Skanska delivers facilities management (FM) with a focus on sustainability and customer service. Supporting more than 65 organisations across over 3,000 locations nationwide, here we explore how they use SMART technology to create ‘healthy’ buildings that their customers love. “FM is all about people and culture” declared Adam McDonald, Managing
One of Scotland’s fastest growing construction firms, Ashwood Scotland, is revealing a series of contract wins as the firm prepares to formally celebrate its 20th birthday next month. Contracts totaling £10 million have been secured with a range of clients including City of Edinburgh Council, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Zoo
The report features the top ‘Owner Managed Companies’ across the Midlands and Kite are extremely proud to have been recognised for their achievements. Established in 2001 as a true employee-owned company and with the original management team still at the forefront of the business, Kite has seen impressive growth throughout
NBS, the leading specification platform for the construction industry, today announced a new product integration with Autodesk, which will improve collaboration and reduce errors across the design and construction timeline. NBS has added a new feature that enables users of its new cloud-based specification platform, NBS Chorus, to instantly export
Did you know that water jet cutting applications are one of today’s fastest growing precision machine processes? In an era of increased global competition and rapidly advancing industrial technology, companies need to embrace innovative new processes if they’re going to survive and thrive. Water jet technology boasts fast turnaround times,
Modern high tech site security to protect your property and people Theft and vandalism costs the construction industry over £800 million per year in terms of the losses and the costs involved in taking remedial action after thefts and acts of vandalism. As a result, good construction site security is
London Build has been celebrating women within the construction industry since 2015, hosting an annual Women in Construction networking attended by over 1,200 women working across all sectors – making it the UK’s largest meeting of Women in Construction. This free-to-attend session gives professionals the opportunity to learn from a
No matter how carefully you drive or how much attention you pay, the risk of you being involved in a car accident is highly probable due to the increased number of road users. If you have been injured in a car accident, then this guideline should offer the support you
First-time drivers may feel that they already know everything that they should do when they are on the road but actually, there are still a lot more that they have to know before they can ride their cars freely. You may not really think about car insurance when you are
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
Skanska delivers facilities management (FM) with a focus on sustainability and customer service. Supporting more than 65 organisations across over 3,000 locations nationwide, here we explore how they use SMART technology to create ‘healthy’ buildings that their customers love. “FM is all about people and culture” declared Adam McDonald, Managing Director of Skanska’s Building Services operation, when we sat down together. Adding, “We value and take care of our people with an injury-free environment (IFE) approach. I’m proud to say we have a culture of care and support, which enables us to deliver the best front-line service to our customers.” If anyone’s at the forefront of putting the customer first, Skanska certainly are. As a company that develops, builds and maintains some of the UK’s iconic buildings including the Gherkin and MoD Main Building, Skanska really are at the forefront of developing the best offers for their customers. It’s going down well too – their research shows that 70% of existing customers have worked with their facilities management team for at least 10 years or more. But how do they do it? Sustainability is a much talked about focus right now, as Skanska’s customers continue to enquire about how it can better assist them to achieve their goals. Laura Mayhew-Manchon, Environmental Manager, said: “We’re pushing the boundaries in carbon reduction – we’ve set a target of net zero carbon reduction by 2045, and we’re including all of our supply chain, not just our own immediate operations.” But you need to have the right team and processes in place to make sure commitments stick, which is where the company’s embrace of technology benefits them. We were keen to delve into how other organisations can use technology to make a difference, both internally and to customers. So, we asked Laura: What are the most consistently missed tech opportunities? Laura revealed, “Better connected assets and equipment will support improved building user experience, use and functionality. That’s the first thing. But ultimately, for FM teams, the data these produce and how we use and interpret it is key in delivering effective, efficient FM that drives optimal building performance.” This supports IWFM’s research that better understanding of technology and data, which includes upskilling existing staff as well as bringing new skills in, is crucial to better performance. In turn, this can create ‘healthy’ buildings. So, what defines a ‘healthy building’? According to Laura, “spaces where the relationship between the building, energy, occupant satisfaction and wellbeing is reviewed continually.” Those final words, ‘reviewed continually’, are undoubtedly the most important. Much of the profession implements change and then forgets to make time to review those changes and to develop them for better results. But, if we’re to see meaningful change in our profession, it’s something we absolutely must do. Acknowledging how customers, or communities, engage with buildings is crucial. “You also need to design the delivery solution around the customer. For example, our City of London contract has delivery teams aligned to customer type rather than geography,” said Adam McDonald. Adding, “Procuring the supply chain sustainably and locally helps, too. We have committed to procuring within a certain radius of contracts, paying them on time (Skanska adheres to the fair payment charter) and training them via the Supply Chain Sustainability School.” Which brings us to our final point: What’s next? For Skanska, it’s about having “engaged, well-trained, positive people to help drive quality FM service delivery. As a profession, we need simpler and more effective procurement models that are driven by service quality rather than price,” Adam said. So, what did we learn? Sustainability is top of the agenda, and that can be driven by technology. As a profession, we need to upskill and make sure we always put the customer first, and those customers can differ considerably from building to building. We must also aim to create ‘healthy buildings’ – spaces where the relationship between the building, energy, occupant satisfaction and wellbeing work as one and, more importantly, is reviewed continually. Skanska is sponsoring this year’s IWFM Awards. Find out more about they’re current work through the Awards website.
One of Scotland’s fastest growing construction firms, Ashwood Scotland, is revealing a series of contract wins as the firm prepares to formally celebrate its 20th birthday next month. Contracts totaling £10 million have been secured with a range of clients including City of Edinburgh Council, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Zoo and National Records of Scotland. On behalf of the Council the Bathgate-based firm, which has grown to over 70 staff, will undertake works at three of Edinburgh’s primary schools. These briefs have been awarded following the commencement of major works at West Register House – home to the National Archives – in Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square. This project will include a careful restoration of the external fabric and iconic copper dome. Meanwhile, similar heritage projects have been completed at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and The University of Edinburgh’s prestigious Old College campus. “Since starting out in a single person office 20 years ago, we have turned over in excess of £100 million and completed over 400 projects,” says managing director, Archie Meikle. “This latest set of contracts is testament to the quality of our staff and workmanship and we are excited by our plans to further grow and develop the business.” Ashwood have also just commenced the construction of a purpose-built enclosure for giraffes at Edinburgh Zoo which follows on from the completion of a new facility for the giant pandas. “Building at Edinburgh Zoo has been a privilege but also extremely challenging due to working in a live zoo environment,” added Mr Meikle. Saturday saw 160 guests, including all staff and their families, attending a BBQ and party hosted at Dundas Castle on the outskirts of Edinburgh to mark the firm’s 20th birthday by.
The report features the top ‘Owner Managed Companies’ across the Midlands and Kite are extremely proud to have been recognised for their achievements. Established in 2001 as a true employee-owned company and with the original management team still at the forefront of the business, Kite has seen impressive growth throughout its history. Recognition of Kite comes after a very successful year for the packaging distribution company, who in 2018 invested in further geographical expansion by extending their network of regional distribution centres to include the North East of England. 2018 also saw the launch of Kites ‘Mobile Testing Facility’, the first of its kind in the industry, allowing Kite to bring solutions and expertise directly to customers own sites. At the start of 2019 Kite launched a company-wide initiative to reduce their own, and their customers, use of plastics by 120 tonnes following “The four R’s” of reduce, re-use, recycle and replace – a goal they achieved within the first 6 months of 2019. Kites Ecommerce, Waste Compliance and Midlands Regional Distribution Centre all operate out of the Torrington Avenue site in Coventry with a further 6 Regional Distribution Centres located throughout the UK. For more information on Kite Packaging and their products and services, visit kitepackaging.co.uk.
NBS, the leading specification platform for the construction industry, today announced a new product integration with Autodesk, which will improve collaboration and reduce errors across the design and construction timeline. NBS has added a new feature that enables users of its new cloud-based specification platform, NBS Chorus, to instantly export a list of submittals from a specification in one click and import them directly into leading Common Data Environments (CDEs), including Autodesk’s BIM 360®. Submittals are an essential part of the construction process and if managed incorrectly can cause problems for contractors. Connecting the data sets between NBS Chorus and BIM 360 greatly reduces the risk of human error by eliminating the need to manually copy or re-key information, and allows for better collaboration between architects, specifiers and contractors. The partnership between NBS and Autodesk is already enabling users to work smarter and more safely. The integration of NBS Chorus and Autodesk Revit® allows users to develop their model and specification simultaneously, which greatly reduces the risk of information becoming out of sync. “We’re thrilled to be continually working with Autodesk,” said Sascia Elliot, head of partnerships, NBS. “There’s a huge opportunity to help our customers work smarter and safer by integrating CDE’s with NBS Chorus. By transforming what was once a timely and manual task to a simple click of a button, this integration with BIM 360 will not only improve accuracy and time efficiency, but will help us work towards a safer industry” “Autodesk is committed to empowering the construction industry to be more productive,” said Josh Cheney, industry manager, construction technology, Autodesk. “Our work with companies like NBS enables customers to improve their data flow across the construction lifecycle, and ultimately build better. To find out more about NBS visit www.theNBS.com
Did you know that water jet cutting applications are one of today’s fastest growing precision machine processes? In an era of increased global competition and rapidly advancing industrial technology, companies need to embrace innovative new processes if they’re going to survive and thrive. Water jet technology boasts fast turnaround times, high precision cutting, minimal environmental impact and the ability to cut virtually any material. This means that a wide variety of industries have been able to utilise it to gain an advantage in the following key areas: Efficiency Productivity Cost effectiveness Environmental sustainability. Contrary to what a lot of people think, water doesn’t actually perform the cutting on abrasive water jet machines. Instead, it acts as a vehicle for minute garnet abrasive particles which are accelerated to supersonic speeds to provide highly efficient cutting via erosion. To give you a bit more of an idea of the versatility of water jet cutting applications, we’ve put together an overview of the ways in which it is utilised in three very different industries. Medical Component Manufacturing When it comes to manufacturing medical components, water jet cutting applications offer substantially higher cutting speeds than traditional metal-cutting processes. The set-up process is also much less time-consuming. The ability to cut a broad range of materials is also highly beneficial to many medical manufacturers. Other than informing the controller of changes in material, there are no other programming or equipment steps required to accommodate cutting composites, ceramics, metals or other materials. When it comes to other cutting processes, both laser and electrical discharge machining (EDM) technologies create heat-affected zones in the material being cut. This can alter its chemical properties and cause surface hardening. As a cold cutting process, water jet cutting prevents both of these unwanted side effects. In addition to this, water jet cutting exerts a very small amount of force on the workpiece being cut. This allows the cutting of delicate features that would otherwise be impossible – or too costly – to produce. The Aerospace Industry The aerospace industry is responsible for producing everything from aircraft engines to military hardware (such as guided missiles) and space vehicles. As such, it demands complex technological solutions and complete precision. Because it has no margin for error, the aerospace industry industry utilises the accuracy and versatility of water jet cutting to create a wide range of different components. Working with a range of high-strength and exotic materials means that machining parts for the aerospace industry is much more complex than making other consumer goods. Water jet cutting has become favoured because of its versatility and precision. As is the case with medical component manufacturing, the cool-cutting process helps to eradicate any heat-affected zones that could lead to structural weakness in components. Not only can abrasive water jets be adjusted to the specific needs of any given part, they can also be standardised for uniform and precise production on a large-scale basis. They’re also able to work alongside control and automation technologies that make production processes more standardised and straightforward. Considering the precision and scale required in aerospace manufacturing, this has proven to be a huge benefit. Crafting Ornamental Glass While it is undoubtedly very useful for heavy industry, water jet cutting does have some more artistic applications as well. This includes the crafting of ornamental glass. Because of its versatility, water jet cutting simplifies the cutting and penetrating of all kids of glass, whether it be thin and delicate or thick and laminated. It makes cutting glass to various profiles and shapes a lot more easy and affordable than it used to be. This is because, due to its brittle nature, cut glass is similar to stone and tile cutting. It has a tendency to crack, which means that perforation needs to start at a low pressure and gradually increase to the final cutting speed. Water jet cutting applications are able to prevent damage by automatically adjusting and restoring the pressure when cutting precision materials like ornamental glass. This means that not only is it faster and more reliable, but it can also perform cut geometry that is beyond the capability of common machining.
Modern high tech site security to protect your property and people Theft and vandalism costs the construction industry over £800 million per year in terms of the losses and the costs involved in taking remedial action after thefts and acts of vandalism. As a result, good construction site security is paramount both in terms of ‘self policing’ in the way construction site personnel observe good security and through using expert help from site security professionals. Why site security is needed As the above figure shows, good site security is imperative to avoid falling victim to the huge losses experienced by the industry as a whole – or at least being able to hopefully apprehend those committing criminal acts if the worst happens. A major theft or act of vandalism not only costs money to recover from, it can put progress back considerably if work is suspended or curtailed in the aftermath of an incident. Good security is cheap at the price if it helps prevent these. Outside help Specialists offering the latest in building site security tech and expertise can help monitor a site round the clock and organise a response to incidents, and modern CCTV systems help protect construction sites of all types and sizes. Modern cameras and alarms developed for site surveillance can run without mains power, and can be moved easily so as to be in the best position as and when the site changes its configuration as work progresses. Inside help: good security practices A sad fact about many construction sites is the sometimes poor standards of diligence when observing everyday good security procedures. There have been instances of ID of site personnel not being checked properly, entrances left open – especially parts of fencing when moved aside temporality to allow a large machine access to the site or for a large delivery to be made. Basics such as doors left unlocked and keys left in machines abound unfortunately. While human error is perhaps inevitable from time to time, many sites could benefit from more stringent internal security procedures. Benefitting Health and Safety Building site security isn’t only about safeguarding premises and property; it’s also highly beneficial in helping maintain good Health and Safety standards throughout the site. This can encompass various aspects: Site access – you should run your site without putting members of the public at risk. Using CCTV and access control systems is a major step in ensuring only authorised personnel access the site. Fire – hazardous and flammable materials are to be found on many sites, and some have even more if, for example, demolition work is being carried out. Therefore, good fire alarms and CCTV systems can monitor and protect so as to keep a fire hazard area as safe as possible. General monitoring – diligent CCTV monitoring can help areas stay as safe as possible; a potentially hazardous or other wise dangerous situation can be flagged up quickly if caught on CCTV to help ensure a safe working environment. Identification – It is important for your site staff to be recognised. Having the right ID is important and will help from any unauthorised staff being where they should not. You can see examples of this from fake ID cards topfakid. There is much more legislation concerning building, design and construction. Ultimately, good site security will help your business in terms of avoiding the disruption and heavy expenses involved in dealing with an incidence of theft or vandalism. Also, further disruption and injury to personnel can be avoided if your site security provisions are used to monitor Health and Safety related activities too.
London Build has been celebrating women within the construction industry since 2015, hosting an annual Women in Construction networking attended by over 1,200 women working across all sectors – making it the UK’s largest meeting of Women in Construction. This free-to-attend session gives professionals the opportunity to learn from a panel of established experts and rub elbows with some truly inspirational women who have made a significant impact on the industry. The event will look at issues of gender imbalance and inequality within the built environment, as well as highlighting the outstanding achievements of those who are driving change across the industry. Kicking off at 10.30am on day two of London Build (28th Nov), we’ll see the Women in Construction panel take over the main stage – an upgrade from 2018 in order to accommodate the ever-increasing audience. Moderated by Cristina Lanz Azcarate, London and South East Chair – NAWIC, the panel will feature five renowned speakers: Ruby El-Kanzi, Senior Design Manager I Construction London – Wates Pamela McInroy, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager – High Speed Two Sharon Duffy, Head of Transport Infrastructure Engineering – Transport for London Michelle Hands, Director – N J Engineering Michaela Wain, Managing Director – We Connect Construction After the panel, the event will move to the Built Environment Networking Hub – a chance to network with established experts including the event’s Women in Construction Ambassadors and discuss the untapped opportunities for both women and men working in construction, diversity and equality. Becoming a Women in Construction Ambassador Part of London Build’s commitment to amplifying the voices of Women in Construction is its active recruitment of professional and talented individuals driving change within the construction industry. We seek out ambassadors to represent the extraordinary skill sets and expertise the industry has to offer. Both women and men are welcome! London Build focusses on showcasing the advantages of being a woman in construction, and strives to have a strong female line-up in its content programme. This mission to ensure that businesses within the construction industry have every opportunity to thrive, by telling inspiring and motivating stories from exceptional women, is something that we encourage industry professionals to become a part of. You can get involved by joining industry-leading names such as Christina Riley, Angela Brady, Alison Coutinho and Angela Dapper in becoming a Women in Construction Ambassador. By promoting the Women in Construction Networking Event and London Build to your contacts, you’ll have a WIC Ambassadors’ badge, priority seating at the conference, first-hand introductions during the networking event to help you gain an active role in promoting the WIC initiative and keep striving to make incredible change in the UK’s construction industry. Anyone of any gender who is passionate about driving change in the UK’s built environment, from students to architects to CEO’s, is welcome to get involved. To find out more or to sign up, visit www.londonbuildexpo.com/wic. Women in Construction at the London Construction Awards The London Construction Awards are the leading construction awards for London, recognising achievements, developments and innovation in London’s booming construction industry. A recognised industry accolade, the London Construction Awards have niche award categories to suit each specialism – and continues the London Build theme of championing equality, diversity and inclusion with its tailored Women in Construction and Diversity and Inclusion awards. Both categories are free to enter, and entries close at 5pm on 27th August 2019 (an extension on the deadline). For further information, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team at wic@londonbuildexpo.com or call 0203 058 2350.
No matter how carefully you drive or how much attention you pay, the risk of you being involved in a car accident is highly probable due to the increased number of road users. If you have been injured in a car accident, then this guideline should offer the support you need whether you are a passenger, driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian. What Should Be Done At The Scene Of A Car Accident? When involved in car accident you have a legal duty to stop at the scene, as well as your legal duty, it is also beneficial for you to stop to make sure you can assess the situation effectively, making sure no one is injured, what (if any) damage has been caused to the vehicles involved and if any other property has been damaged. Being involved in an accident is not something someone starts their day predicting, therefore, if an unfortunate event happens, it is likely you will be left in a state of shock and could struggle to process what has happened. It is important to try to remain calm and collect all the necessary details you may need, especially if you pursue to make a car accident claim for the loss and suffering you have experienced. Important information to collect at this stage would be: Vehicle Damage Evidence – this can be obtained by taking photographs via your phone, but try not just to gather evidence of your own vehicle, try to obtain pictures of any damage caused to the other parties’ vehicle as well. If the vehicle is heavily damaged, you need to get professional advice from your car insurer. Obtain The Other Driver’s Information – details including name, address, and contact details. If they are not the owner of the vehicle, then be sure to get the owner’s information to Vehicle Information – including registration, model of the vehicle and the colour Insurance Information – including the name of the insurance company and the driver policy number. Again if the driver is not the owner of that particular vehicle, try to obtain their insurance information also Independent Witness Details – this means someone who has not been involved in but has witnessed the accident and can give a clear statement if needed. They also must be unknown to either party involved to ensure they can be classed as independent. While gaining independent witness details, ensure you have gained their full name, contact number and address Photographs That Can Help Explain What Has Happened, e.g. taking photographs of road markings, how the vehicles have positioned themselves after the accident etc. It is important to try and remain calm and keep yourself and any passengers you may have safe, therefore if you feel your safety is at risk or someone has been badly injured then call the emergency services and seek immediate medical attention. If the police were involved, make sure all information given by them is kept safe, most importantly the reference number they provide you Gaining The Medical Attention You Need After An Accident However minor or major your injuries feel due to the accident, it is important you seek the appropriate medical attention to ensure there is no underlying condition caused and to ensure you have received all the treatment you need. Depending on the severity of your injuries will depend on what type of medical attention you seek, if your injuries are severe you may want to call the emergency services to get an ambulance, however, if they seem minor in nature you could attend your GP or a local NHS walk-in centre. A common occurring injury brought on by RTAs (Road Traffic Accidents) is known as whiplash. This type of injury is caused by a sudden forceful movement which is caused by the impact of your vehicle colliding into something. Common tell-tale signs of having whiplash are discomfort and stiffness in your neck area when moving, along with headaches. Who Is Eligible To Make A Claim? All road users have a legal right to make a claim when they have been injured in an accident that isn’t their fault, this includes: Vehicle drivers Passengers – whether you are a passenger on public or private transport Pedestrians Motorcyclists Bicyclists A passenger can start a claim regardless of whether it is the driver of the vehicle they were in who is at fault. If you were in a passenger in your family member’s or friend’s vehicle, in a taxi or on a bus/coach, whether it was your driver who has caused the accident or not you could be eligible to claim. A passenger could also be eligible to make a claim if they have sustained an injury due to careless driving. The driver owes their passengers a duty of care to ensure they do not drive carelessly causing anyone to fall, they should also ensure care is taken when passengers are entering or exiting the bus. Making A Claim For A Car Accident Starting a claim for compensation for your injuries and other losses sustained in an accident can be quick and easy, simply contact specialist solicitors, and they will guide you through the entire process. Often as a passenger, it is confusing to know if you are eligible to claim and who from, especially if you feel the driver of the vehicle you were in may be at fault. This is where your solicitors will be able to help you, letting you know from the first point of contact if you have a claim and whose insurance you would be claiming from. Starting Your Claim Starting a claim is quick and easy, once you have begun speaking with a solicitor you will find out if you have a valid claim and be able to gain tailored advice that will best suit your situation. After gaining the advice, if you wish to make a claim, the setup will require the following details: Your personal details – e.g. Name, Address, Phone Number, DOB, National
First-time drivers may feel that they already know everything that they should do when they are on the road but actually, there are still a lot more that they have to know before they can ride their cars freely. You may not really think about car insurance when you are driving for the first time. You will probably think about where you are going to use your car, how you are going to use your car, and what your friends will think of the car that you have. Car insurance may be the least of your concerns. You should know now that car insurance is going to be important. You can check https://www.cheapautoinsurance.com if you want more details about the car insurance policies that are available for first-time drivers like you. The Most Cost-Effective Way The most cost-effective way that you can get car insurance is when you are added to another person’s policy. It is very possible that someone in your household already has car insurance. When you get added, this means that you will get the right benefits whenever you drive. When you are a first-time driver, you will be considered as a high-risk driver by insurance companies which means that your premium will be higher as compared to those who have been driving for a long time. The only option that is available for you is to make sure that you will be added to the insurance plan of a driver that already owns car insurance. Possible Discounts You May Get There are some potential discounts that the original car insurance owner may have that will lower all of your premiums even further: Bundling the car insurance with other cars of the household Bundling your car insurance with other insurance policies like home insurance, and so much more. Getting additional driving courses You need to prove that you are a good driver if you would take some driving courses that will show that you take driving seriously. Shop Around One of the best things that you can do is to check the different car insurance companies that are available. You can get several quotes from different companies and you should find the one that will provide the lowest rates possible. There are also some people who would like to pay the full amount the moment that they get their chosen policy. This can be very effective too especially when you are trying to save up. You will pay a lower amount initially and you also do not have to worry about subsequent payments until such time when you need to renew your policy again. In addition, every first time driver can also use a lawyer for many reasons. The most common reason is because lawyers have the knowledge and expertise to help individuals who have been involved in car accidents. They understand the laws surrounding car accidents, and they can help their clients to receive the compensation that they deserve. In addition, lawyers can also help first time drivers to avoid costly mistakes. For example, many first time drivers do not know how to negotiate with insurance companies. As a result, they may end up paying more for their insurance than they need to. Lawyers like Dennis Hernandez & Associates can help them to get the best possible rate. Finally, lawyers can also help first time drivers to navigate the legal system. This is especially important if they have been charged with a traffic violation. A lawyer can help them to understand their rights and options, and he or she can ensure that they receive a fair hearing. In short, there are many good reasons why every first time driver needs a lawyer. Good Student Discount Who says that your grades will not have an effect on the things that you have to do in life? The fact that you can get a discount when you have good grades may inspire you to pay more attention to your education more. You need to have a GPA average of 3.0 or higher so that you can get this type of discount. You may be required to provide them with a transcript that will show your recent grades so that you can prove that you have the grades that will make you eligible for this type of discount. Having good grades can make your parents proud and can lessen the amount that you have to pay for car insurance too. Consider the Right Vehicle Let us say that you are looking for the right vehicle that will be given to you by your parents or you will purchase with your hard-earned money. How are you going to pick the one that will work best? When you pick a luxury vehicle, you are going to pay more not only because the cars are more expensive. It will be ideal if you would check the vehicle that will work best for your needs. Since it is your first time to own a car anyway, you do not have to spend a lot of money on a vehicle yet. You can even get an older vehicle first and learn how to drive better with the use of this vehicle. The more that you know, the better that you will feel. Another way to travel would be by bus, you can find out more on how to book your Lubbock bus here. How to Minimize Premiums Further Young drivers can always minimize their premiums if they would make an effort to keep their driving record clean at all times. You can also install a safety device on your car so that you can have even lower premiums. When you commit yourself to drive with a clean driving record, you will have a chance to get lower premiums.
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/