by Nicky Smith | 9 Feb, 2017 | Main News Feed
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
by Nicky Smith | 9 Feb, 2017 | Main News Feed
£3 million of CITB Training and Skills funding available for SMEs with less than 100 employees! With up to £10,000 available per company, are you getting your share?
Is your business development stifled due to a lack of skills? Are you putting off those important business training programmes due to cost? If the answer is yes then get your share of a £3m CITB funding pot aimed at supporting SME investment in business and skills training.
Last year construction SMEs with less than 50 employees benefited through funding of up to £5,000 per company through CITB’s Skills and Training Fund. The funding route has recently expanded to include CITB registered SMEs with less than 100 employees and increasing the funding up to £10,000 to those employing less than 100, £7,500 for those employing less than 75, and £5000 for those with less than 50 employees.
You can apply for funding to support a wide range of training which may help you win business and keep business. So whether it’s training on a new software accounting systems, marketing skills, social media training, or the general development of your management and workforce skills make sure you maximise on the funding available to you.
The window for bid applications opened on 7 February 2017 and will stay open until 20 November 2017. Scoring will be carried out on a regular basis and bids assessed throughout the year.
We appreciate time is the greatest commodity for many small businesses so where you may not have the time, or in-house skills, to develop a bid we can signpost you to a national network of business support consultants who can help. Call Paul Curry at FIS Skills on 07760 662 270 for more information.
This is an excellent opportunity to access funding to support your business development and improve your employees’ skills. Don’t miss out, call us today!
by Nicky Smith | 8 Feb, 2017 | Main News Feed
On Tuesday 7 February 2017, FIS held the President’s Lunch at Plaisterers’ Hall in London. Over 300 members and guests attended the lunch where the winners of the President’s Awards were announced, along with the plastering categories of the Contractors Awards. Comedian John Moloney provided the entertainment and compered the Awards.
Representatives from the BounceBack charity were in attendance to collect £2,726 raised in the prize draw. The first prize, sponsored by Metsec, was a Fortnum and Mason hamper. Second prize was an Amazon Kindle, sponsored by CCF. The third prize was a BB-8 Droid, jointly sponsored by Vela Training and approved training provider NowGetQualified. See all the photos on our Facebook page and read the day’s social media posts on Storify.
The President’s Award winners were as follows:
Apprentice of the Year (sponsored by CCF) – Jack Syddall, Drywall and Plasterer Apprentice, Horbury Building Systems Ltd
Outstanding Employee – Simon Cammidge, Sheet Metal Production Manager, aask Us Ltd
Future Leader – Harry Cottam, Project Supervisor, TCS Screeding Ltd
Lifetime Achievement Award – Gordon Brown (retired), previously of Ornate Interiors Ltd
The plastering categories of the Contractors Awards were also awarded as follows:
Internal Plastering
Silver winner – David Fisher & Sons for Botanic Cottage in Edinburgh
Gold winner – Taylor Hart for Project Fitzroy in Northampton
External Plastering
Silver winner – Cadons Ltd for Waitrose in Truro
Gold winner – G Cook & Sons Ltd for a private residence in Oxfordshire
Fibrous and GRG
Silver winner – Fine Art Mouldings for Nazrin Shah at Worcester College
Gold Award – Locker and Riley for the Lanesborough Hotel in London
Heritage
Silver Award – George Jackson Ltd for Manor House, Newbury
Gold Award – David Fisher & Sons for New Town Townhouse in Edinburgh
From all the team here at FIS, we would like to say congratulations to all winners, and we will be open for entries to the 2018 President’s Awards in September.
by Nicky Smith | 8 Feb, 2017 | Main News Feed
The Joint Taxation Committee has confirmed that digital reporting of tax will be implemented in 2018. Last week, on 31 January, HMRC announced that most businesses, self-employed people and landlords will start to keep track of their tax affairs digitally and update HMRC quarterly from 2018. The HMRC’s plans to build a more accessible and transparent system will make the annual return a thing of the past. JTC will keep us informed of developments during 2017 in preparation for the switchover.
JTC is taking part in confidential discussions with HMRC and the Treasury about possible anti-avoidance legislation. The committee urgently need to speak to anyone who believes that a company has been using ‘off the books’ gangmasters who pay cash and whose labour bears no PAYE or CIS. Please contact FIS with any information which will be treated in the strictest confidence.
by Nicky Smith | 2 Feb, 2017 | Main News Feed
A summary of the data revealed that the construction sector lost momentum in January. Other key findings were: Weakest activity growth since the recovery began in September 2016; Job creation hits eight-month peak; Strongest input cost inflation since August 2008.
by Nicky Smith | 2 Feb, 2017 | Main News Feed
Build UK and CECA will be carrying out an audit of industry skills cards across construction sites on Wednesday 8 February 2017.
The requirement for all skills cards to carry the CSCS logo and be ‘smart’ was set by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). This will provide consistency and recognise the training and qualifications that individuals hold whilst working on construction sites.
The SmartCard Audit will promote the value of the smart technology and highlight any expired and fraudulent cards.
by Nicky Smith | 1 Feb, 2017 | Main News Feed
From April 2017, large businesses and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) will have to publish details twice-yearly on the average time taken to pay supplier invoices.
As part of business enterprise and corporate governance, government has set out measures to increase transparency of payment practices to support small firms. This will highlight bad practice and lead to improved standards.
Government has published guidance on how to comply with the duty to report, aiding large businesses to prepare for the new reporting requirements. In addition, the appointment of a Small Business Commissioner will support small businesses in resolving payment disputes.
Further details on the late payment policy have been released in a government response to a consultation on the Duty to Report on Payment Practices and Performance here.
by Nicky Smith | 16 Jan, 2017 | Main News Feed
The CITB board has approved plans to cut the levy it charges qualifying construction firms by almost a third. This would see the current charge of 0.5 per cent drop to 0.35 per cent from 2018.
Between August and September this year, the CITB will be required to receive consensus from the sector as to whether it should continue to collect levy from construction firms, as part of the process for the CITB in seeking a Levy Order from the government.
A decision is expected in February 2018.
by Nicky Smith | 13 Jan, 2017 | Main News Feed
FIS will be hosting a 45-minute presentation on Sustainable Design, Health and Wellbeing in Higher Education to architects and designers on the main stage at Surface Design Show on 8 February 2017 at 2.15pm.
The panel will include Andrew Parkin, Acoustics Partner at Cundall; Elina Grigoriou, Grigoriou Design and Chair of RICS SKA Rating; and Evan Landy, EHS (Environment) Officer from University College London.
Find out more about Surface Design Show via the link opposite. We look forward to seeing our members there.
