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CIC Cascade15 March 2006
1. CIOB supports Olympic Research on Skills Training Research on the skills that workers will need to deliver a successful London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics Games is set to begin. Commissioned by the London Development Agency (LDA) and the Learning Skills Council (LSC) the research aims to analyse the skills and training requirements needed to build the Olympic Park and Legacy development in East London, and to stage the Games in 2012. Michael Brown CIOB deputy chief executive commented, “We estimate that the 2012 Games will need some 7,000 construction workers to translate the vision of the Olympics into reality. In comparison the Sydney Games required some 10,000 workers and the current Beijing build has approximately a 20,000 strong workforce. London must demonstrate higher productivity levels than both Sydney and Beijing through increased off-site production and the development of new skills.” “This kind of skills audit is exactly what we need to deliver the project on time and on budget. The CIOB urges all construction bodies in the UK to get involved. We not only have a responsibility to produce a fantastic Games but also to encourage new recruits into the industry. If we can’t harness the imagination and excitement that the worlds largest sporting event creates then we are not doing our jobs properly.” The research will analyse the skills needs resulting from previous Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games. Whilst examining the timetable running up to and during the Games and the anticipated demand for skilled workers. Examples of best practice in skills and employment training will also be reviewed. Marc Stephens, executive director of Olympic Opportunities and International Promotion at the LDA added, “The Games will create thousands of new jobs and training opportunities for Londoners. Its also a chance for people to develop their skills and learn new one and this study will give us the clearest picture of the challenges and opportunities the Games will bring and we are determined Londoners and businesses will realise the benefits.” Further information is available by contacting: Saul Townsend, Press Officer on 01344 630 766 - stownsend@ciob.org.uk. 2. Strategic Forum for Construction appoints new Chairman The Strategic Forum for Construction has announced that its new chairman is to be James Wates, deputy chairman of the contractors’ umbrella body the Construction Confederation. The appointment takes immediate effect and follows the recent re-structuring of the Forum designed to encourage a more strategic overview of its agenda. James Wates joined the family company, Wates Group, in 1983 and was appointed a Director of the Wates Group in 1997. He has also held the positions of Marketing Director and Chairman of Wates Interiors and is currently Director of Corporate Development and Corporate Responsibility. He is also a Board member of the Construction Industry Training Board-ConstructionSkills. The Construction Confederation, which James Wates will also chair from June 2006, will take over the secretariat of the Strategic Forum from the Construction Industry Council. The Forum’s deputy chairman is to be Roy Harrison, President of the Construction Products Association. He will move into the Forum chair in June 2007 when the Construction Products Association inherits the secretariat. Formerly Group Chief Executive of the Tarmac Group, Roy Harrison is chairman of Renew Holdings plc, formerly known as the Montpellier Group, and a non-executive director of builders’ merchants BSS plc. The recently-revised structure of the Forum comprises of six members: Construction Industry Council, Construction Clients Group, Construction Confederation, the Construction Products Association, NSCC/SEC Group and the TUC. Key themes for the Forum’s work will be health & safety, sustainability, integration and conservation, repair and maintenance. Commenting on his appointment, James Wates said: "It gives me great pleasure to take the Chair of the Forum. Never has there been such potential for positive change in our industry and the Forum is a key driver of this change." "I am very much looking forward to leading the Forum’s work on our key strategic issues. I see the Forum operating very much like the captain on the bridge of the ship, taking an overview and steering a true course ahead; the important work of the Forum members, who have the ability to deliver, is in the engine room driving forward our agenda." For further details contact Kate Dunne 3. Construction Skills Certification Scheme Ltd and CITB-ConstructionSkills agree blueprint to strengthen and develop CSCS scheme The Construction Skills Certification Scheme Ltd and CITB-ConstructionSkills have agreed a blueprint aimed at developing their working relationship and giving fresh impetus to the drive to achieve a fully qualified workforce by 2010. Both organisations are committed to working together and have agreed the principles of a new contract, to be finalised by March 31 2006, and designed to put their relationship on a commercial footing. CSCS Ltd own the scheme and CITB-ConstructionSkills will be the service provider. The agreement, a five-year rolling contract, will commit both organisations to a minimum contract duration of 7 years. There will be a new, simplified price structure - a price of £25.00 including VAT, for all cards. The price of a CSCS card has remained unchanged for over ten years. The increase has been kept to a minimum because of improved efficiencies in the card administration process. CSCS Chairman Graham Medcroft said: "I am delighted that we have made such significant progress on a new working relationship that will strengthen and develop the CSCS scheme. CSCS Ltd and CITB-ConstructionSkills can go forward from here, working in harmony towards a common objective of achieving a fully qualified workforce by 2010. The past relationship, which was based on a loose form of co-operation, will now be underpinned by an agreement which places it on a firm commercial footing. The new contract, together with the appointment of a Chief Executive for CSCS, heralds an exciting era for both the scheme and the industry which it serves." Peter Lobban, CITB-ConstructionSkills Chief Executive, commented: "We are very pleased with these new working arrangements. They give an excellent platform to drive forward the industry's qualifying the workforce initiative." 4. New ACE PI Insurance Scheme launched Following the launch on 24 February 2006 of the New ACE PI Insurance Scheme, Consultancy and engineering firms are set to benefit from high-quality, cost-effective professional indemnity (PI) insurance cover from a wider choice of insurance market providers. ACE developed the new scheme after listening to members’ concerns about the increasing cost of PI insurance and conducting a major review of the current market and providers. ACE chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin said: "When consultancy firms consistently highlight the increasing cost of PI insurance as a major business concern, ACE not only needs to sit up and listen, we need to take action. We have listened and we have acted. The result is the New ACE PI Insurance Scheme." ACE believes that the scheme will provide consultancy firms with greater choice, greater protection and better value. The new scheme has a panel of three leading insurance brokers – Griffiths & Armour, Heath Lambert Group and Willis Ltd – who will all work to an agreed set of minimum standards and who have given a commitment to place members’ risk with reputable insurers and provide superior levels of service. Those standards and levels of service are outlined in an ACE Charter of PI Insurance Standards, devised by an ACE insurance steering group which developed the new scheme. Ogunshakin said that the launch of the New ACE PI Insurance Scheme was a key part of a three-pronged ACE strategy to address the increasing cost of PI insurance. "We are also campaigning to reform the law in relation to liability and providing support to members in terms of risk management, including educating members to agree capping in their contractual arrangements with clients. Addressing the insurance market, its products as well as providers, is a significant first step in our overall campaign," he commented. For more information visit www.acenet.co.uk 5. ConstructionSkills Professional Employer Panels Employer engagement is fundamental to the success of the ConstructionSkills Sector Skills Agreement. With this in mind, CIC-ConstructionSkills is creating panels of architects, engineers, QSs, project managers, town planners and other disciplines to focus on the employers’ and practitioners’ viewpoint on skills gaps and help steer initiatives undertaken by CIC-ConstructionSkills. The CIC’s North West region recently became the second region to establish an Employer Panel. The first meeting of this panel was held in Manchester on 27 th February 2006 . This was closely followed by the second meeting of the London Panel later the same week. A South East region panel is currently being developed and other areas look set to follow suit in the near future. All the panels are made up of representatives from consultancies keen to see skills issues addressed to help improve their business prospects. The Panels give employers the opportunity to input their concerns about shortages of suitably qualified staff and graduates, training and similar issues. CIC-ConstructionSkills chairs and organizes the panels, which include representatives from all professional disciplines. With feedback from employers, CIC-ConstructionSkills aims to ensure new and existing employees are better equipped with the right skills for employers. Current issues being addressed include work and project based learning, improving training provision, getting a better match between current practice and degree programmes and the need to increase cross-disciplinary teamwork and soft skills while at university CIC (Construction Industry Council) is a committed partner in ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for construction. Through this partnership, ConstructionSkills is working to improve the quality of education and training to meet professional employers’ needs and to attract and retain construction professionals in the industry. For further information please contact Mark Way or telephone 020 7399 7422 6. Prestigious awards up for grabs at Interbuild 2006 7. CIOB Drives Professional Ethics At the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) 47th Annual Dinner current CIOB President Allan McMullen called for professional standards of ethics in the construction industry. The World Bank has estimated the cost of corruption to the global economy at US$1.5 trillion a year. More specifically corruption in the Great British construction industry could cost anywhere up to £3 billion a year. Allan said, “We must recognise how susceptible our industry is to corruption in both the developing and developed world. Many projects involve a large number of participants in a complex contractual structure, and most of those are one off developments which makes it difficult to compare costs. Both internationally and in the UK we have seen examples of corruption and bad practice which have all contributed to the negative public image of the professions, and any breakdown of trust and integrity can cost lives and is bad for business. Ethical behaviour and legal behaviour are not the same, good ethics equals good business. There is a suggestion that we have a weakness in our professional education and that ethical training should become a professional requirement for practitioners and clients of construction. The CIOB would welcome such a move and calls for international professional standards of ethics and a change in behaviour of the industry; backed up by stronger legislation and greater transparency.” In the long tradition of this event a variety of distinguished guests, fellows and members attended the evening joining Principal Guest Speaker Boris Johnson MP, the current Shadow Secretary of Higher Education A full copy of Allan McMullen CIOB President’s Annual Dinner speech can be found on the CIOB website at www.ciob.org.uk 8. Cut the VAT campaign encourages carbon reduction CIC is encouraging its members to sign up to the ‘Cut the VAT’ online petition, having supported the campaign for several years. The campaign aims to secure a reduced rate of VAT for encouraging carbon reduction through energy efficient repair, maintenance and improvement on domestic building work The European Union is now giving the UK Government an opportunity to apply such a reduced rate, provided that the application is made by 31 March 2006. The 'cutthevat' campaign team aims to put the maximum amount of pressure possible on the Chancellor in advance of the Budget on 22 March 2006 to persuade him to make the change. Part of this campaign is an online petition, which can be found at www.cutthevat.co.uk. CIC hopes that its members and other supporters will sign the petition and forward the link on to as many people as possible 9. Richard Saxon delivers controversial talk on the future of the architectural profession For further information or to view a full transcript of the lecture visit http://www.riba.org/go/RIBA/Member/Practice_305.html 10. Events |
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