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CIC Cascade15 February 2008
1. Construction Professions Offer Support to PM in Tackling Climate Change The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has co-ordinated a collaborative letter from leaders of the built environment professionals to the Prime Minister which addresses climate change. The letter has been signed by 27 Presidents and Chairmen of leading built environment professional bodies. The letter expresses the professions’ collective relief that the Bali conference ended with the beginnings of an international agreement on limiting national carbon emissions and recognises the Government’s commitment to this through the presentation of the Climate Change Bill and the pledge to make all new homes and all new schools zero carbon by 2016. Graham Watts, Chief Executive of CIC said, “CIC and its member organisations are committed to helping the Government deliver these targets and we are keen that these issues are given the highest priority. In the long term the industry would like to see all nations set out on the path to verifiably limit global emissions by 2050. Our members have the responsibility for designing, constructing and managing the built environment which is responsible for half the current level of carbon emissions, so we have a huge role to play in achieving the necessary change.” 2. CIC appoint new staff for ConstructionSkills Project Team The Construction Industry Council is pleased to welcome new recruits, Danna Walker; Project Manager (Skills) and Alys Berry, Project Manager (Careers and Education) to the team. Both Danna and Alys have joined CIC to help strengthen and support CICs ConstructionSkills activities. CIC, CITB ConstructionSkills and CITB NI are working as ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for Construction. In the partnership CIC represents the views of the higher level of the industry (professional, managerial and technical). CIC’s ConstructionSkills activities are a vital contributor to the raising of skills, recruitment and business performance of the construction industry. Danna Walker– email dwalker@cic.org.uk or Tel: 020 7399 7404 Alys Berry – email aberry@cic.org.uk or Tel: 020 7399 7430 3. Polish Minister visits CIC to learn about UK Construction Polish Construction and Infrastructure Minister, Olgierd Roman Dziekoński, visited the Construction Industry Council (CIC) on Friday, 8th February 2008 to learn about the UK Construction industry and discuss possible areas of future co-operation. Hosted by CIC Chairman, the Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP, and Chief Executive, Graham Watts, the meeting focused upon the crucial role CIC and its member associations play in the UK and overseas, as well as addressing the proposed changes concerning housing, the building process and planning procedures due to be implemented in Poland. Further collaborative work has been agreed in a number of areas, including the operation of the DQI in Poland and co-operation on CPD and skills development in the professions. The meeting also included contributions from Michael Ankers; Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, Tom Foulkes, Director General of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Douglas McCormick, Trading Director W.S Atkins Plc and Nelson Ogunshakin, Chair of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering.
4. Health and Safety Tests Smash 1.5 Million Barrier ConstructionSkills has announced that 1.5 million workers have now passed the industry standard ConstructionSkills Health & Safety Test. Rebekkah Taplin from Barratt Homes reached the barrier after taking her test recently, delivering positive signs that industry is making fast progress to becoming fully qualified. The first test was taken in 2000 in Aberdeen, and since then has evolved considerably to make it as accessible and convenient as possible for industry. It can be taken at over 150 locations, including corporate testing on-site though mobile units, and the operative’s test is now available in over ten different languages. It is also fully up-to-date with industry regulations, including CDM 07 and now has two new tests for Professionally Qualified Persons. The test is now an essential requirement for getting one of the many competence cards required to gain access to sites in the construction sector, including all MCG sites. The test also forms part of the SkillsDirect service which makes getting qualified and carded simpler and faster by integrating all the key elements into one free service, accessed through a central hotline - 0870 850 5262. The good new was marked by a presentation ceremony at ConstructionSkills’ London offices with the candidate receiving £100 in vouchers. Rebekkah said: "I was impressed that so many people had taken the Test and delighted to be the 1.5 millionth person to pass. I found the test extremely helpful, particularly in highlighting safety issues that aren't immediately obvious. It means that I am even more aware of safety when showing our customers around the site." Nick Fenton, managing director of Barratt Kent, comments: “Health and safety is a top priority at Barratt and we are fully committed to training our construction staff to the very highest standards. We are pleased to endorse the ConstructionSkills Health and Safety Test which provides a valuable measure of competence.” Sir Michael Latham, Chairman of ConstructionSkills said of the landmark: “Reaching the 1.5 million milestone is evidence of the effort that the whole industry is making to improve health and safety. It is a great achievement, and this is proof that we’re making excellent progress. However, we, as an industry still have a long way to go, and only with support from employers will we be able to work in a fully qualified workforce in which the risks of accidents are significantly reduced. With organisations such as the MCG enforcing full compliance on-site, and systems such as SkillsDirect available to help people demonstrate their ability to work safely and prove their qualifications, there’s no excuse to not sit the test and prove your skills.” To book a Health and Safety Test, or to find out information on getting qualified and carded call SkillsDirect on 0870 850 5262.
5. Construction and Built Environment Diploma is formally recognised as ‘rigorous and challenging’ With less than a year before the first wave of students in England begin to take the Construction and Built Environment (C&BE) Diploma, UCAS has announced the C&BE Diploma will be worth 3.5 A-levels, if employers engage with the new qualification. Schools Minister Jim Knight accepted the recommendation that the new Diplomas should be judged equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade A*-G at the foundation level, 7 GCSEs grade A*-C at the higher level and 3.5 A Levels grade A*- E at the advanced level in the achievement and attainment tables. The Minister also confirmed that a further investment of £45 million for teacher training will be given to support Diplomas roll out in 2008/09, as well as £28 million cash funding for Diplomas in 08/09. This means that schools and colleges teaching Diplomas to 14-16 year olds will receive around an extra £1,000 per Diploma student. This funding is additional to the money already invested in the system for 14-19 education over the next 3 years. This includes £110 million so that 14-16 year olds can get practical experience in schools, colleges and the workplace and £15 million to ensure joint working between schools and colleges. Nearly 4,000 pupils across England are registered to take the C&BE Diploma from September 2008. It offers employers in the sector a real opportunity to help inform the education of young people and shape the skills of the future workforce however greater numbers are needed to offer work experience, teaching support or site visits to give students an insight into industry. Schools Minister Jim Knight said: “Diplomas are the first qualification to be developed with such a high level of input from employers and universities. QCA and UCAS are confirming these are rigorous and challenging qualifications. Pupils can now be confident they will study valuable, first class qualifications when they take a Diploma”. Nick Gooderson, Head of Standards and Qualifications, ConstructionSkills said: “Since September 2005 we have worked closely with industry, Government and education providers to develop the C&BE Diploma. We have made good progress with employers to make sure that they don’t miss out on this. The QCA and UCAS announcements provide tangible evidence that this is a heavyweight qualification offering real value to industry in terms of training the future workforce.” Chris Simpson, Training Manager of Wates, said: “We are passionate about the continuing development of the construction and built environment industries and fully support initiatives like the Diploma, which can only serve to improve perceptions and people. Changing the image, and content of young people’s introductions to our thriving sectors are key to ensuring a larger, better prepared pool of recruits for employers like ourselves to build Britain’s future.” The C&BE Diploma has been developed in consultation with industry to ensure it reflect the needs of employers. It combines practical skill development with theoretical and technical knowledge, taught by people with relevant industry knowledge. It will give young people the opportunity to gain real hands on experience, previously unavailable through traditional education methods. The new Diploma will require young people to demonstrate numeracy and literacy, but also ability in a number of important practical issues relevant to the construction and built environment sector such as health and safety, sustainability, work based practical learning, and the impact of the built environment on the Community. The Diploma will teach students about professions such as architecture, civil engineering and building services, the regulatory framework, design processes, and the enterprise and management challenges which construction poses. Employers are being urged to find out more about getting involved by visiting http://www.cbediploma.co.uk or through requesting a copy of the new Welcome Pack. To register your interest in supporting the delivery of the C&BE Diploma contact Jenny English on jenny.english@cskills.org or lourdes.goodman@cskills.org 6. CIAT signs on the dotted line for 2016 The Institute has committed to support the zero carbon homes 2016 target, the proposed changes to Building Regulations in 2010 and 2013 and their willingness to collaborate with other Institutes and government officials within the proposed policy framework to achieve the target. This commitment formalises this support and working in partnership together with the aim that:
On signing the commitment, Mark Kennett said: "CIAT is a forward thinking Institute and I am very pleased that we have signed this to signify our support for the zero carbon homes 2016 target, the proposed changes to the Building Regulations in 2010 and 2013 and our willingness to collaborate with other organisations to achieve the target." He went on to say "As a Chartered Institute within the construction industry, one of our objectives is quite correctly to facilitate the development and integration of technology into architecture and the wider construction industry to continually improve standards of service for the benefit of industry and of society. This commitment echoes this and is one area where we can take a proactive position. We see that climate change is real, the challenge is global but action must start at home and CIAT’s members are ideally positioned within the industry to have a continuing positive influence." 7. Events The events page of the CIC website is frequently updated visit the events page for details. |
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