The Sector Skills Council for the places where we live and work
Careers Advice Line 0800 056 7160
While this is clearly a time of political uncertainty with an election due in the first half of the year, one skills theme remains high on the political parties' priorities – apprenticeships. Although they vary slightly between Scotland and the rest of the UK, the drive to ensure better trained and qualified young people remains.
In fact, apprenticeships can be undertaken by people of any age, but support funding favours younger employees.
So the launch of Asset Skills' new housing apprenticeship is timely, expanding the suite of apprenticeships across most occupational areas covered by the Sector Skills Council (if you are not sure which ones might apply to your organisation, please ask rbeamish@assetskills.org)
Our task is also to ensure qualifications and training are available at all levels, and so we are working with Jobcentre Plus on the Young Person's Guarantee whereby a young person out of work for six months will be guaranteed work or training. We are to develop a pre-work programme covering cleaning, facilities, management and parking occupations.
Meanwhile, a new qualification, the Public Service Skills Framework, is the subject of a series of information events taking place across England between now and the end of March. More information below.
And across the UK, there is activity, from a careers convention in Northern Ireland to employability work in Scotland, and leadership and management in Wales.
But it remains your agenda so do tell us what you need to deliver the skills your organisation requires.
Richard Beamish, Chief Executive
A new apprenticeship is being launched that will help staff in housing meet increasing challenges caused by the recession.
The Level 3 qualification is for existing or potential housing officers, who have seen their workload change drastically in recent years.
It has been developed by Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for housing, in consultation with key partners and employers. It is being launched on 3 February at the Peabody Housing Trust's training centre in London.
"This apprenticeship will help improve skills among staff in housing who have had to tackle significant shifts in their work," said Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills.
"Recent environmental regulations changed the way housing stock is run and maintained while the downturn created a surge in demand for affordable housing."
The Advanced Apprenticeship, which is on a par with A-Levels, is being launched during Apprenticeship Week, held every year to push the Government's new premier route for learning among young people.
It is based on three strands - management of housing assets, community development, and supported housing. Topics include:
Meanwhile, Asset Skills, Association of Colleges in the Eastern Region and the Chartered Institute of Housing are jointly undertaking research to identify gaps in learning and training opportunities for housing employees in the East of England.
This research will be a key input into work to develop provision of appropriate and accessible learning in your area.
For more information please email enquiries@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2 888 (local rate call).
A new grant for employers in England has been announced to make it easier to take on young apprentices.
Over the next ten weeks the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) will provide up to 5,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of 16 and 17 year olds (AGE 16 and 17).
The grant of £2,500 is to enable employers to offer new Apprenticeship places and take on an unemployed 16 or 17 year old apprentice immediately. It is in addition to the costs of training which are already met by the National Apprenticeship Service.
Asset Skills is urging small and medium sized employers who may be interested in taking on an apprentice for the first time to apply for the grant. Or they may want to employ an additional apprentice over their traditional level of recruitment.
Support could also be available for larger employers if they can demonstrate that they are overtraining to support smaller businesses in their supply chain or wider sector.
All training providers are also able to offer this incentive to employers. They are encouraged to identify employers they have worked with – or previously contacted – who might benefit from this additional support.
This is a short-term, time-limited measure and is available immediately for employers who are able to offer a job opportunity to a young person. The AGE 16 and 17 grant is only available until the end of March.
To apply, call the National Apprenticeship Service on 08000 150 600 or visit the NAS website.
In other Apprenticeships news, as part of National Apprenticeship Week (1 Feb-5 Feb), a series of breakfast meetings are taking place for employers in the South East to raise awareness of the business benefits of taking on apprentices.
Delegates can find out more about Apprenticeships and what they involve, plus how to benefit from funding available to cover training costs.
If you are interested in attending one of these events, please contact Andrew Cook at Asset Skills by email at acook@assetskills.org or phone on 0845 678 2 888 or 01392 423 399.
Asset Skills is seeking employers in areas with high youth unemployment such as Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Sunderland to take part in a new apprenticeship scheme.
It comes as training provider Jarvis Training Management says it has 50 places to offer young people aged 16 to 18 years, to take the Cleaning and Support Services apprenticeship.
Jarvis is looking for employers to sign up to providing good quality work experience for 16 hours per week. The employers would effectively get the person for free, except for the costs of supervision and any personal protective equipment.
The training will be delivered on-site and Jarvis will employ the apprentices for the period of the programme which is likely to last 30 weeks.
Initially Jarvis was targeting cities with high unemployment but it can be flexible on location, particularly if the employer wishes to offer a number of places.
Employers can be involved in the recruitment of the apprentice and will be asked to commit to employing the young person (providing they are suitable) after the scheme has finished.
If you are interested please contact Karen Waterlow at kwaterlow@assetskills.org or Bethany Watts at bwatts@assetskills.org or phone 0845 678 2 888 (Local rate call)
A series of events are taking place to raise awareness of a new learning and qualification framework which puts customer service in a public sector context.
The Public Service Skills Framework (PSSF) is aimed at a wide range of support staff including local authority cleaners, school caretakers and hospital porters.
Asset Skills is holding the following events:
The events will include presentations, demonstrations, workshops and interactive sessions on:
The Public Sector Skills Framework – incorporating Get on at Work - Events or for more information please call Asset Skills on 0845 678 2888 (local rate call) or email pssf@assetskills.org.
Asset Skills is producing an easy guide to vocational qualifications (VQs) across its sector. This is in response to employer comments that the skills and qualifications system is confusing.
The guide aims to spell out in simple terms the range of VQs, what is involved at each level, how they sit in relation to traditional academic qualifications such as A-Levels, and what funding support may be available.
We will keep you informed of how to access a hard copy when it is published.
An event has highlighted the benefits of businesses in the built environment which work in partnership with higher education (HE) providers.
The event, chaired by Asset Skills, was held in the East Midlands. It was organised by Asset Skills in conjunction with four other Sector Skills Councils and partners including the East Midlands Centre for Constructing the Built Environment, the New Technology Initiative and Leap Ahead Lifelong Learning Network.
Following its success, more events are now planned. They will focus on funding for learners, how to contact the right people to access training and progression routes for learners.
The events will provide information on how employees can gain access to higher level qualifications, particularly the new development of business focused, bite size chunks of accredited learning.
For more details please contact Sam Dignan by email at sdignan@assetskills.org or phone 0845 678 2 888 (Local rate call)
(Photo shows Richard Beamish addressing the East Midlands event)
The new Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (C&BE) is being promoted in a television advertising campaign.
It follows a report by the Diploma Development Partnership that showed overwhelming support for the qualification from 26 key industry bodies, adding credibility to the diploma and its academic value.
More than 1,170 employers are already involved in helping deliver the qualification to 14 to 19-year-olds using various methods, for instance offering work placements.
If you are an employer in facilities management, housing or property and would like to get involved in the diploma programme please contact Cathy Lindsay-Carl at clindsay-carl@assetskills.org or phone 01392 456824.
Cleaning employers who are interested in the most up to date risk assessment practices might find the following useful.
A Risk Assessment Tools Database has been developed by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. It includes material that helps identify hazards, such as checklists, guides, handbooks, questionnaires and interactive tools.
For more information visit http://osha.europa.eu/en/practical-solutions/risk-assessment-tools/index_html
A workshop on employability and essential skills was attended by teachers from over 100 schools in Northern Ireland during a careers convention.
Asset Skills Northern Ireland was chosen by North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) to help facilitate the Sector Skills Councils (SSC) Awareness workshop.
Adrian Cochrane-Watson, Head of Asset Skills Northern Ireland, outlined what the remit of SSCs and specifically what Asset Skills does in Northern Ireland.
A new Housing Career of Choice Project which promotes careers information in housing and is run by Asset Skills in the province was of particular interest. This project highlights dedicated careers information.
An event has been held in Scotland among organisations that promote employability learning and its benefits to business.
It was organised by Asset Skills in conjunction with the Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland, the Scottish Trades Union Congress, UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Job Centre Plus and the Sector Skills Alliance among others.
The group aimed to review current activity and work out the best way forward for employability training, which helps develop common sense workplace skills often lacking in graduates.
For more information visit Employability
Cardiff University is offering a continued package of financial support to help Welsh Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) up-skill their staff.
Funding of 60% of course cost is available for delegates attending Management and Leadership courses offered through Cardiff University's Open for Business programme.
Funding of 40% of course cost is available for delegates attending Project Management, Marketing, Communication Skills, Finance, Statistics or Language and Cultural Awareness courses offered through the programme.
For more, please email train@cardiff.ac.uk visit www.cardiff.ac.uk/train or contact the Business Development Team on 029 2087 5274.
Mae Prifysgol Caerdydd yn cynnig pecyn parhaus o gymorth ariannol i helpu Busnesau Bach a Chanolig (BBaCh) uwchsgilio'u staff.
Mae cyllid o 60% o gost y cwrs ar gael ar gyfer cyrsiau Rheolaeth ac Arweinyddiaeth a gynigir drwy'r rhaglen Ar Agor i Fusnes.
Mae cyllid o 40% o gost y cwrs ar gael ar gyfer cyrsiau Rheoli Prosiectau, Marchnata, Sgiliau Cyfathrebu, Cyllid, Ystadegaeth, neu Iaith ac Ymwybyddiaeth Ddiwylliannol, a gynigir drwy'r rhaglen Ar Agor i Fusnes.
Am ragor o fanylion, cysylltwch â'r Tîm Datblygu Busnes.
029 2087 5274 train@cardiff.ac.uk www.cardiff.ac.uk/train
A series of events called Bring Your Brain to Breakfast is taking place across Wales.
Leadership & Management Wales hopes to enhance business effectiveness by outlining the benefits of leadership and management development.
To book a place at one of the breakfast events please visit http://lmw.org.uk/events/ or call 029 2087 6560.
Mae cyfres o ddigwyddiadau o'r enw Rhoi Meddwl ar Waith Dros Frecwast yn cael eu cynnal ledled Cymru
Mae Arweinyddiaeth a Rheolaeth Cymru yn gobeithio gwella effeithiolrwydd eich busnes drwy amlinellu manteision datblygu arweinyddiaeth a rheolaeth.
I gadw lle yn un o'r digwyddiadau brecwast ewch i http://lmw.org.uk/events/ neu ffoniwch 029 2087 6560
The skills arm of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is launching a study into skills gaps in key professions involved in planning new towns and creating sustainable communities.
The research will look into differences by profession and by region and recommend how the market can bridge remaining skills gaps.
Former members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) whose membership has lapsed can for a short time take advantage of a one-off subscription arrears amnesty.
For a limited period, the RTPI will waive any outstanding membership subscriptions for those who wish to reinstate their membership.
This offer will be available for a six month period from 1 January until 30 June 2010. After this point, reinstating members will once again become liable for their outstanding arrears.
For more, please visit www.rtpi.org.uk/join_the_rtpi/ or contact membership@rtpi.org.uk
