CECACommunicates

Issue 59 April 2009

CECA is the first representative body to release data from a nation-ally conducted training survey attempting to quantify if the current economic downturn is having an effect on members’ training activity. After a poor take up of places offered on its 2009 Managing the Future course, CECA decided to investigate members’ training plans. In 2008 the Managing the Future course was delivered eight times and, in most cases, the course were oversubscribed. The lack of take up was seen as a possible indicator of reluctance by employers to commit to training activities during the current downturn.

Joe Johnson, CECA’s Director of Training, designed a survey to reveal the true extent the downturn was having on training activity. Explaining his rationale, he said; “It is usually stated by ‘those in the know’ that training is always the first aspect of a business to feel pressure in a

downturn, but I could find no data on the matter. I decided that now would be a good time to measure any drop off in training and find out what the reality is on the ground, whether that be good or bad.”

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In This Issue:

Chairman’s Column Page 2Regional Focus Page 3-5Lord Young page 6Mark Farrar page 8

Member News Page 9Technical Apprentices Page 10Director’s Column Page 11Future Training Courses Page 12

Training Bulletin

Companies;increasing the number of training days

maintaining the number of training days

decreasing the number of training days

24% 23%

52%

a breakdown of companies’ training in 2009, full results inside

CECA survey reveals training commitment

77% of companies will maintain or increase training provision this year.

Response to the survey was excellent. Over 100 companies responded to the survey, roughly a third of CECA’s member-ship. Respondents were asked to compare the amount of training they conducted in 2008 with their plans for 2009 and were also asked about their commitment to the train-ing of apprentices. Responses were received from all CECA regions and from member companies of all sizes. The results are a good indicator of the effect the downturn is having on training activities across all CECA members.

The key findings of the survey are shown in the graphs accom-panying this article. Commenting on the findings Joe Johnson

...continues on page 7Barhale staff putting their skills to use on site

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CHAIRMAN’S

Civil Engineering Contractors Association

55 Tufton StreetLondon

SW1P 3QL

Tel: 020 7227 4620Fax: 020 7227 4621enquiries @ceca.co.uk

Column

Since the last Training Bulletin there seems to have been some pessimism from various sections of the press, and the construction industry in general,

that the economic downturn will have a negative impact on the amount of training that construction companies will be willing to undertake in 2009. The mantra at times such as these always seems to be that training will be the first part of any company to feel the tightening of the fiscal belt. CECA certainly got that impression early in the year when three of the first four Managing the Future courses planned for 2009 had to be cancelled due to lack of numbers. Next to suffer were the Level 3, 4 and 5 NVQ Support Programmes that had been planned for the Midlands, all of which suffered from poor bookings. As these courses were all oversubscribed in 2008 and were well received by all who attended them, it seemed to be the case that the “harbingers of doom” were correct.

All this was of concern to CECA; now is the time employers should be encouraging and supporting their employees to increase and refresh their skills. There is a need to retain skilled employees to ensure that demand can be met when order books start to recover. Whilst there may not be enough ‘work’ for managers and skilled manual employ-ees to undertake, the ‘spare’ time they have can be used to allow them to attend training courses. It may be that a junior manager has recently been struggling with managing larger, more complex, projects than they have been asked to deliver in the past. This could be the perfect time for them to attend a course that will develop their project and time management skills. There may be new pieces of plant that are due to come on stream in a few months’ time, so now would be the ideal time for plant operators and maintain-ers to visit the manufacturers, find out the technical details and ensure that when the plant arrives it can be quickly and efficiently introduced into service. Office staff could also need to refresh their skills if the company has recently upgraded computer software, for example from Microsoft

Office 2003 to 2007. The economic downturn can provide an opportunity for staff members to take that course that they were always “too busy” attend.

CECA was so concerned about a reduction in training and the negative impact it could have that Joe Johnson, CECA’s Director of Training, designed a short, easy to complete survey that would indicate if CECA members were intending to reduced their training activity. The detailed results are discussed on the front page of this Training Bulletin and the headline figures are very encouraging.

To see that the majority of CECA members are committed to their current training and apprenticeship programmes is good news for the industry. Civil engineers, it would seem, can see the benefit of training and have no intention of tak-ing their foot of the training pedal. This commitment offers encouraging signs that skilled and competent workers will still be involved in the industry when workloads pick up.

Successful apprentices mature quickly into highly competent supervisors and they are ultimately the managers of the future. Training provides workers with new competencies and cutting edge knowledge, ensuring a business remains competitive. To reduce apprenticeships and training levels now would store up a skills shortage, not only for a company but for the sector in general.

The data revealed by CECA’s Training Survey has not been collected before in such detail and I applaud and thank all those members who took the time to take part in the survey. With over 100 responses the survey appears to have been well received and easy to complete. It is highly probable that CECA will conduct a very similar survey in the early part of 2010. This will ensure that CECA is at the forefront of ensur-ing that decisions about the funding of training and findsings are targeted and based on reliable and robust data.

Kevin BennettChairman, CECA People and Resources Committee

Kevin Bennett discusses the effect of the downturn on training, and explains that maintaining training programmes

is vital for the industry.

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In retrospect 2008 has been a year of diverse training initiatives and innovation for CECA (Y&H). This is in addition to the continued provision of civils training selected from our menu of 70 courses and workshops and to the continued support for the Civils Training Group (CTG).

CECA (Y&H) members continue to place great importance on training their people to develop their businesses and they make a significant contribution to the development of training in the region.

The Management Committee regularly reviews past and proposed training and develops ideas for future courses. Member companies will contribute to such training by providing specialist tuition or other resources. An outstanding example of this last year was the CECA Graduate/Supervisor Programme. This truly challenges the view that “committees can’t bake buns”. The programme was made up of five one day modules – Setting Out, Concrete & Aggregates and Asphalt for Beginners, Basic Planning, Safety & Environmental Management and Contractual Overview (JCT, ICE and NEC). Apart from the latter module, all were presented by member companies: Clugston Construction, CEMEX, BAM Nuttall and Black and Veatch. The delegate feedback was excellent in respect of practical application, tuition and content. This programme will be in our Management/Graduate courses for 2009/10 and is now attracting M&SDP Funding and Train 2Gain Enhancement Funding. It also qualifies for a CITB-ConstructionSkills Training Plan Grant.

CECA (Y&H) has also joined forces with ConstructionSkills (Y&H), the FMB and NFB over a Business Improvement Programme, also supported by M&SDP Funding. The programme began with a one day business diagnostic where participating companies identified their areas of strength and weakness. This was then followed by a choice of two types of programme to improve business performance (and the opportunity to collect IiP recognition on the way). The Leadership and Management Diagnostic Tool was also made available to those enroled on the programme. This is a tailored computer based survey which identifies individual training needs within the business and organisational trainging issues. For example it will show where a company identifies a skill as necessary for a job but no-one holding that job has it. This was followed up by free funding of much of the training needs identified in the process. The whole process was supported by advisory staff helping with interpretation of results and identifying resources for meeting the training needs. There was heavy demand from the Federations for this programme and the Diagnostic Tool is now available for purchase by other CECA/CTG members.

CECA (Y&H) was so impressed by the announcement of the Managing the Future Programme we did a quick poll and found we had sufficient demand to run the programme in our region for our members. This was another well received series of four management modules developed by BAM Nuttall (formerly Edmund Nuttall) 2-3 years ago with M&SDP funding.

Naturally our training programme has continued to meet demand for such courses as Safe Shoring of Trenches, Setting Out for Operatives/Supervisors, Detection of Underground Services, NEC Engineering Contract and other such skills and topics. In 2008 CECA (Training) planned 24 courses over 31 days with 31 companies booking 188 places giving 243 man-days training.

A new venture being planned is Supervisory and Management NVQs (levels 3,4 &5). CECA (Midlands) piloted a programme combining supporting training with assessment. Usually only the assessment is available, yet many people need training support to make the transition from one level to the next. This was a very successful pilot and our members have expressed an interest in local provision, so subject to promised funding being available we will collaborate with CECA (Midlands) to make this available

REGIONAL FocusYorkshire and Humberside offer training excellence

An example slide from the Cemex Concrete & Aggreagtes and Asphalt for Beginers presentation, part of the CECA Graduate/

Supervisor Programme

Barbara Graham, CECA (Yorkshire & Humberside) Training Manager, reviews the region’s training activities.

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CECA CommunicatesPage 4

at the turn of the year.

Recently environmental matters have risen very much to the fore as an industry issue. CECA (Y&H) has collaborated with the Yorkshire Safety Centre and with Envirowise in developing a seminar on Waste Management Plans (WMP) and a follow up seminar based on practical issues arising from their implementation. We have also collaborated with Groundwork which carried out a survey of what information and training members want relating to environmental issues. Apart from WMP’s, energy efficiency on site was a key issue and a workshop will be delivered by Groundwork in June.

Since its inception in 1999 CECA (Y&H) has fully supported the CTG. The CTG’s role has changed a great deal since then. Originally it majored in the provision of civils’ related courses. This is now more the role of CECA (Training) and the CTG focuses more on helping SMEs with their training plans, working towards IiP, apprenticeship programmes, OSAT, diversity and showcase events. Achievement of targets in these areas is rewarded with CITB-ConstructionSkills grant which helps defray salary and administration costs. Uniquely 95% of CTG members claim CITB-ConstructionSkills grants for their training. Equally uniquely, 95% of them have training plans, three quarters of whom find it beneficial to claim grant under the Training Plan Scheme.

The CTG meets quarterly with invited guest speakers and, where appropriate, ConstructionSkills specialists to keep us up to date on industry training schemes and related matters. The meetings can be very lively and anyone interested in finding out more about the group can ask Barbara Graham. (Contact at CECA (Y&H) for an invitation.)

The CTG and CECA (Y&H) both recognise the importance of attracting young and diverse groups to construction. Making contacts in schools can be extremely influential, especially where relationships become established and maintained, so CECA (Y&H) has provided positive support for the Construction Ambassadors Scheme. There are two routes onto the Scheme - professionals attend a two day programme and apprentice/craft people attend a one day presentational skills programme. Both courses equip the ambassadors to go into schools and help enthuse and inform pupils about construction and its range of career opportunities. Together with ConstructionSkills, CECA (Y&H) has organised one of each course for interested members.

CTG is equally keen to contribute and is developing events for pupils, linked to and culminating in a prize - a trip to Diggerland!

CECA created a Training Award for the CTG. This was

won by S&B Utilities amid fierce competition from other members. Three were shortlisted and the other two finalists were Construction Marine Ltd and Moortown Construction Ltd. The Judges, Rod Fry, Construction Director, Clugston Construction and Paul Hunter, Training Officer, North Yorkshire Construction Training Group were impressed by the very high standard of entries.

Having a small surplus available the CECA Management Committee decided to support Plant and Supervisory/Management Training through a CECA training grant. This recognises the high cost of plant training and of upgrading NVQs and CSCS cards to higher levels. CECA (Y&H) and CTG members have noted that other funding often missed these areas and it was a chance to reach the parts other funding rarely meets.

CECA (Y&H) is committed to supporting Apprenticeships, particularly those developed for civil engineering. ConstructionSkills has been taking steps to better meet the

REGIONAL FocusYorkshire and Humberside offers training excellence (con’d..)

An example slide from the Black and Veatch Environmental Management presentation, part of the CECA Graduate/

Supervisor Programme

Karen Blackwood and Keith Swales of S&B Utilities Ltd with Philip Bentley (Centre), Chairman, CECA (Y&H) receiving

the CTG Training Award

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needs of civil engineering in this respect and has developed a Level 3 Technician Apprenticeship. This can be attended on the conventional framework route or by the PLA route. Other developments include Formworking L2 (Leeds College of Building), General Construction Operations (Barnsley College and Leeds College of Building), Plant Maintenance to L3 and Highway Maintenance. CECA also fully supports efforts made to transfer those apprentices unlucky enough to be hit by the current economic climate.

As part of CECA (Y&H)’s continuing efforts to raise the profile of the civils construction industry a number of member companies presented a range of talks on aspects of the construction industry ranging from supply chain and procurement through planning, resource management, contractual and commercial awareness. CECA (Y&H) and Leeds University would like to thank BAM Nuttall, JN Bentley, Black and Veatch, Morrison Construction, Carillion Civil Engineering and Jackson Civil Engineering for their efforts in making the event such a success.

TRAINING News

The Women & Work – Sector Pathways Initiative was a project that aimed to raise new recruitment and career pathways for women in sectors with skills shortages where women are under-represented. The idea being to increase earning potential and aid career progression, along with sup-porting the retention of females in the construction industry’s by providing grants for training and personal devel-opment. The initiative was in response to recommendations by the Women & Work Commission’s report “Shaping a Fairer Future” and received govern-ment funding matched by employer contributions.

The Women into Work (NW) Construc-tion Group, in conjunction with ELEVATE East Lancashire and Wai Yin Chinese Women’s Society, has assisted 24 women employees of the company, both with internal/external and col-lege training courses, including NVQs, HNC Business and AAT Appraisals, to mention but a few. One major impact has been to enable the company to roll out a new accounting system with good training support made possible by the WIW. This has resulted in the up-skilling and efficiency of female staff members which has had the knock on effect of placing training higher up the agenda for the company overall.

We need the Government to remain

committed to providing and encourag-ing fundingin order that we and other companies can be more involved in rais-ing this issue in the North West.

The Eric Wright Learning Foundation provides training in construction related trades as part of GCSE programmes for students in the South Ribble and Chorley areas. We have held taster sessions for “Girls into Construction” with input from Connexions and ConstructionSkills with appropriate funding. Approximately 60 pupils from years 8/9 attended and thoroughly enjoyed the experi-ence. They spent three half days doing Brickwork, Joinery and Painting and Decorating.

As a result of these taster sessions we now have 11 girls enrolled onto the pro-gramme. Five are following the Young Apprenticeship Programme, doing the First Diploma in Construction which equates to 4 GCSEs grade A – C and this entails them spending one day in the workplace and one day in the Training Centre each week. The other six girls are following the Introductory Diploma in Construction.

Provided funding is available again through ConstructionSkills it is proposed to hold further taster days which obvi-ously had the desired effect of raising the profile of construction and encour-aging girls to come into the industry.

Gill Steele, Training Manager at the Eric Wright Learning Foundation, explains how the Sector Pathways Initiative is get-

ting women into the industry.

Taster days offer insight into industry Training helps Bardon Contracting deliver airport improvementsAs a company Bardon were very aware that one of the “High Risks” involved in their business was the possibility of persons or plant coming into contact with buried services.

Following this Bardon targeted training and a review of working procedures to cover operations near overhead and underground services with all opera-tives and contracting staff.

This commitment has recently paid great dividends. On a contract at Oxford Air-port; while carrying out bulk excavation works on the New Hanger 11 Scheme, all the correct procedures for buried ca-ble location were followed as required. As a result of training given the banks-man discovered a number of unknown service cables. These cables could have posed a serious risk had they not been identified by the banksman.

At all times the cables were treated as being live cables, later some were found to be redundant but others were found to be important airfield commu-nication or power supplies.

Bardon’s training commitment, as well as compliance with recomended pro-cedure and care, prevented possible injury through electric shock, the loss of communication and the interuption of the power supply to a busy airport.

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The recession of the 1990s saw a significant number of engi-neering apprenticeships lost as employers desperately sought

to cut costs. This short-term fix had long-term repercussions - when the upturn came, the industry suffered a dearth of skilled workers to fill the new jobs.

If the UK is to emerge stronger from the current economic downturn we must learn from the mistakes of the past.

Our challenge is two-pronged – to come up with solutions in the short-term, to weather the recession; and to think strategically in the long-term, to prepare for the upturn and avoid skills shortages.

We know the current economic climate has led to difficulties for the civil engineering sector, particularly SME companies, and I’m heartened that figures from a recent CECA survey indicate that despite the downturn, 65 per cent of member companies will either increase or maintain the number of ap-prentices they take on, and 77 per cent will be maintaining or increasing their training provision in 2009.

It’s a fact that companies who invest in training their workers are 2.5 times less likely to fail that those that don’t, so where possible we want employers to increase their commitment to training in response the recession; not scale back.

As a major part of the construction industry, skills shortages in the civil engineering sector will have a huge impact fur-ther down the line when the UK is unable to compete for contracts because of a lack of skilled workers.

We need to get the message across that training workers and taking on apprentices is vital, and that the Government is putting measures in place to help employers and workers.

The apprenticeships programme is a pivotal part of the wider Government strategy to boost employment pros-pects and strengthen the country’s competitiveness. It’s not overstating the fact to say that this government has rescued apprenticeships – ten years ago the programme was on its

knees with only 67,000 people taking them up, and just 20 per cent completing, but last year saw over a quarter of a million apprenticeship starts, with 66 per cent expected to complete. The scheme has proved so successful that the Prime Minister recently announced an extra £140m of investment on top of the £1bn we have already committed to the scheme by 2009/10 for an additional 35,000 training places.

Of course, taking on and training staff during an economic downturn can seem daunting, and this is precisely why we have brought in measures to support employers to take on apprentices. For example, we have reduced bureaucracy, and are supporting larger employers to train extra ap-prentices for their supply chain. And we have created the National Apprenticeship Service to drive the further expan-sion of apprenticeships.

There is also an important role for Sector Skills Councils and Industry Training Boards to play. The Engineering Construc-tion Industry Training Board offers apprenticeships and up-skilling programmes in 20 key engineering and technical skills areas vital to the engineering construction industry, and CITB-ConstructionSkills is examining a range of initiatives including Group Training Associations (GTAs) - long estab-lished in the engineering industry to support SMEs - and Host Employer apprenticeship models, to offer companies of all sizes flexible ways of taking on apprentices. We are cur-rently working with ConstructionSkills to introduce a training subsidy that will trial additional payments for employers and GTAs to take on redundant apprentices and commit to completion of the apprenticeship.

As well as providing support in skills and training, the Gov-ernment is supporting industry. Infrastructure projects such as Crossrail and the Olympics are benefitting greatly from continued Government investment, and in November’s Pre-Budget Report my Cabinet colleagues agreed to promote apprenticeships through new construction contracts. We want to ensure that successful contractors are providing access to apprenticeship places in the sector – both for ‘new’ ap-prentices, and for those who have lost their jobs elsewhere as a result of the downturn.

We also want to work with existing contractors and en-courage them to provide apprenticeship opportunities for

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Lord Young, Skills and Apprenticeship Minister, sets out the Government’s case for expanding apprenticeships and explains that CECA members

have a vital role to play.

“companies who invest in training their workers are 2.5 times less likely to fail than those that don’t”

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CECA Communicates Page 7

stated, “The fact that just over half of those who took part in the survey indicated that they will maintain the amount of the training they will carry out this year, with a quarter looking to increase the amount of training they will carry out in 2009, is great news. It suggests that members do see a benefit in training and see no need to make drastic cuts to training budgets. It is important that companies use any slowdown in the market to ensure their employees have their skills updated in readiness for the upturn. I was disappointed when the number enrolling for Managing the Future was so low. It appeared at first glance that training was being affected, but this seems not to be the case.”

The survey also revealed that in excess of half of the companies that responded employ apprentices. Of these companies 65% will be in-creasing or maintaining the number they employ in 2009. One in five of these companies will increase the number employed in 2009.

Joe Johnson added; “This survey is a real good news story and shows the vast majority of CECA members see the value of apprentices and are pre-pared to invest in their future. Apprentices are the future supervisors and managers of the industry and to guard against any future skills shortage at these levels it is vital for companies to prepare for this by training now.”

The survey also revealed that around a third of employers do not recruit apprentices and this is most prevalent amongst companies who have between 50 and 250 employees. CECA will carry out further investigations in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the reasons why some companies do not train apprentices and then work with ConstructionSkills to identify possible incentives that can be used to increase the number of apprentices being taken on.

their workforce. This is why, with the Office of Government Commerce, we will shortly publish new guidance on how apprenticeship requirements can be included in the procure-ment process.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and Skills Secretary John Denham recently announced a review of productivity and skills in the engineering construction sector to establish what more Govern-ment or industry can do to ensure British companies succeed in win-ning and delivering engineering construction contracts in an increas-ingly competitive sector.

We know there are major projects out there that will offer great opportunities for construction and engineering firms, for example, nuclear new build, rail and renewable energy

projects. We need to ensure that the Government and indus-try do whatever it takes to build productivity and improve skills to help put British firms in the best place to compete for contracts and reap the benefits of innovation.

I would like to see employers across all sectors join us in our ambition to see the UK a force to be reckoned with in the global economy, and I welcome CECA’s support in helping to promote the benefits of apprentices and skills training. By investing in the workforce of the future we can ensure we have the right people, in the right jobs, at the right time, but we can only succeed by working together.

Lord Young is the Skills and Apprenticeships Minister in the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).

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“there are major projects out there that will offer great opportunities for construction and engineering firms”

86% of members provided more than 50 training days in 2008

Companies;

increasing apprenticeships - 17%

keeping the number the same - 48%

decreasing apprenticeships - 35%

CECA survey reveals training commitment ...continued from front page

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To help meet the exceptional challenges facing the industry during this difficult time, ConstructionSkills h a s b ro u g h t t o ge t h e r a n Apprenticeship Programme Team to identify how, in its Sector Skills

Council role, it can develop solutions to safeguard skills for the future, for the entire sector.

The programme is already delivering the Apprenticeship Matching Service (AMS) on behalf of the industry, in conjunction with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the LSC. Currently, the service has more than 1,600 ‘displaced’ apprentices on its books, and a further 200 who are at risk of being unable to complete their training with their existing employer. The AMS team has already dealt with hundreds of employers and colleges to save more than 550 trainees, ensuring they can complete their training and are not lost to the industry.

Recent research by CECA has revealed that over half its 300+ members take on apprentices. Despite the downturn, two thirds of members expect to continue to invest in apprentices, with many even hoping to take on more in 2009. Yet the research also suggests we may see some increase in demand for the Matching Service from this sector – at the moment, we are aware of only 12 civil engineering apprentices having lost their employer.

This ongoing robust investment reflects an increasing recognition of technical apprenticeships as a recruitment route into civil engineering. This demand is likely to only increase too; the Construction Skills Network forecasts the sector will need to recruit an additional 3,500 workers over the next five years to deliver planned work.

Interest in technical apprenticeships remains strong on the supply side; every year ConstructionSkills receives hundreds of applications from young people throughout the UK seeking an employer to support them in this training. It is then vital that all measures that can help support employers continue to train are looked at.

To this end, ConstructionSkills’ Apprenticeship Programme is looking at a range of ways to help maintain and raise the level of apprentice training in construction in the short to medium-term:

a) The Qualifications Framework

We are reviewing the apprenticeship framework and

developing guidance on measures to be considered when dealing with a displaced apprentice, namely:

Development of options which will allow timely S/NVQ •completions Guidance on acceptable occupational transfers•Guidance on acceptable workplace simulation (by •exception only, for those entering the final stages of an apprenticeship)

b) Use of incentives to support employers who continue to take on apprentices and who take on redundant apprentices

We are in discussion with DIUS and the LSC on a range of measures to help employers who continue to take on apprentices during the downturn

c) Using intermediary solutions to take the “hassle” from employers

Two options are under discussion:Group Training Association Model (GTA) – encouraging •existing Training Groups to upgrade to a more structured approach and get involved in managing apprentices on behalf of their members; Employer-led model – using employers with the •capacity to do extra training on behalf of the industry to ‘over-train’ and use their supply chain to take on apprentices.

d) Employer Recognition Scheme

We are investigating an Employer Recognition Scheme to reward employers who are deemed to be ‘best in class’ with regard to the training of apprentices. We hope this would provide evidence to support the procurement process.

e) Public Sector Procurement

We have been talking to the Government for some time to encourage the use of public sector purchasing power to ensure the employment of apprentices is included at the contract stage. A commitment to this was made in the Pre-Budget Report in November 2008 and we are now working with DIUS to help roll this out.

ConstructionSkills continues to consult with industry on these proposals, with very positive feedback received to date. We are also actively engaged as members of John Denham’s Apprenticeship Taskforce to help secure Government commitment to new measures to support the industry.

For more information on the Apprenticeship Matching Service call 0844 875 0086 or visit www.cskills.org

Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of ConstructionSkills, explains the organisation’s work to safeguard skills and training during the downturn.

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CECA (Southern) and (South West) Training AwardsAs part of CECA’s initiative to raise awareness of the need to provide training and development for young people new to the industry, CECA (Southern) and (South West) will, once again, be making awards in the following categories:-

Most promising Apprentice•Most promising Trainee Civil Engineer – either Technician or Graduate•Most promising Trainee Quantity Surveyor•

Awards will be presented at the CECA (South West) Annual Lunch in Torquay on 2 October 2009 and the CECA (Southern) Annual Dinner in London on 4 November 2009. Further details of the awards, together with nomination forms, will be issued to members in June 2009.

People and Resources Chairman set to chair new ConstructionSkills group

BAM Nuttall Ltd’s national training manager, Kevin Bennett, is set to chair the newly merged Skills Forum and South East Area Advisory Committee for the construction industry, in a move set to make the regional group even more employer-focused. Kevin is also Chairman of CECA’s People and Resources Committee.

The newly formed South East Region Construction Skills Group (SERCSG) will influence national construction policy and priorities by providing advice and support to ConstructionSkills’ Strategic Partnership Panel. In particular, the new group will consider data about forecast skills’ needs and training provision, as well as providing recommendations about construction qualifications. It will review ConstructionSkills’ Sector Skills Agreement for the South East region and develop its own action plan, establishing links with policy makers in the region and promoting Construction Skills’ Network data as the most credible source for skills analysis.

Kevin’s appointment to chair the board will further CECA’s relationship with ConstructionSkills. Commenting on the appointment Kevin explained; “The Group allows contractors and other stakeholders to influence ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry. This will ensure that the regional and national sector skills agreements are accurate, implemented in a timely manner with shareholder funding to meet the skills gaps. This means we train the appro-priate numbers with the appropriate skills leading to a sustainable future. We will only hit the nail on the head if contractors lead these forums, bringing all the stakeholders together to meet the needs of our industry.”

Dyer & Butler address moving vehicle risk

In 2006/2007 the Health and Safety Executive reported 29 fatal accidents to employees struck by moving vehicles. Dyer & Butler felt that in order to ensure that site based employees were suit-ably equipped to deal with the hazards brought about by the movement of plant and vehicles a suitable training course was required.

After a thorough search for courses Dyer & Butler found those that were available varied in duration and con-tent and that the majority were not assessed. The “Take Control Vehicle Marshalling Course” offered by the National Construction College was the only one that Dyer & Butler believed met the high standards expected for training individuals in what is undoubt-edly a high risk activity.

The course is split between theory and practical sessions and includes both theoretical and practical assessments, -which not everyone passes! Having had a number of courses run by the college on Dyer & Butler sites at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted the company has teamed up with the College with a view to being able to deliver its train-ing course in-house. This is a first for both Dyer & Butler and the National Construction College. The course is cur-rently running and is delivered by Dyer & Butler’s in-house trainers and verified by the College.

The course teaches staff to recognise the importance of accepting and dis-persing vehicles in a safe and efficient manner in and around the work areas, wherever they may be. It also impresses on staff the need to recognise the sig-nificant risks and be able to give clear and precise signals to the operator of vehicles. Dyer & Butler feel that the course is a worthwhile investment. For further information please contact Hay-den Mead, Training Manager at Dyer & Butler or Colin Bray at the National Construction College.

MEMBER News

Dyer & Butler staff using skills developed on the National Construction College Vehicle Marshalling Course

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The current situationThe current economic climate provides challenges to every business sector, and construction is no different. Over the next five years the number of operatives currently needed within the civil engineering sector will see an overall reduc-tion of less than 1%.

Despite this levelling off of demand the longer-term pre-dictions denote strong growth for the industry and the civil engineering sector will still require an average of over 700 recruits annually to maintain the appropriate recruitment levels needed to deliver against the demand.

It is therefore imperative that industry learns the lessons from the last slump in the early 1990s and continues to train or risk facing a severe lack of skilled workers when the economic recovery begins.

Recruitment optionsEven before the recession every year thousands of young people who wanted to take up an apprenticeship were turned away due to the lack of businesses willing or able to offer a training placement; the recession has only com-pounded this problem.

For civil engineering firms however apprentices are becom-ing an increasingly attractive offer, the recession providing employers with time away from the frontline dealing with a busy order book - a reason so often given for not having time to invest in training. In addition with an apprentice, un-like a graduate trainee often favoured by civil engineering employers, grant support is available.

Every year ConstructionSkills receives applications from young people across the UK wishing to undertake a technical apprenticeship. The would-be apprentice follows a level 3 programme and studies a National Certificate in Construction and an NVQ level 3 in Construction Contracting Operations. The NVQ includes modules focusing on: Buying, Estimating, Planning and Surveying, providing a less formal route than the traditional recruitment of a graduate, into a career as a Quantity Surveyor, Site Manager or other highly skilled professions.

The Technical Apprenticeship route can be completed within two to three years and covers modules such as surveying in Construction and Civil Engineering, Environmental Science in Construction, Building Surveying in Construction as well as the mandatory units around preparing estimates, bids and tenders. If required the Technical Apprenticeship can provide the foundation for degree level study.

To undertake the apprenticeship applicants in most cases need to have a minimum of a grade C GCSE in Maths and English and to have successfully completed a selection test. The apprenticeship route provides a great alternative for a young person with the aptitude and ambition for a career in the sector but who doesn’t wish to incur the expense and time studying at university.

James Steele, 29, did a Technical Apprenticeship through ConstructionSkills at civil engineering firm McPhillips, based in Telford, West Midlands. He said:

“At school I was particularly keen on the idea of learning a trade on the job rather than doing a degree, so going down the Technical Apprenticeship route was exactly right for me. I successfully completed my NVQ Level 3 in Civil Engineering whilst at McPhillips. It was fantastic to have an opportunity to put my skills to use in an exciting job, and I believe that apprenticeships are a great option, for both young people and employers.”

Why take on an apprentice Apprentices can help a business respond to increased work-loads, providing a company with skilled, safe workers who understand the needs of their client base and work to their standards – vital in times as competitive as these.

Taking on apprentices demonstrates a commitment to train-ing and local employment often demanded by public sector contract conditions and an increasing number of clients. Such public sector contracts could prove a lucrative source of work over the next year or so, given the Government’s promise to bring forward a large amount of spending to help our battling sector. For smaller businesses, they can also offer the opportunity to think about long-term succession planning.

Investing in developing your staff also provides something more intangible but equally valuable - loyalty. An apprentice is the best place to start as they often remain with firms upon completion of their course, meaning you begin to build a loyal, skilled staff base who understand how you want them to work. Equally, retaining an existing apprentice means that time and money are not lost through frequent recruitment and employee induction.

James Steele said; “In the civil engineering sector there are many companies who take on both apprentices and gradu-ates. The benefit of the apprentice is that you can train them from a young age in the exact skills your business needs and their salary expectations are not as high as a graduates’. My technical apprenticeship has enabled me to become successful within the trade. During a recession a well trained extra pair

APPRENTICESHIP AdviceConstructionSkills, the sector skills council for the construction

industry, explains the value of a Technical Apprentice

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CECA Communicates Page 11

Construction is an industry that places people at the heart of eve-rything it does. It is very rare in our industrytofindcontractorswhodonot place a premium on training

because they know that highly skilled people are more likely tofindsatisfactionintheirworkandthereforearethekeytoasafeandefficientworkforce.

CECA plays a key role in facilitating contractors’ commitment to training. We build relationships with the organisations which provide training support to our industry and with the Government Departments who oversee them. At the centre of that relationship is the fact that our industry has a reputation for providing training to an ever-higher standard.

This relationship provides CECA and our members with a direct line to training policy as it is developed within Government. We can make our voice heard through these organsiations, as well as making sure we understand their aims and objectives. It is a genuine dialogue which ensures our members’ interests are understood.

ConstructionSkills, one of the bodies with whom we work closely, is the process of having its Sector Skills Council (SSC) licence renewed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). The UKCES took over from the Sector Skills Development Agency in April 2008 and has been tasked with re-licensing all SSCs to ensure they are addressing the industry’s needs. As part of this process ConstructionSkills has revised its Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) to reflectchanges in Government policy and the changing focus of the construction industry.

CECA developed its own version of the previous SSA to complement that of ConstructionSkills and to demonstrate our commitment to Qualifying the Workforce (QwF). When

this CECA – ConstructionSkills SSA was developed it was regarded best practice in how a SSA should be developed and the format was adopted as an exemplar to be used by other Federations who wished to follow our lead.

With ConstructionSkills having adopted a new format for its SSA with UKCES, CECA is again leading the way and has submitted a new supporting agreement to ConstructionSkills for approval. The new SSA has been approved by CECA’s People & Resources Committee and will be presented to UKCES in evidence ConstructionSkills use as part of the re-licensing application to demonstrate that it is working together with industry to address industry needs.

Although we no longer talk in terms of ‘qualifying the work-force’, the ethos of ensuring that construction employees have the skills they require to perform their role is still at the heart of the new SSA. There is a commitment to ensure all new entrants to the industry receive suitable and relevant train-ing when they take up their role and that this training and development is continued throughout their career.

We understand that the more you support your employees in their continuous professional development and skills training, the more likely you are to retain quality staff and recruit people of calibre. I believe that our ongoing work with ConstructionSkills will go a long way to make that easier for you to do this and to ensure that your efforts get the recognition they deserve.

Director, CECA National

of hands is invaluable and with CITB-ConstructionSkills Grant available to support this training an apprentice can represent real value for money to a business.”

We can help youSo, if you’ve struggled to find staff with the right skills, need an extra pair of hands, or would like to help secure the future of your business through training up a young person, a technical apprentice could be for you.

ConstructionSkills is ideally positioned to support you through the process of choosing the best apprentice to suit your business and we have access to the largest pool of the best local recruits. We will guide you through the process from beginning to end – leaving your business stronger and in a better position to face the future as a result.

For more information on ConstructionSkills Apprenticeship please contact your local ConstructionSkills office on 0344 994 4044 or visit www.cskills.org/apprenticeships

DIRECTOR’S Column

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Rosemary Beales, CECA Director, explains why CECA is developing a new Sector Skills Agreement

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Rosemary Beales (National Director)020 7227 4620

Joe Johnson (Training) 020 7227 4626

Phil Morgan (External Relations) 020 7227 4625

CECA (National) Contacts:

John Wilson (Technical and Environment)020 7227 4624

Alasdair Reisner (Industrial Affairs)020 7227 4629

Robert Jenkins (Communications)020 7227 4623

Laura Ellis (PA/Administrator)020 7227 4620

TRAINING UpdateSeminars from CECA (Southern) and (South West)

During the course of 2009 CECA (Southern) and (South West) will be running a total of 16 one-day seminars on com-mercial issues covering various aspects of the NEC Forms of Contract. The training is provided by Mark Bezzant, Director, Bezzant Ltd, who specialises in construction law and commercial matters and Mark is highly respected in the industry for his specialist knowledge and professional approach. These seminars, held at venues in both London and Bristol, are open to members of CECA (Southern) and (South West). The Bristol seminars are also open to members of CECA (Midlands) and (Wales). If you require any further information on these seminars, please contact Sue Whiting at CECA (Southern) on 01243 538863 or sue.whiting@cecasouth.co.uk. The seminars still to be delivered are as follows:-

Course London BristolAdjudication 21 Apr 28 AprRisk and compensation events under the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (Third Edition)

19 May 2 Jun

To be decided 23 Jun 30 JunProgrammes under the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (Third Edition) 15 Sep 23 SepCompensation event procedure and assessments under the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (Third Edition)

13 Oct 20 Oct

Defined Cost under the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (Third Edition) 24 Nov 17 Nov

NVQ Level 3 and 4 coursesFollowing the sucess of CECA’s NVQ courses last year CECA (Southern) is hosting further courses in 2009, courses yet to begin include;

Construction Site Supervisor NVQ Level 3 & Con-struction Site Manager NVQ Level 4 – this course commences on 24 April 2009 and involves six days training finishing on 19 January 2010. This programme is designed for site supervisors and managers operat-ing in either a building or civil engineering environment. This includes persons who have a heightened respon-sibility for others such as advanced craftspeople, technicians, first line supervisors, managers, functional specialists and those who are developing their abili-ties. Delegates will be individually advised as to which NVQ Level is appropriate, dependent upon their prior experience and or qualifications.

CECA (South West) Links with Plymouth University for effective training

CECA (South West) continues to build upon its good working relationship with Plymouth University. Martin Borthwick, Director-Civil Engineering and Nick Byrne, Recruitment co-ordinator from the University attended the South West Members’ Meeting in December 2008 to brief members on the ‘Headstart’ project. Headstart is backed by the Royal Academy of Engineering and is aimed at Year 12 students interested in mathematics/engineer-ing. The programme allows A-level students to spend 5 days at the University during the summer of 2009 to encourage students to consider engineering degree courses and careers. It will provide hands on experience of practical engineering problems and explain the various career routes available, including civil engineering. CECA (South West) will be supporting the initiative financially as well giving a seminar related to Civil Engineer-ing as a Career choice, arranging an evening meeting where member companies will be invited to attend, along with their younger engineers, and arranging a suitable site visit. Members are strongly encouraged to get involved in the scheme.