Page 50 – FIS

Opening doors to the next generation

by Clair Mooney | 5 Oct, 2023 | Main News Feed

Preparations for Build UK’s Open Doors event in 2024 is well underway. Members can now use the new Open Doors website to register the sites and other experiences they are planning to offer from Monday 18 ‐ Saturday 23 March 2024.

Open Doors Partners have already registered an exciting range of events, including Canary Wharf Group’s Wood Wharf, Kier’s Manchester Aquatics Centre, Sunbelt Rentals’ National Distribution Centre and Willmott Dixon’s D arlington Railway Heritage Quarter.

FIS Head of Skills and Training, Beena Nana said: FIS fully supports the Open Doors event and is exploring new ways in which we can demonstrate the vast career opportunities available in this rewarding sector. We’ll be announcing more on this work in the coming months.

Build UK Chair Julie White has shared her thoughts in Building Magazine on why everyone in the industry should get involved, explaining: “Open Doors provides a unique opportunity for young people and those looking for a change of career to visit our sites and other facilities to see first‐hand what the industry has to offer”. Julie will be leading by example with the support of Build UK Trade Association member, the Drilling and Sawing Association, which will be opening its Nottingham headquarters to showcase its apprentice training and the use of technology in a specialist trade.

We know that schools and colleges require advance notice to organise visits, so we recommend you register your events as soon as possible. Further information can be found in Build UK’s latest Open Doors update.

FIS CEO to join leading industry panellists to discuss how senior leaders can drive actionable change

by Clair Mooney | 4 Oct, 2023 | Fairness, Inclusivity and Respect (FIR)

New research on diversity underscores the challenges Black and Ethnic Minority candidates face in securing positions and advancing in the UK construction industry, as well as their higher attrition rates.

To help support this, FIS CEO Iain McIlwee will be joining other leading industry panellists at the upcoming Black & Ethnic Minority Experiences in the Built Environment virtual conference on 18 October 2023 to discuss how senior leaders can drive actionable change in the industry.

The event will take place between 9.30am – 12.30pm and is free to attend. It will combine best practice case studies with real-world insights in thought-provoking discussions aimed at driving positive change in this critical aspect of our industry.

By joining this virtual conference, you will:

Dive further into the relevant data on Black and Ethnic minority workers arising from both the most recent Diversity Data Benchmarking Report and FIR Culture Impact Report.
Address issues around recruitment and internal promotion of Black and Ethnic Minority candidates.
Listen to facilitated discussion around Black and Ethnic minority employee experiences and what can be done to address these issues and support candidates from a more diverse talent pool entering and remaining in the built environment sector.

Alongside Iain will be other thought leaders in the industry, including speakers from Mace, CIOB, Network Rail, BPIC, Transport for London, HS2, the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion, HS2 and more.

Download the full conference programme and register your free place here.

Making our sector inclusive for Black and Ethnic minority candidates and workers is a critical topic to address in Black History Month and throughout the year. We hope you can join the event.

Training Awards Shortlist Announced

by Oscar Venus | 4 Oct, 2023 | Awards, Skills

The shortlist for the 2023 Training Awards has been determined by a panel of judges.

Celebrating excellence and achievement in plastering and interior trade, the Training Awards are a collaboration between FIS and the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers. The winners are announced during the Training Awards Lunch, which is being held on 21 November at Plaisterers’ Hall in London. The event allows us to celebrate the best of training as we recognise the apprentices, students and organisations that are building the next generation of talent and provides a great networking opportunity with like-minded organisations from the fit-out and plastering sector.

These awards acknowledge the accomplishments of apprentices, students who have exceeded expectations, training delivery by colleges and training providers, mentors and others who have supported sector training, and lifetime contribution to sector training.

Apprentice of the Year Shortlist

Ryan Stanford
Bella Romain
Deniss Fridenbergs
Zara Dupont
Michael Aarons
Ben Comerford.

Training Provider / College of the Year shortlist

NPTC Group of Colleges
College of North West London
DMR Training and Consultancy
Carlisle College.

Student of the Year Shortlist

Kathryn Doyland from GRWP
Caroline Moor from Vision West Notts College
Edward Celmins from Carlisle College
Dan Titley from V&D
Julius Debrah from Now Get Qualified

Congratulations to all the nominees for their hard work and dedication in pursuing their academic goals!

If you’re interested in attending the ceremony and joining us in celebrating the winners, book your place here.

Building Safety Regulator charges regulations and charging scheme published

by Clair Mooney | 4 Oct, 2023 | Building Safety Act, Main News Feed

The Building Safety (Regulator’s Charges) Regulations 2023 were laid before Parliament on 6 September 2023, to come into force on 1 October 2023. The Regulations can be found here.

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) Charging Scheme from 1 October 2023 has also been published. The publication details BSR’s charging scheme for chargeable functions, as defined in the Building Safety (Regulator’s Charges) Regulations 2023.

The Scheme explains:

the chargeable functions
the trigger for each chargeable activity
who is required to pay for the chargeable activity
what the amount payable will be made up of
the relevant legislation for that activity

This information is supplemented by annexes that explain how charges are calculated, how payments and repayments are processed, and the queries and disputes process.

The charging scheme was published on 21 September and can be found here.

Government takes action to back small businesses and tackle late payments

by Clair Mooney | 3 Oct, 2023 | Main News Feed

The government has today announced tougher measures to tackle the issue of late payments to small businesses. These new measures will be included in the upcoming Prompt Payment & Cash Flow Review, due to be published shortly and will improve delivery and enforcement of policies, enabling more small businesses to get paid on time.

Late payment of invoices and long payment terms are key issues that businesses, especially SMEs, highlight as a barrier to their growth. Owners and managers are forced to spend disproportionate time chasing payments; resulting cash flow problems cause even good, viable firms to struggle.

In 2022, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) were owed on average an estimated £22,000 in late payments. Improving payment culture in the UK will support smaller businesses, many of which do not have the resources to accommodate long or late payments from their business customers and could boost the economy by £2.5 billion annually.

That is why the Government is extending and improving the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations and conducted the Prompt Payment and Cash Flow Review.

New measures to be announced in the review will include:

Extending the Reporting on Payment Practices and Performance Regulations 2017. Following consultation, Government will take forward legislation to extend payment performance reporting obligations.
We will include new metrics for reporting, including a value metric, so businesses and commentators can see the value of invoices, including invoices paid late, and a disputed invoices metric. We will also introduce reporting on retention payments for businesses in the construction sector.
Providing greater advice to small businesses on negotiating payment terms that better suit them, and on how going digital can help them get paid quicker and manage their cash flow.
Broadening the powers of the Small Business Commissioner: Introducing broader responsibilities, enabling the Commissioner to undertake investigations and publish reports where necessary on the basis of anonymous information and intelligence. This will require primary legislation, so will be subject to the legislative timetable.

The stronger measures will benefit UK businesses by fostering a stronger payment culture and providing businesses with more predictable and reliable cash flow, allowing businesses to spend and invest with greater certainty.

It will reduce the time spent by businesses chasing payments, freeing up more time for other activities that will help them to grow. Tackling late and long payments provides an opportunity to increase investment and productivity across the economy.

This will improve payment culture in the UK to support smaller businesses, many of whom do not have the resources to accommodate long or late payments from their business customers.

FIS Chief Executive Iain McIlwee said:

“It is great to see these recommended changes are being implemented. This is an area where FIS has long been calling for reform and we have worked closely with a number of specialist organisations this year to highlight our concerns around current reporting practices and to call for a more realistic measure of late payment centered on value that would limit gaming of the system. The new reporting requirements linked to retention and disputed invoices are also welcomed.

Whilst we would rather see retention ended all together, or at the every least protected in trust, this is again a step forward as it starts to hold businesses to account for behaviours. If you can measure it, you can start to manage it.

We will continute to lobby for reform and particularly a review of the payment certification process. We will also work with colleagues from across the sector to ensure that we aren’t just counting better, but there is enforcement against these measures that sees good behaviours rewarded through procurement and bad practice driven out of our industry.”

Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch said:

SMEs make up 99 per cent of firms in the UK and are the lifeblood of our economy. I know that late payments are a massive barrier to growth and I am determined to fix that.

The measures we’re announcing will take a big step towards making sure SMEs get their payments on time, helping firms to grow and prosper.

Small Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

Small businesses form a crucial part of large companies’ supply chains. Without them, they couldn’t do business. It’s only right that they should be paid promptly for their services.

SMEs that are paid on time can do more business, scale up and make more profits, delivering growth for the economy.

FIS Calls for payment and retention overhaul

CITB launches fire safety in buildings training

by Clair Mooney | 2 Oct, 2023 | Building Safety Act, Skills

CITB has announced the launch of its new Level 1 (awareness) course, which has been developed in partnership with Build UK and fire industry experts. The course is designed to improve an individual’s knowledge of fire safety measures in buildings and is suitable for anyone working in the design, construction, or maintenance of buildings, with a specific focus on installers.

The course is free and is split into five modules:

Grenfell
Materials
Fire protection
Competence
Installation

Certification lasts five years.

For more information and to register visit https://www.citb.co.uk/courses-and-qualifications/find-a-training-course/ecourses/#firesafetybuildings

Are you ready for the Building Safety Act (2022)?

by Clair Mooney | 2 Oct, 2023 | Building Safety Act

Assent are holding CPD sessions with Colin Blatchford-Brown about the legislative changes for all buildings as part of the Building Safety Act, and what the introduction of the Building Safety Regulator will mean from October 2023.

As an Approved Inspector (soon to be Registered Building Control Approver) Assent are at the forefront of the new regime. The Building Safety Act will change how building projects are managed and the role we all play in the delivery of safe buildings. This includes new dutyholder roles, clients, principal designers and principal contractors.

We’ll also discuss the golden thread and the information needed for higher-risk buildings, as well as the recently released secondary legislation and transitional provisions.

If you would like to attend, please reserve your place via the link below.

11th October – London

Knowledge of careers in construction remains concerningly low

by Clair Mooney | 2 Oct, 2023 | Skills, Sustainability

As part of the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce Work, educational charity Class of Your Own ran a short survey to gather views of teachers and students in years 8 to 11 from schools in the London area on their views and understanding of careers in construction and sustainability. The survey highlights some concerning gaps in understanding, but despite this close to 40% of students are interested in careers in construction, with 10% stating that they want to be an architect/engineer or tradesperson.

The Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce was set up to support the aims of the City Corporation’s radical Climate Action Strategy which commits to net-zero carbon emissions across the City Corporation’s operations by 2027, and to support the achievement of net zero for the Square Mile by 2040. Over 300 organizations have joined the ‘Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce,’ including designers, construction firms, and education providers.

This survey formed part of this work. Headline findings included:

70% of students and 82% of teachers had no idea that nearly 10% of the UK working population are employed in the construction sector
37% of students surveyed are interested in a career in construction
50% of students are very or extremely worried about climate change
25% of students said that climate change will impact future choice of subject they will study and career
45% of teachers and 30% of students rated their familiarity with careers in construction at 1 or 2 out of 5
10% of students responded that they want to be an architect / engineer or tradesperson
The vast majority of teachers (76%) and students (72%) feel they would benefit from local employer involvement in understanding qualification choices and career options in construction

Commenting on the research Iain McIlwee, FIS CEO and Chair of the working group looking at Barriers for Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce stated:

“There are some worrying numbers in this research, but no surprises and room for optimism. The key stats to hang on to are that close to 40% of students would consider a career in construction and10% are planning to join the industry. This is something to build on and, whilst knowledge of careers in the sector fall short of what we want, there are signs that teachers and students are open to better direct engagement from employers.

A key challenge is that schools and educational authorities have a fragmented and inconsistent approach to advising on careers – this is an area we need to lobby for change. In the interim it is beholden on us to redouble our efforts to deliver consistent and joined up information that is well targeted and helps students make informed decisions.
I am excited about the opportunity to work with the City of London to help improve the way industry and education are working together and deliver positive messages about construction so that we can encourage more young people to look in our direction and join us in rebuilding a Sustainable London.”

To help encourage entrants, FIS sponsored a free prize draw where a teacher and student receive a £50 Amazon Voucher. The teacher price was won by Mr Brown, a Maths and PSHE Teacher from John F Kennedy Catholic School in Hertfordshire. The winning student was Joseph Cameron from Fulham Cross Academy (pictured with Head of Sixth Form, Alan Jones).

Alison Watson MBE Founder and Chief Executive at Class Of Your Own Limited stated: “It’s great to join forces with such like-minded organisations. Only through collaboration can we bridge the knowledge gap between classrooms and the construction industry, dispelling myths and igniting interest in sustainable careers. By equipping students and teachers with real-world insights, we can show that construction is a dynamic field where STEM, digital skills and climate action intersect.”

Building on this and the wider work of the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce, The City of London Corporation has released a new report urging investment in workers to meet the growing demand for green jobs and skills in decarbonizing the city’s commercial buildings. Phase 2 of the Taskforce work is to develop an Action Plan to respond to the research with impactful interventions and an industry engagement campaign to promote reskilling and upskilling among the existing workforce, and raising career awareness amongst Londoners, including those from underrepresented backgrounds.

You can read the full Skyline Skills Recommendation report here

Menopause policy published

by Clair Mooney | 28 Sep, 2023 | Main News Feed

Build UK has worked with Citation to publish a template Menopause Policy which can be used by members to help employees in the workplace going through the menopause. Employees of menopausal age are the fastest growing workplace demographic in the UK, and this policy has been developed in response to calls from members for support on raising awareness amongst employees and retaining women in the workforce to continue benefiting from their skills and knowledge.

The template policy has been drafted so that it can be adopted in its entirety, or elements can be incorporated into existing policy documents, and members will need to provide basic contact information to download it. It sets out the employer’s responsibilities as well as practical ways to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment for employees going through the menopause and their colleagues.