FIS is proud to announce that we are launching the FIS Sector Skills Pledge, designed to bring the sector together to secure future sector sustainability and address the skills shortages in key trades, we need to work together as a sector. This will ensure a steady supply of new entrants into the sector who will be trained and skilled tradespeople with the right qualifications for their trade to deliver the projects needed.

Businesses can deliver lasting change by providing work experience, taking on apprentices and setting individuals up with skills and knowledge for long term careers. We want to inspire young people to choose careers in construction as a first-choice option, not the last.

The FIS Sector Skills Pledge is a commitment from organisations and employers to become FIS Skills Champions and to embrace programmes that will help us as a sector to create a sustainable, competent and skilled workforce. The pledge will also highlight which businesses and employers are going the extra mile.

To become FIS Sector Skills Champions, we need businesses and employers to commit and sign up to at least one of the following programmes:

•     FIS BuildBack – allows businesses and employers to meet their social value obligations and unearth new workers in this dedicated programme to train and bring new individuals into the sector in the drylining trade.

•     FIS BuildME – encourages new entrants from the college sector. It allows businesses and employers to meet their social value obligations and open their sites and offices to college learners for work experience opportunities.

•     Qualify your workforce – committed to training the finishes and interiors workforce to NVQ 2 (equivalent)

by 2020. Enabling your workforce skills to be recognised with the right matching qualifications.

•     Showcase dedication to skills – commit to the 5% Club challenge, a dynamic cross sector movement of employers working to create shared prosperity across the UK by driving ‘earn and learn’ skills training opportunities.

•     #iBuiltThis2019 competition – designed to inspire the next generation of construction workers – promote and encourage attraction into construction through a fun competition by showcasing the projects you have built and enter the competition

•     Bringing you modern apprentices – without the pain!

Iain McIlwee, CEO at FIS said “I firmly believe that together we are stronger and can make a lasting difference if we work together.  The Sector Skills Pledge is an industry wide campaign to improve sector skills sustainability, an exciting invitation to the sector to sign-up to the pledge and work in collaboration to deliver the programmes

that will help to make this sector sustainable for all. Together we can show everybody including young people what fantastic career opportunities exist within the sector and attract the 1500 new entrants needed in the finishes and interiors sector” For more information and to sign up to the FIS Sector Skills Pledge visit our website at www.thefis.org/fis- sector-skills-pledge/