Issues

Building on skills and training in the construction industry

CITB chief CITB-Construction Skills NI is working to make the sector more competitive and ready for recovery.

Skills and training are the central core of our business. We at CITB-ConstructionSkills NI understand the importance of training and the positive effects it can have both internally and externally. We also are aware of the current economic climate and in these hard times training is not always at the top of the business agenda. Ultimately, CITB-ConstructionSkills NI’s aim is to invest in industry skills and training to make businesses competitive, now and in the future.

For the best part of 50 years, CITB-ConstructionSkills NI has been working with the construction industry to meet its skills and training needs. Now, in the depths of the downturn, it is essential that we continue to support the industry in developing the highly skilled professionals it needs to meet the immediate challenges and prepare for the future.

Qualifications

It is important to get the industry qualified to the appropriate standard. If we are to be globally competitive, we must enhance the skills of our people at all levels. It is vital that employers and their staff continue to train through these challenging economic times and this is even more important for the construction sector. This has been demonstrated through the ‘Qualifying the Existing Workforce’ project which will qualify 500 currently unqualified construction workers to NVQ Level 2 and has been extended into 2014.

This project, a joint initiative between CITB-ConstructionSkills NI and the Joint Council for the Building and Civil Engineering Industry is funded by the Department for Employment and Learning. The ‘Qualifying the Existing Workforce’ project is a great opportunity for construction employees to be qualified and be ahead of the game. We encourage construction workers to sign up and claim their free qualification not only to help themselves but also the local industry.

Nine assessment centres have been awarded the contract to assess the candidates across the whole of Northern Ireland. Thirty-seven occupations are available through the project ranging from brick laying to wall and floor tiling and registration is currently open. There are three routes available for obtaining the qualification (portfolio building, on-site assessment and experienced worker).

For full details of qualifications available and a list of the assessment centres log on to www.citbcsni.org.uk and follow the links for Free NVQs.

Sustainable Construction

With green technologies and environmental changes leading the way to the future, CITB-ConstructionSkills NI recently sent the first of two groups of construction workers to Bieberach in Germany to learn more about sustainable construction methods, renewable energy and environmental standards. The ‘Building Skills for Sustainable Construction’ project is organised by CITB-ConstructionSkills NI and funded by the European Commission’s Leonardo programme, which is managed by Ecorys in the UK.

Government targets for more sustainable homes as well as higher demand from customers mean that the skills provided through this training programme are vital for those working in the industry and it is this practical experience that will give participants the opportunity to progress in their current roles or to develop their own business to incorporate energy efficient buildings.

The second group of 15 construction workers will travel to Bieberach in October to complete the same programme, and following the initial success of the project funding has been secured for another 30 places on the programme for 2014 and the recruitment process for these participants will commence later this year.

Heritage

CITB-ConstructionSkills NI has also been working hard to maintain and develop skills in the heritage sector. Funding was received from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through its Skills for the Future Programme to continue and expand on work to sustain and develop traditional skills in the local built heritage sector.

The HLF funding helped expand the skills base in this specialist sector of the construction industry by providing 10 work-based training placements with experienced practitioners working on traditional (pre-1919) buildings. It also funded four heritage ambassadors to act as mentors to the trainees and as advocates to promote traditional building skills and this programme throughout the province. Further funding support of £368,000 has been secured through HLF for the Heritage Specialist Apprenticeship Programme in Wood Occupations in Northern Ireland. 12 apprentices will receive bespoke, structured training and assessment leading to the achievement of the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Heritage Skills (Construction) – Wood Occupations. The apprentices will receive both on and off the job training with experienced heritage contractors and the training programme is expected to commence in September 2014.

Interested parties can keep up to date with the progress and development of these skills projects at www.citbcsni.org.uk or by ‘liking’ CITB-ConstructionSkills NI on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CITBConstructionSkillsNI

CITB Construction Skills NI

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