The Specialist - May 2011

The Specialist the voice of the National Specialist Team MAY 2011 ISSUE 5

A sustainable chief executive The Association of Interior Specialists (AIS) has appointed David Frise as their new chief executive.

He was founding chairman of the Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Sustainability initiative between the Electrical Contractors’ Association and the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association, and has been a member of the Strategic Forum for Construction SME Group.

“David takes over at a crucial time for the Association,” according to AIS President Martin Romaine.

“With a new strategic plan imminent and membership continuing to rise, his appointment demonstrates our continued commitment to the sustainability agenda”

As AIS chief executive, he will be responsible for the development and implementation of the body’s long and short-term strategies to benefit members and the industry, maintaining high profile representation and lobbying with key stakeholders both outside and within the organisation.

David Frise has been voted one of the top 10 most influential people in the building services industry, after more than 20 years spent running specialist contracting and renewable energy businesses.

Speaking about his new role Frise said: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to lead the AIS, working with colleagues and building on the success of the team to continue to deliver outstanding value to the membership.”

He became a Board member of SummitSkills (the Sector Skills Council for the building services engineering sector) in June 2010, and is a regular speaker on sustainability issues.

What’s inside: 02 Mapei launches latest professional development seminar

05 A sound base for industry development

02 Managing the industries of the future

05 Apprentice success is reward for Training Group

03 Tackling skills gaps in the built heritage sector

06 Heritage roofing apprenticeship gets started

04 NSAC to offer NVQ in Chimney Engineering

07 Mapei opens new UK training centre

10 Virtual demolition at state-of-the-art training centre 11 Collaboration wins in update of qualification assessments 12 Fit for the Future

08 So much to reap from sowing today 04 Training through the recession

09 Matrix award recognises NSAC’s effectiveness

The Specialist Issue 05 | May 2011

Mapei launches latest professional development seminar West Midlands-based adhesives and chemical building products company, Mapei, has added a fifth continuing professional development (CPD) seminar to its collection of Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) accredited presentations.

According to Mapei’s specification co-ordinator, Perveen Kumari, the seminars are presented in person, often at lunchtime, by company personnel.

“Since 2008, we have delivered over 400 seminars to architectural practices nationwide.”

RIBA insists that all architects complete at least 35 hours of CPD a year in order to maintain their competence, and rigorously assesses all materials used in CPD training.

“We provide material samples and handouts, but aren’t allowed to discuss products in the seminars themselves. That is all part of the RIBA accreditation, and gives the training sessions credibility.”

Mapei’s new 45 minute seminar on ‘Epoxy Resin and Cementitious Flooring’ provides architects (and quantity surveyors, contractors and structural engineers) with guidance on the specification of high performance functional and decorative floor coatings. It joins the company’s existing suite of CPD presentations on fast-track screeds, sub-floor preparation, avoiding ceramic tiling failures, and effective waterproofing.

The new seminar defines product types and application examples, reviews current British Standards, identifies construction techniques for the optimum finish and demonstrates successful projects.

Companies in scope to ConstructionSkills can claim for attending these seminars.

For further information contact: Perveen Kumari on 0121 508 6970 or e-mail p.kumari@mapei.co.uk.

Managing the industries of the future Six managers with Cameron Industrial Services (CIS) have recently achieved NVQ Level 4 in Construction Site Management with the National Specialist Accredited Centre (NSAC).

CIS is a construction company, based in Liverpool, and part of the Kinetics Group. Their work is focused on improving the energy performance of social housing through the retro-fitting of proven energy-saving devices, such as double glazing and insulation products.

This work is normally undertaken on behalf of local authorities and housing associations - customers who are committed to ensuring that all their suppliers, from installers to managers, are appropriately skilled.

Kinetics took the decision to enter the renewable energy market in 2009, having recognised that the dynamics of this market will be transformed over the next decade.

Kinetics also received full accreditation from Investors in People in 2010.

Pictured L-R are Mark Robertson, Geoff Whatton; Gary Robinson, Neil Wignall, Gareth Denton, Antony Goddard and Group assistant training manager John O’Brien.

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Tackling skills gaps in the built heritage sector With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, a Traditional Building Skills Bursary Scheme is helping to fill skills gaps in the built heritage sector in England and Wales.

So far 114 trainees have taken part in this scheme, with 83% of them continuing to work in the sector after their training. Over a third gained an NVQ Level 3 Heritage Skills and a CSCS card, benefiting the sector, contractors and the trainees alike.

Dreadnought Tiles, for example, took on Stephen Parson architectural ceramics trainee to develop his ability to produce ornamental tiles. Director Alex Patrick-Smith, says: “We have struggled to find people with the right skills to ensure we can continue producing these bespoke items. Taking on a bursary trainee – and subsequently employing him – has enabled us to pass these precious skills on within the business.”

The scheme is also adding diversity to the sector. “Our trainees come from a wide variety of backgrounds,” says scheme manager Clara Willett, “including a dental nurse and computer technician. There are quite a number who want a change of career, and as there is no age limit for the scheme, this is of great benefit.”

“We are also pleased that 15% of our trainees are women, compared to just 2% working in manual trades in the wider construction industry.”

Lois Raine is one of the trainees. She is a painter and decorator who says: “Because of the range of techniques and materials I’ve used on the placement, the bursary has given me the opportunity to extend my skills in ways that would not otherwise have happened.”

The current scheme will run until December 2011, so there is still time for contractors to act as placement providers and individuals to apply for bursary placements.

To find out more, go to

www.buildingbursaries.org.uk or contact Clara Willett at

clara@buildingbursaries.org.uk or by phone on 01442 890756.

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The Specialist Issue 05 | May 2011

NSAC to offer NVQ in Chimney Engineering After more than 30 years in the industry, Tony Billings knows a thing or two about chimneys.

And now he can pass his knowledge on having been registered by the National Specialist Accredited Centre (NSAC) as one of its first assessors for NVQ Level 2 Chimney Engineering.

Tony, who is managing director of Billing Chimney and Flue Services based in Ringwood, Hampshire, recently attended NSAC’s two day Assessor Training Course. Since then he has been working with Fred Earl (NSAC Internal Verifier) who is supporting Tony in achieving his A1 Assessors Award Qualification.

He currently has two students under his wing.

Billings is a specialist in chimney linings. “What we do is a mystery” says Tony, “as inevitably much of our work is hidden from view. But at the end of the day, a fire is only as good as the installation of the flue.”

The company constructs new chimneys and flues and also carries out restoration and conservation work on sensitive projects. The market is buoyant, Tony says, with growing domestic interest in wood-burning stoves, and a desire by organisations such as The National Trust and English Heritage to restore buildings to their original condition.

CITB-ConstructionSkills Grants may be available for in-scope registered companies wishing to train to NVQ achievement.

For further details on registering or gaining the Chimney Engineering NVQ Qualification please contact NSAC on 0300 456 5561.

Training through the recession Would you want a roofer to fit your electrics? Or do your plumbing?

Probably not – and with good reason. So should plumbers be fitting solar panels to roofs? Or electricians fitting photovoltaic cells?

‘Green’ roofing and heritage roofing are among the growth areas of the industry – today and in the future that Brian Wharton says businesses should be investing in now, despite the recession.

Brian, who is group training officer for the North West Independent Roofing Group, says: 04

“When economic times are tough is precisely the time to keep investing in the talents of our people, to maintain the skill level of the industry.”

Last year Brian’s group delivered over 900 days of training and has a 1000 day target for 2011. Cutting back on training is, he believes, “totally misguided as it takes three years to train a useful apprentice”.

“We need to be training the younger generation – and not only in craft skills, but also in supervisory skills, in health and safety, in asbestos awareness. They are the future of the construction industry in the North West.”

A sound base for industry development

Successful NCQ2 candiates with (left to right): Clive Mitchell (ConstructionSkills), Levi Cross, Benjamin Gillway, Jamie Williams, Mathew Preston, John Denton, Helen McGachie (FeRFA CEO) and Alan Wemyss (ConstructionSkills).

“Seven years ago, skilled operatives had no route to gain a qualification as the NVQ did not exist” says Helen McGachie, CEO of resin flooring association FeRFA.

and together they mean that all specialist contractors in this sector are now able to qualify their operatives through recognised apprenticeships.

Now, almost 80% of FeRFA members have qualified operatives, and in November, the first group of candidates to complete their apprenticeship in Surface Preparation and Profiling received their NVQ Level 2 awards.

Tracey Glew, managing director of The Preparation Group said: “After working extensively with FeRFA and lobbying over the past seven years to gain recognition for Surface Preparation as a specialist skill area, we are delighted that four of our employees have achieved their qualifications.”

This Specialist Apprenticeship Programme was launched two years ago following the success of the In Situ Resin Flooring scheme. Both have been developed by FeRFA and CITB-ConstructionSkills,

“Training is a top priority for FeRFA,” Helen McGachie says. “We believe that everyone who goes on site should be appropriately qualified enabling them to hold the right card for the skill they undertake.”

Apprentice success is reward for Training Group In December, the Steeplejack and Lightning Protection Training (SLPTG) Group celebrated the qualification success of their apprentices by inviting them and their employers to an award ceremony at CITB- ConstructionSkills’ National Construction College Bircham Newton.

The SLPTG has put a sustained effort over a number of years into improving steeplejack completions which, combined with a closer working relationship with the National Construction College at Bircham Newton has resulted in a 100% completion rate for lightning conductor and steeplejack apprentices.

Group Chairman, Colin Sanders, says: “The recent success demonstrates that the hard work over the past five years is finally paying off, and the industry should be applauded for investing the time and effort in training and qualifying engineers for the future.”

Pictured L-R are Colin Sanders (SLPTG Chairman) and John Amos.

“But in today’s climate we need to continue this trend and keep the momentum going. We need to recruit young people, offer them apprenticeships, appropriate training and a career structure, to improve the quality of our workforce in all areas and ensure we, as an industry, are ready for the future.”

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The Specialist Issue 05 | May 2011

Heritage roofing apprenticeship gets started The first Heritage Specialist Apprenticeship Programme (HSAP) in roof slating and tiling is now up and running.

Richard Jordan of Jordan Heritage Roofing developed the training specification for the programme in conjunction with the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), other leading industry experts and CITB-ConstructionSkills’ National Specialist Team staff.

“I’ve been shocked by how little people understand about how different traditional roofing is to modern roofing,” Richard says, “and the damage you can cause to traditional buildings unless you do things properly.”

“For example, before 1830, tiles were handmade and slates were random. Nails were at a premium, so tiles were fixed with wooden or bone pegs. Using modern materials and techniques on an old building is like putting an electronic ignition on a Model T Ford. It might work. But it’s not right and it won’t last.”

The heritage sector is a major opportunity for experienced roofers with the necessary additional skills and knowledge. Work on the conservation, repair and maintenance of traditional (pre-1919) buildings in England was worth £5.3 billion in 2010.

This modular HSAP programme provides a flexible, step-by-step approach to develop the fundamental knowledge and practical skills necessary to work on traditional roofs. It includes 30 days off-the-job training with Richard at Mike Fildes South Coast Roof Training Centre in Littlehampton, West Sussex. Trainees are also registered for the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Heritage Skills, so will gather evidence in their workplace over the following 12 months.

Grant support of £3,800 is available in the 2010/11 grant year for employers and their employees registered with CITB-ConstructionSkills.

“Getting this programme off the ground would not have been possible without the generosity of the roofing industry,” says Alan Wemyss, SAP Manager with CITB-ConstructionSkills’ National Specialist Team. “With continued industry support we look forward to more of these programmes being delivered across the UK to benefit heritage roofing.”

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For further information on current Specialist Apprenticeship Programmes, locations and dates and details of registration please contact Kathryn Lowe on 0300 456 5547 or email Kathryn.lowe@cskills.org.

Mapei opens new UK training centre Mapei UK has recently opened a purpose-built training centre at its headquarters in Halesowen.

This extensive new facility includes individual practical areas, a demonstration zone and a theory suite, where trainees can build their core competences in both products and techniques.

Product training includes theory and practical sessions on: • sub-floor and wall and floor preparation • general preparation for tile types • product classifications.

All of the training is delivered by Mapei’s in-house accredited trainers, and is free of charge. The demonstration centre is up to industry standard and is also available for use by NVQ-certified academies.

“We strongly believe in professional development,” says Chris Myatt, Training Manager at Mapei, “and will continue to make all of our training free. By extending the practical element of our courses, trainees can expand their current skills by using the latest products and techniques while they are training.”

To book a place on a training course contact Mapei’s Marketing Department on 0121 508 6970 option 4 or email uktraining@mapei.co.uk.

And although the training is free of charge, CITB-ConstructionSkills may still be available to inscope registered companies. For further details call

0844 844 0046.

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The Specialist Issue 05 | May 2011

So much to reap from sowing today

Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of new work will be available to the construction industry insulating domestic and commercial properties under the coalition government’s ‘Green Deal’, due to begin in autumn 2012.

There are said to be over 7 million privately owned properties in the UK constructed with solid walls that need insulating externally to bring them up to the required standards of thermal performance.

Current levels of labour within the External Wall Insulation (EWI) sector cannot meet the demand set by government. So, in January, in order to combat this, INCA launched the first Specialist Apprenticeship Programme for new entrants to the industry. Three more programmes are scheduled for later in the year.

The two year programme has been developed in conjunction with CITB-ConstructionSkills’ National

Specialist team, and is aimed at growing the industry’s competent workforce.

The apprenticeship will be delivered in modules with a mix of formal instruction off-site and supervised on-the-job training covering every aspect of the EWI trade and will result in an NVQ Level 2 in Insulating and Building Treatments (Construction) and a CSCS card in External Wall Insulation.

Mike Threadgold, chairman of the INCA Training Committee, said: “The ability of the EWI sector to meet increasing consumer demand is dependent on companies continuing to invest in their people. The new INCA Specialist Apprenticeship Programme will be at the forefront of training tomorrow’s workforce as we look to offer a competent and qualified workforce to our clients. With a potential ten-fold increase in installations of EWI every year, this is an exciting time for the industry and there has never been a better time for newcomers to get involved.”

Pictured L-R are Peter Diffey (ConstructionSkills Apprentice Officer), Lee Threadgold and Tom Rowan (Renocon), Keiron Askew (Astley), Jason Hodges (Joyner), Dean Munroe (EWS), David Harrison (INCA Chairman), Bill Bailey (NSCC Training Co-ordinator) and Mike Threadgold (INCA Trainer).

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Matrix award recognises NSAC’s effectiveness Matrix is the ‘kitemark’ for organisations that provide good information, advice and guidance in the spheres of training delivery.

The Matrix award is a national quality framework, backed by government funding agencies. It is used to measure the level of service and support training organisations provide and the National Specialist Accredited Centre (NSAC) has achieved the standard with flying colours.

NSAC helps specialist sectors of the construction industry to engage with training, either through specialist apprentice programmes or the VQ assessment route. During 2010 it had to compile evidence about its performance in areas such as phone and word of mouth communications. This was then reviewed by the Matrix awarding body, who also interviewed 23 clients and 12 internal staff.

The assessor’s conclusion was that: “Although a small training provider, NSAC have developed an effective and successful model of support that enables its clients to achieve their goals and progress in a variety of areas. NSAC is a highly proactive and responsive organisation, committed to identifying and meeting the needs of individuals on an ongoing and sustained basis through bespoke training solutions.”

Tim Blackman, who is the manager of NSAC, says he was really proud that the centre met the standard. “Matrix is a good practice standard that encourages good communication and also good listening. This is very important to us in developing our partnerships with trade associations and federations and also when dealing with companies and individuals for their training requirements.”

“It is a recognition of our efforts to make things transparent, telling people what they are letting themselves in for and what they might get – good and bad – so that they can make informed decisions.”

Pictured L-R are Steve Hyatt and John Parkes.

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The Specialist Issue 05 | May 2011

Virtual demolition at state-of-the-art training centre

“You can learn more in two hours here than you can in two months on site,” claims CITB-ConstructionSkills’ training advisor, Martin Morrell, of the ACT-UK Simulation Centre in Coventry.

ACT stands for Advanced Construction Technologies, and this is a virtual reality training centre. But that doesn’t mean screens and 3D glasses. It means it is almost real – with replica environments, role play, live actors and genuine situations.

The centre was recently used by the National Demolition Training Group (NDTG) to help a group of demolition managers improve their self-awareness, empathy, communication skills and leadership qualities, as part of an industry-assessed training scheme run by the National Federation of Demolition Contractors (NFDC).

Working from replica site cabins, participants had to deal with real life problems such as resolving

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disputes between contractors and foremen, complaints from local residents and visits from the emergency services, while the phone was ringing and they had a day job to get on with.

Sophie Francis, NDTG training manager, says: “The programme has been a huge success - informative, relevant, and most of all enjoyable - helping individuals to expand their knowledge and skills.

We are hoping to run a further eight intakes of this project during 2011.”

Following the success, the NDTG also intends the programme to be a permanent addition to the CCDO/CSCS Card Scheme.

Although this course was designed specifically for demolition managers, Martin Morrell says that the ACT-UK approach could be applied to any sector of the construction industry and could help everyone to work and communicate more effectively on site.

Collaboration wins in update of qualification assessments When plant maintenance apprentices are nearing the end of their training, they complete Global On-Line Assessments (GOLA).

replaced 38. We feel that the question bank is now up-to-date and in line with today’s terminology and working practices.”

According to Roger O’Brien, plant maintenance apprentice programme manager at Reaseheath College in Nantwich “Over the last 4 years I have been involved in the delivery and assessment of the CAA/ City and Guilds intermediate and advanced technical certificate at Reaseheath College. On numerous occasions apprentices have stated that the end course GOLA test has some bizarre, and in their minds incorrect questions contained in it. These issues were raised at the quarterly meetings held by the Plant Trainers Forum and rectified.”

The CPTF includes representatives from the industry, the National Construction College (NCC) and the 11 other further education colleges that provide plant maintenance training and everyone seems happy with the result.

John Hallows, plant and equipment training advisor with CITB-ConstructionSkills’ National Specialist team says: “The GOLA assessments had not been reviewed since 2002 – and were in need of updating.”

Roger and John are members of the Construction Plant Trainers Forum (CPTF), which was asked by City and Guilds to look at the assessments.

Roger says “We reviewed approximately 540 questions covering Levels 2 and 3. We also modified 154 and

City & Guilds has said: “The collaboration between ourselves and the CPTF has allowed a successful review of the online assessments to take place.”

Colin Bray from National Construction College (NCC) describes it as “a very worthwhile exercise” that, according to John Hallows “has also produced a very good relationship with City & Guilds. We have now jointly established a system of on-going five-yearly reviews.”

In the near future, the CPTF will be looking at updating the apprenticeship syllabus, and discussions are also underway with major equipment manufacturers with regard to the possible provision of components to be used by colleges during apprentice training.

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The Specialist Issue 05 | May 2011

Fit for the Future “‘Interior Systems’ can sometimes get confused with Interior Design. People think of soft fabrics, fluffy cushions and designers such as Laurence LlewelynBowen” says CITB-ConstructionSkills’ training adviser Martin Driver. “The interiors we are talking about involve the installation of suspended ceilings, partitions and raised access flooring mostly used on commercial projects such as schools, hospitals and office buildings”.

‘Fit for the Future’ can be viewed on the AIS and bConstructive websites, and on YouTube at:

http://www.ais-interiors.org.uk/training-2/ careers-in-interior-systems/

A new film called fit for the future describes the industry and the careers available in it has been produced by the Association of Interior Specialists (AIS) and CITB-ConstructionSkills, to encourage new entrants into the sector.

The video features a diverse range of AIS contractor members talking about the industry and why they feel it presents a great career opportunity. One thing they all have in common is an obvious passion for what they do and the industry they are in.

Bill Brown, project manager for the National Specialist Team says: “Working with AIS shows the importance of collaboration between CITB-ConstructionSkills and trade associations for the benefit of their sector. We are sure that the content of the video and up-to-date style in which the information is presented will appeal to many people and encourage them to consider a career in interior systems.”

“It was great to see how quickly apprentices can progress for example. Site supervisor Evelyn Bizoola provides a tremendous role model. She is currently involved in monitoring health and safety on the Olympics site for the company who took her on as an apprentice.”

If you would like to give us any feedback on this newsletter or any of our services, please contact National Specialist Team:

0300 456 5557 National Specialist Accredited Centre:

0300 456 5561

11/045/002(03/11)

If you would like to register for an e-version of this newsletter please complete the form online at www.cskills.org/specialistsignup

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