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CIC Cascade16 July 2007
1. CIC Diversity Panel Member wins 2007 Inspire Award for Construction's Outstanding Achiever CICs Diversity Panel Member Jane Wernick was named winner of the inaugural Inspire ‘Outstanding Achiever’ award in the Construction category on Friday 6th July, an award acknowledging an individual’s performance whose example is a benchmark for others to follow. Inspire, a new event launched by The Architects Journal, Construction News, New Civil Engineer and QS Week, recognises and rewards exceptional women actively working in the Built Environment. For more information visit http://www.inspireevent.co.uk/ 2. Surveying, Property and Maintenance - Nationwide Consultation July 2007 An important development for built environment practitioners in the UK is about to enter its consultation phase. This NVQ/SVQ qualification has been designed for those working in a variety of specialisms in the fields of:
The Levels 4 and 5 NVQ/SVQs qualifications provide a means of recognising the competence of members of the profession in general and are aimed at those in a managerial post. Asset Skills and the ConstructionSkills (Construction Industry Council) have jointly been overseeing the development work in conjunction with industry experts. The occupational standards – the building blocks of NVQs/SVQs – have been modernised and simplified. The key improvements have been to replace the original suites of separate awards with a single “core and options” matrix. The new structure allows candidates to build NVQ/SVQs around common competences, to suit their own individual personal development. The consultation will end on Friday 27th July 2007. Full details of the consultation together with the draft Levels 4 and 5 qualifications Send your completed questionnaires and any ‘marked up’ pages by Friday 27th July 2007 to pbehal@cic.org.uk. The Construction Industry Council (CIC East), the organisation providing a regional voice for the construction industry in the East of England, and Inspire East, the Regional Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Communities, signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The two bodies agreed to work together on areas such as, joint training as part of the continuing professional development (CPD) of CIC members, shared planning and communication and the promotion of the range of opportunities for young people entering any of the built environment professions. This innovative approach builds on the work of other Regional Centres for Excellence in the North West and the Academy for Sustainable Communities, in building relationships and joint working with key organisations that represent the built environment. These bodies are vital to ensuring that growth across the region meets the highest standards by working with those whose job it is to build communities. It will enable them to share knowledge and break down professional silos to enable the construction industry to deliver the communities of the future. Covering the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, CIC-East executive is made up of representatives from RICS, ICE, RIBA, Constructing Excellence, CFCI, CIAT and CITB-Construction Skills. Other organisations who attend meetings include: Inspire East, CIOB, Faculty for the Built Environment, APM and CBSE. David Adamson is Chair of CIC East. There are five primary objectives for CIC East:
Joint CPD events are being organised under the banner of CIC East. Recent events include the ‘Best Practise in Sustainability’ conference at Hinxton and the ‘Reform of the Planning System’ seminar in Chelmsford. 4. Carbon neutrality: architects and planners call for pan-professional action Sunand Prasad, RIBA President-elect and Rynd Smith, RTPI Head of Policy and Practice, have agreed to spearhead a joint plan of action to combat the effects of climate change and hope that all the built environmental professions will sign up to it. Their action follows an RTPI/RIBA conference in May in Woking, Surrey, at which both were key speakers. The conference, supported by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), looked at if (and how) the planning system might deliver sustainable design. More than 100 delegates at the conference, which was chaired by Robert Rummey of Rummey Design Associates, heard the views of local authorities and developers and participated in workshop discussions on aspects such as action on existing housing stock, training needs and transport. Proposals arising from the conference which will be included in the plan of action will include:
Sunand Prasad said “Combating climate is too important to be dealt with in a fragmented way. We must work together to achieve real success.” “I want to work with colleagues in the built environment professions so we can jointly give the leadership necessary to mitigate climate change and adapt to it. I hope that we can persuade all the key professions to sign up to this.” Rynd Smith commented “This plan of action could be a catalyst for acceleration and for addressing the market requirements. We can already see a growing public desire for faster and more positive action – we must build on this to radically change behaviours and lifestyle.” 5. Female Graduates into Construction The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), in conjunction with the Construction Youth Trust, Anglia Ruskin University, the University of Central Lancashire and the College of Estate Management has launched 'Female Graduates into Construction', supported by funding from the ConstructionSkills 'Women into Work' project. The aim of the project is to promote the role of female managers in construction, match graduates to employers for recruitment as graduate trainees and provide structured training in partnership with employers and partner universities; leading to professional membership with the CIOB and to sustainable professional employment. The project will aim to support 50 female graduates by March 31, 2008. Chris Hughes, Chair of the CIOB's graduate Diploma Programme Management Committee, said: "Breaking down the barriers for women with the potential for successful careers in construction must be a high priority for the industry in the 21st century. This project will make a significant contribution to that ambition." The training will be conducted through the employers' own training schemes and through the CIOB's Graduate Diploma Programme for non-cognate graduates or other appropriate training leading to Chartered membership of the CIOB. In the case of the non-cognate entrants, training will be undertaken over a period of three years on either a week-release or distance learning basis. Mentoring will also be provided through the employers and also through the three female students who completed the Graduate Diploma Programme as part of the first cohort in 2007. 6. 109 million reasons to manage construction waste Each year the construction industry generates 109 million tonnes of waste, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In response to a recent consultation on compulsory Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP), the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has called for all construction projects, involving more than 30 days or 500 person days of construction, to plan and implement a SWMP. This would create a level playing field within the industry, encourage more efficient use of materials and reduce waste crime. The proposed threshold also provides consistency with notified projects under the new Construction (Design and Management) Regulations thereby minimising additional red tape. The CIOB has also called for the government to consider incentive based schemes that encourage the industry to reduce waste; along with inspection and enforcement tied in with existing regulatory checks. Michael Brown CIOB deputy chief executive commented, “As an industry we can’t just rely on construction companies with an ethical approach to the environment to take up the slack for those that show little concern for the use and misuse of our resources. We need a change of behaviour that requires everyone to reduce waste. Without the appropriate regulation and teeth we fear that SWMPs will only be used by larger operators who have an interest in environmental issues. We would like to see a greater emphasis from government on the use of sustainable materials, equipment and techniques. All construction projects should be designed and built to be environmentally efficient with a measurable reduction, and recycling, of construction waste. If SWMPs are made mandatory they may result in some additional cost, but given a level playing field this should not affect the competitiveness of the company. There will be opportunities for cost savings in terms of recycling and reuse that would help offset any costs incurred.” The CIOB has submitted that principal contractors should be responsible for preparing and implementing a SWMP; recognising that they can delegate this responsibility if appropriate. Principal contractors must also be involved early in the design phase and in the procurement of materials. 7. BIFM hosts Employer Engagement Forum The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) hosted a forum at the new Wembley Stadium to involve employers in its professional development strategy. The strategy aims to develop a coherent framework of qualifications to support the FM sector, offering pathways for development and entry points at different stages. BIFM will facilitate and support the development of new qualifications for accreditation and endorsement, benefiting the FM profession and industry. To support entry into the FM profession from related areas, BIFM and the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of new FM units for QCA Level 2 & 3 vocational qualifications. These will sit alongside ILM supervisory management qualifications, offering the opportunity for first line managers to gain a qualification in FM and an entry point to the qualifications ladder. Ian R Fielder CEO of BIFM said: These new co-branded FM units will also complement the Asset Skills action plan for the sector. Kim Parish, CEO of ILM said: Sir Digby Jones opened the employer engagement forum and addressed skills development as a key for competitive advantage, placing the professional development strategy in a wider business context. Sir Digby’s experience as Director General of the CBI and his current role as UK Skills Envoy proved a powerful combination for tackling this subject. Richard Beamish, Asset Skills chief executive, followed by giving the Asset Skills perspective with details of the action plan for the FM sector. BIFM is committed to creating programmes that support people development in the most effective way possible for employers. BIFM shared its professional development strategy and sought feedback from employers for the planning and implementation phases. Valerie Everitt, BIFM Professional Standards & Education Director, said BIFM will also refresh its current products, BIFM Exams Parts I & II and the BIFM Qualification, and seek accreditation from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as an Awarding Body. This will give external recognition and alignment to the national framework. New and existing products will be underpinned by the development of National Occupational Standards in FM and BIFM is actively engaged with Asset Skills for completion of this project by early 2008. BIFM welcomes feedback, particularly from employers. To submit your feedback and keep up-to-date with the latest developments see www.bifm.org.uk/employerforum 8. Events The events page of the CIC website is frequently updated visit the events page for details. |
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