to MSDs largely due to manually handling 1200mm wide plasterboards; often by their own, and despite efforts to address the issue it persists. Working closely with Astins as the lead contractor, FIS along with Skanska, Knauf and the HSE who are part of a working group looking at how to address this, have produced a report based on a pilot project using a 900mm width plasterboard.
The report compares data from two similar projects one using 900mm boards and one using 1200mm plasterboard – the findings show a 33% reduction in plasterboard waste; significant improvement on productivity especially during second fix (62% improvement), shoulder muscle stress reduced by 30% and relatively equal on overall CO2 emissions as well as an overall cost benefit. This paper discusses the journey and potential benefits of using 900mm boards and concentrates on the practical application of the theories raised during the investigation.
The results are encouraging.To find out more click here.
by Clair Mooney | 20 Dec, 2018 | Main News Feed
On 19 December 2018 the Government published the Immigration White Paper. This sets out the Government’s proposals for the design of a new immigration system. Key elements are:
- A skilled workers route open to all nationalities.
- Lowering of the skills threshold on the skilled workers route to include medium-skilled workers (to RQF 3-5, equivalent to A-Levels), with a retention of the £30K salary threshold, but businesses will be consulted on this – this is in parallel to the ongoing review of the Shortage Occupations List being conducted by the Migration Advisory Committee.
- No cap on numbers on the skilled workers route, meaning that business will be able to hire any suitable qualified migrant.
- The abolition of the resident labour market test.
- A new ‘transitional’ time limited route for temporary short-term workers of all skill levels, including seasonal low-skilled workers, which will allow workers to come to the UK for a maximum of 12 months, with a subsequent 12 month ‘cooling off’ period (again, these will be subject to consultation). However, this route will only be open to workers from a limited number of ‘low risk’ countries. This is set out on p16-17 of the White Paper; and
- An extension to the post-study period for all international students.
Iain McIlwee, FIS chief executive said ‘This new white paper on immigration, if adopted, will create real challenge for construction businesses. It just makes no sense to have arbitrary caps, we need to look at where the need is and salary/employment is only part of the workforce. The brief nod to construction in this document just shows how little our Government understand an industry that embraces around one in ten of the workforce in the UK. We are working through Build UK and the Construction Products Association and with a group of other construction bodies to respond to this document, we will be taking the fight to Westminster in the New Year’.
A link to the full document is available here.
Last chance to fill in the Construction Industry Immigration Survey. Closing date is Friday 21 December. Please spend 5 mins completing, we need this data to underpin concerns we are raising with Government around future immigration policy.
by Clair Mooney | 20 Dec, 2018 | Main News Feed
On 18 December 2018, legislation was laid before parliament necessary to ensure that the CPR regime continues to function effectively in the UK if we leave the EU with ‘no deal’. The Statutory Instrument delivers the policy approach set out in the Technical Notices published on 13 September 2018 – click here to see. Please note that this remains draft legislation until such time as it has passed al parliamentary procedures.
The UK approach is to maintain the requirements on manufacturers to declare the performance of their construction products in accordance with the existing harmonised European standards applicable on the day we exit the EU (29 March 2019). The key elements of the legislation are outlined below:
- Construction products already placed on the market can continue to circulate in the UK
- Existing European harmonised standards will become ‘UK designated standards’. Immediately we leave the EU both the EU hEN and the UK Designated standard (UKDS) will have the same text
- New UK standards will be designated by the Secretary of State
- Where a UK organisation has undertaken the third party conformity assessment process required under the UKDS, the manufacturer must affix the new UK conformity mark – this has still to be released
- Construction products that meet the hEN and have the CE mark affixed can continue to be placed on the UK market without the need for re-testing or additional marking. This arrangement will be for a time-limited period only and businesses will be given sufficient notice in advance of this period coming to an end. The end date for this period has not yet been fixed
- Where a manufacturer uses the self-declaration approach during the time-limited period they will have the choice to use either the UK or the CE mark
- For products that are not fully covered by a UK designated standard an optional UK Assessment Document (UKAD) and the issuing of a Technical Assessment will be undertaken by Technical Assessment Bodies established in the UK
- UK Notified Bodies will become UK Approved Bodies and be listed on a new UK database.
For more information please read the Explanatory Memorandum accessed here.
A copy of the draft Statutory Instrument Exiting the European Union, Building and Buildings Construction Market Standards can be viewed here.
In addition to the above, it is important that members also take on board the following issues if we leave the EU with ‘no deal’:
- Conformity assessment carried out by a UK Notified Body will no longer be recognised by the EU. They will have to be retested and re-marked by an EU recognised conformity assessment body. Alternatively, manufacturers can arrange for their files to be transferred to a EU recognised Notified Body thus enabling their certificates of conformity issued in the UK to continue to be valid
- The role of the UK Accreditation Service will not change
by Clair Mooney | 13 Dec, 2018 | Main News Feed
On the day of the announcement that the vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister has cast further uncertainty on Brexit, FIS has produced for its members a Preparing for Brexit Checklist. The checklist focusses on the questions that members need to start asking across the Product, Process and People elements of their business (the three pillars of the FIS Quality in Construction Strategy). Whilst not exhaustive it aims to help members understand the impact of Brexit and look at potential risk, challenges and opportunities.
Iain McIlwee, FIS CEO says “We are constantly hearing businesses need to start preparing for Brexit. In fairness Government has started to draw information together but the complexity and volume of information is overwhelming to most small and medium sized businesses.
The simple fact is preparing for Brexit is extremely difficult whilst Brexit is being kicked around like a political football in Westminster and regardless of the outcome or our own views, there remains so much uncertainty and cause for concern out here in the real world.
Instead of trying to predict outcomes, FIS have developed the “Preparing for Brexit Checklist” to help focus on the elements that will most likely impact on our members and help them to adopt a more risk-management based process. It is all about starting to have the right conversations with staff, sub-contractors, suppliers and customers and identifying where the impact may be. It is very much a live document and I’m sure our members will help us to shape it further with their questions, comments and views – at the end of the day we are a community and at times like these we need to draw together.”
For more information on the Preparing for Brexit Checklist visit our website at:
www.thefis.org/knowledge-hub/brexit-checklist/
