Welsh education inspection body Estyn has praised CITB Wales’ work with learners, education institutions and construction employers across Wales. In a detailed report Inspectors from Estyn, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales, found that CITB learners “develop high levels of practical skills in the workplace”, which leads to them gaining and sustaining employment in construction. CITB Wales’ current performance was described as “good”, with many strengths and no important areas requiring significant improvement. The inspection also stated that the prospects for improvement and CITB Apprenticeships leadership and management were “excellent”, with many strengths including significant examples of sector-leading practice.  Key statements from the report include:  “Partnership arrangements with employers are effective and give learners outstanding opportunities to develop high level practical skills.” “The provider has developed a comprehensive quality strategy called ‘Quality First’. This provides a strong focus on continual improvement in the quality of provision and learner outcomes.” “The provider has outstanding working relationships with its further education institutions, delivery partners and employers which are highly effective in improving outcomes for learners. “The provider’s senior managers are highly effective in setting a clear strategic direction and vision for the delivery of their work-based learning contract.”  “Strong partnerships with schools and local authorities enable the provider to help many school pupils to gain insight into opportunities in the construction industry and to make more informed decisions about their career progression.” Welcoming the report Steve Hearty, CITB Head of Apprenticeships said: “CITB is pleased with the results of this thorough examination of our work across the country. Estyn’s report reflects the dedication of CITB staff, our highly motivated learners and the strength of our partnerships across Wales. “CITB have introduced new working practices which facilitate the sharing of resources and best practice across GB teams and our FE partners which is supported by our Quality First strategy and we are delighted this is recognised within the report with our  ‘prospects for improvement’ grade stated to be excellent. “The report comes at a crucial time for the Welsh construction sector. Its potential is clear and CITB Wales’ role is to ensure that learners develop world class construction skills which meet the needs of employers on the major projects in the pipeline. “CITB will continue to strive for the highest standards and prioritise the report’s recommendations. We look forward to rising to the construction challenges ahead.”     Source link

Construction apprenticeships across Great Britain are up 12% in the past year, reaching levels not seen since before the 2008 financial crisis. New stats released by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), for National Apprenticeship Week (14-18 March), reveal that 22,496 young people started construction apprenticeships in 2014/2015. This is up from 19,973 in 2013/14. Construction apprenticeships hit a low of 17,500 in 2012 as firms felt the effects of the recession, but opportunities for young people are increasing in the current period of steady growth. Separate CITB research released today shows that employers find apprentices perform well in the workplace. The massive survey of 1,500 construction employers across the UK showed that four in five (78%) of employers rated their apprentices’ work as good or very good, compared with 73% for graduates and 59% for FE leavers. Gillian Econopouly, Head of Policy and Research at CITB, said: “Construction apprenticeships are growing, which demonstrates industry’s commitment to train the next generation. But with CITB research predicting 230,000 new construction jobs by 2020, we need even more young people to start apprenticeships, and to help more firms take them on. To find out more about construction careers, visit: Go Construct  Source link

The government’s Construction Leadership Council has published a new payment charter for the construction supply chain. The difference between the new Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter (CSCPC) and the old Prompt Payment Code is that companies that sign up to the new version get to be able to used the CSCPC logo to “show that you are serious about good payment practice”. Most major construction companies eventually signed up for the Prompt Payment Code, after much foot dragging. Larger refuseniks included Clugston and Severfield. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that there is only a sporadic correlation between signing the code and actually paying suppliers promptly. To date, 19 organisations are listed on the CSCPC website as having signed the new charter (see below). The declared ambition of the Construction Leadership Council is that by 2025 the construction industry’s standard payment terms are 30 days and that retentions are no longer withheld. The new scheme, like the old one, is administered by the Chartered Institute of Credit Management.   Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter signatories agree that on all new construction contracts they will meet the fair payment commitments set out below: 1          We will make correct full payment as and when due for all work properly carried out, or products supplied, in accordance with the contract. We will ensure any withholding of payment due to defects or non-delivery is proportionate, and clearly, specifically and demonstrably justified in line with the arrangements set out in the contract. 2          We will not deliberately delay or unreasonably withhold payment. 3          For all new construction contracts we will ensure that payments are made to our supply chain not more than 45 calendar days from the end of the Calendar month in which the work is carried out or products are supplied. From January 2018 that will decrease to not more than 30 days. 4          Public authorities are already required to pay within 30 calendar days. On central government contracts, payment will be made to Tier 1 within 14 days, to Tier 2 within 19 days and to Tier 3 within 23 days of the due date, which will be 7 days after the common assessment or valuation date established by the client in the Tier 1 contract. 5          We will either not withhold cash retention or ensure that any arrangements for retention with our supply chain are no more onerous than those implemented by the client in the Tier 1 contract. Our ambition is to move to zero retentions by 2025. 6          We will issue any ‘pay less’ notices at the earliest opportunity and no later than 7 days prior to the final date for payment. 7          We will have processes in place to enable the effects of contract variations to be agreed promptly and fairly and payments for such variations to be included in the payment immediately following the completion of the varied works. 8          We will make payments electronically unless agreed otherwise. 9          We will use Project Bank Accounts on central Government contacts5 where specified by the client. 10        Where Supply Chain Finance schemes allowing members of the supply chain to secure earlier payment are offered, we will not impose fees or costs for receiving payment within the terms set out in the contract. 11        We will adopt a transparent, honest, and collaborative approach when resolving differences and disputes.   By becoming a signatory to the charter, an organisation agrees to apply the fair payment commitments in its dealings with its supply chain, to be monitored for the purposes of compliance by reporting against a set of agreed key performance indicators (KPIs), and to consider the performance of its supply chain against the agreed KPIs when awarding contracts.   Signatories to date are:   Organisation Payment Terms A Connolly Limited 45 Days A J Morrisroe & Sons Ltd 45 Days Affinity Flooring Ltd 45 Days Association of Concrete Industrial Flooring Contractors (ACIFC) 30 Days Avalon Metals Ltd 30 Days Build UK Group Ltd 30 Days Contract Flooring Association 30 Days Elysion Ltd. 30 Days Insulated Cladding & Render Association (INCA) 30 Days INTERCEIL LIMITED 30 Days JNR Contracting Ltd 45 Days Land Securities Properties 30 Days Mace Ltd 30 Days PROLEC CONTRACTORS LTD 30 Days R C Cutting & Co Ltd 30 Days R H Williams Ltd 30 Days Skanska Construction UK 30 Days Stanford Industrial Concrete Flooring Limited 45 Days The Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists Ltd (ATLAS) 30 Days WJM BUILDING SERVICES LIMITED 45 Days Wye Valley Demolition Ltd 30 Days           This article was published on 11 Aug 2016 (last updated on 12 Aug 2016). Source link

Data has been published which shows that August has seen the lowest upturn in the UK construction industry for the last 12 months. The survey data that has been collected through the IHS Markit/ CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers Index has shown that during August there was a sowing in the level of construction work. This reduced level of construction work has been noted as a key source of weakness in the UK industry and has had an impact on the robust growth seen in the residential building sector. The research that has been collected has also shown signs of a so called ‘soft patch’ approaching. The data has shown new business volumes decreasing for a second month in a row. Those that responded to the survey believed that the lower demand has been caused by a reduction in business investment and an increased level of economic uncertainty. Because the lower levels of investment and more uncertainty, construction firms have grown cautious and have hired fewer staff. This has led to employment numbers increasing at their slowest rate since July 2016. Despite the gloomy outlook, the Index remained above the 50.0 no-change level, reading 51.1 in August, which is down from 51.9 in July. the slowdown has also been connected to a lack of new orders lined up to replace completed projects. Residential building went against the downward trend for August, with housing activity seen to be rising at a significant pace throughout August. The Civil Engineering sector has record results that are almost stagnant, and commercial work has seen the fastest drop since July 2016. The survey has illustrated that concerns about the economic outlook in the UK has had a significant impact on the commercial development sector, leading to more delays in decisions or projects that have been scaled down.