The Sector Skills Council for the places where we live and work
Careers Advice Line 0800 056 7160
You might think that the creation of a new 'super' department covering business, innovation and skills under Lord Mandelson would create confusion and, certainly, it will slow the relicensing Sector Skills Councils programme a little. But looking at the new ministerial appointments, the merging of two departments, including the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), makes some sense.
Not only do we retain a skills minister, we also have access to a minister shared with the Department for Communities and Local Government, a minister concerned with a low carbon environment and a minister for higher education. And even though it will take a while for the new appointees to find their feet, the obvious link between skills and productivity means there is a logic to the new structure, whatever the political machinations behind it.
This is unlikely to make much difference in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where national rather than UK wide arrangements are in place.
In the meantime we continue to work in our three main areas of activity – ensuring we have the knowledge of employer requirements for skills, recruitment and retention, developing a solid suite of directly relevant qualifications (including apprenticeships) and working with employers to find solutions to their skills issues and finding support funding where possible.
This is the core – it's all about listening and acting, and making sure the government knows what we need in the industries we cover to ensure not just survival but effectiveness and a sound financial base.
Richard Beamish is Chief Executive of Asset Skills. Email him at rbeamish@assetskills.org or call 01604 233 336.
There are calls for the facilities management industry to take a new look at its relationship with the green agenda.
Dr Alexi Marmot, Professor of Facility and Environment Management at University College London (UCL), wants FM to take responsibility to not only help ensure the UK can meet its carbon cutting targets by 2020 and beyond, but also to be at the forefront of a shifting sector.
"We either wake up and start taking the word 'sustainability' seriously or risk becoming simply the people who turn the temperature up or down, working to someone else's orders," she says.
"Facilities managers need to show the environmental movement that this industry is leading the way. At the moment, there are still way too many buildings being inefficiently run."
Dr Marmot, who is also a member of the Asset Skills FM Board, is calling for sea change in current practice and for FMs – both in-house and outsourced – to take the initiative in moving this effort forward.
Dr Marmot is promoting a more 'holistic' approach to be adopted by FMs to capitalise on current overlapping areas. An example of this might be in helping push the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda.
"Sustainability means so much more than simply helping conserve energy," she says. "It means ensuring good practice takes place across every aspect of the company from sourcing local produce in its restaurant to how it is represented in the community."
To let us hear your views please contact the Asset Skills FM Specialist Karen Waterlow by email on kwaterlow@assetskills.org or call 01392 423 399.
Dr Marmot's MSc course at UCL can be found here: www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/graduate/programmes/msc_be/fem_overview.htm
Facilities management is doing well in its social responsibility activity, according to the seventh Corporate Responsibility (CR) Index run by Business in the Community.
Eight companies offering FM services have been included in the index, making FM one of the most heavily represented sectors.
Only accountancy/consultancy, with ten companies in the list, was more heavily represented than FM. General retailers also had eight representatives.
The index, published in full in The Financial Times, identifies businesses which have a positive impact on the community, environment, marketplace and workplace. The CR Index, which places successful companies in bands running from platinum plus down to bronze, is put together by a panel of more than 100 independent experts.
Carillion was awarded platinum status. Serco Group was placed in the gold band. Amey, Mitie Group, Rentokil Initial and Sodexo were all included in the silver band. Aramark and BAM Construct UK placed in the bronze band. Carillion, Serco and Rentokil have participated in the Index every year since its launch in 2002.
Ian Fielder, chief executive of the British Institute of Facilities Management, welcomed the recognition that the industry was receiving. "It's a good news story for the industry, but not a surprising one. Companies in the sector recognised quite a while ago that it makes sense to invest in these areas and also that they have a responsibility to be good corporate citizens."
Fielder attributed the industry's advanced position partly to its status as a customer service industry. "We are doing well, but you would expect that. We are a customer service industry. Unlike product-based sectors there is a focus on relationships and dealing with people."
Fielder doesn't accept that the recession will inevitably set the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) cause back. "I think people do CSR because it makes perfect sense. Companies recycling more waste, using energy better, setting up strong community liaison programs save themselves money."
Asset Skills is seeking to improve the dialogue between property employers and higher education providers.
It is in response to calls from the industry that undergraduate provision should better meet their needs. We are calling on all employers who recruit graduates, and on higher education institutions to get involved in this new effort.
We are also looking for employers to take part in the Advanced Apprenticeship Scheme for Surveyors run with the Association of Building Engineers and offered on behalf of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
The programme comprises two parts – first, an 18-month academic programme leading to a Technical Certificate; second, a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 in Surveying, Property and Maintenance. It covers Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying, Maintenance, Valuation and General Practice.
If you are interested in either of the above please contact Liz Black on lblack@assetskills.org or call 07921 976 815.
Asset Skills is urging people to consider training to become course assessors/verifiers for National Vocational Qualifications in housing.
It follows concerns that there is a shortage of people with the right combination of skills and experience to do the job.
Stanmore College in London is setting up a pilot project to collaborate with other providers to organise a "bank" of assessors/verifiers.
After their training the new assessors will achieve the A1 Assessors' Award or the L20 Award which is a stand alone vocational qualification around assessing and monitoring performance.
It would be especially beneficial for anyone that has to do this as part of their "day job" eg, line managers or mentors.
In addition, people who have recently been made redundant from housing or have retired, part time workers or formal volunteers with housing organisations would all be ideal candidates."
Please contact Catharine Hinton by emailing chinton@assetskills.org or calling 07554 452 286.
Asset Skills has teamed up with 22 organisations to launch an action plan that will overhaul skills and 
improve the delivery of homes and communities.
Delivering Better Skills for Better Places aims to ensure that there are enough people with the technical, specialist and transferable skills to successfully deliver sustainable communities.
It encompasses professions integral to successful regeneration, housing, planning, construction, economic development, architecture, urban design, landscape architecture, local government, property, surveying, civil engineering and sustainability.
The process of developing the action plan has created a shared understanding of market needs and helped identify duplication so the complex provision of skills development can be simplified.
The partners will work together to build on a number of measures. These include extending the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment to include housing, planning, surveying and valuation skills and exploring the potential for an apprenticeship in planning
A copy of the action plan can be downloaded from www.hcaacademy.co.uk/betterplaces
For more information please email jo.bell@hcaacademy.co.uk or phone 0113 394 9410.
(Photo shows Asset Skills Chief Executive Richard Beamish, third from right, with partners involved in the Skills Action Plan.)
A brand new qualification for frontline workers in the public sector has been completed as part of the Public Sector Skills Framework (PSSF).
The level 2 NVQ certificate in Skills for Supporting Public Services has been submitted to Ofqual for approval.
It is for organisations in England such as councils, schools and hospitals or private facilities firms that run outsourced services on government contracts.
It has been developed by Asset Skills with a number of professional bodies.
We are arranging visits to public sector employers to preview the new qualification, which should be available by September. For more details please email pssf@assetskills.org or call Tom Orton on 01392 423 399.
Asset Skills will soon be carrying out consultation exercises to ensure standards and qualifications in the following areas are up to date and meet the needs of industry:
The consultation process is a combination of small working groups and interviews – face to face, phone or web-based.
If you require any specific information about any of the above projects please contact the standards and qualifications team on 01604 233 336.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is carrying out a survey to gauge experiences of inducting 
learners onto the Diploma.
It wants to hear how and why inductions are carried out. The information will be used to help develop future guidance and support to consortia, the groups that oversee each 14-19 Diploma.
To access the survey please visit www.diploma-support.org/qcadirect
This month marked the second anniversary of the Skills Pledge.
The Pledge is a public commitment made by employers to develop the skills of their employees including all of those lacking basic skills or a first full Level 2 qualification.
In its two years more than 16,295 employers, ranging from FTSE companies to government departments to SMEs have made the pledge. Despite the current challenging economic circumstances employers are continuing to make the Skills Pledge.
Here is a reminder of the benefits making the Skills Pledge can bring.
For more information, please email info@granbymarketing.com or call 01254 682 702. Alternatively, please call 0800 015 5545.
Asset Skills Northern Ireland has been promoting so called employability skills to young people in the province.
Four Employability Quest events have been held for Year 12 students in partnership with the Department of Education following a successful pilot in Dungannon last year.
Employability skills are the practical abilities people need to find and keep work, such as telephone answering or punctuality. The events were held in Newry, Londonderry, Portadown and Belfast and were held along with seven other SSCs and local businesses.
As well as raising awareness of employability, Asset Skills also promoted jobs in property such as town planning or estate agency.
(Photo shows Asset Skills Northern Ireland board member Amanda Millar (at back) who is also Training Manager at Premier Properties. She is with three Year 12 students from the Belfast Royal Academy)
Scotland's higher and further education funding body, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), is consulting on how it can best prepare students leaving education for the world of work.
Employers often report that graduates and other young people are academically competent but less good at applying that learning in a practical sense in the workplace.
The SFC believes the answer lies in more work placements, involving employers more closely in education and more targeted training in the workplace.
Asset Skills will be responding to the consultation and would welcome hearing the views of employers.
The deadline for responses is 10 August and the consultation document can be found here.
Meanwhile, housing association chief Robert Tamburrini has been appointed Chair of Asset Skills Scotland.
Tamburrini brings extensive knowledge of the Scottish housing system having been Chief Executive of the North Glasgow Housing Association for 16 years.
"Robert's years of experience will be valuable in helping Asset Skills achieve its goals," says Tim Pogson, Head of Asset Skills Scotland. "He has a thorough understanding of the skills issues facing Scotland, and we are looking forward to working with him across all the industries we cover."
For more information on the above please contact Tim Pogson by email on tpogson@assetskills.org or call 0131 667 2448.
Asset Skills Cymru has had its Welsh Language Scheme approved by the Welsh Language Board.
The scheme sets out how Asset Skills proposes to provide its services as a Sector Skills Council in Wales in Welsh as well as English and includes:
For more information please look on the Asset Skills website
Mae Cynllun Iaith Gymraeg Asset Skills Cymru wedi'i gymeradwyo gan Fwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg.
Mae'r Cynllun yn amlinellu'r ffordd y mae Asset Skills yn bwriadu cynnig ei wasanaethau fel Cyngor Sgiliau Sector yng Nghymru yn y Gymraeg yn ogystal â'r Saesneg ac yn cynnwys:
Am ragor o wybodaeth, ewch i wefan Asset Skills.
A new online learning centre has been launched by the Residential Landlords Association (RLA).
It is for landlords who want to be up-to-date about the letting business in England and Wales.
With video and fact sheets, explanatory and supporting information on the thousands of pages of information and documentation on the RLA websites, you can develop your professional skills as a landlord at your own pace.
With the RLA Online Learning Centre, you don't have to wait for a course date, you don't have to travel to a venue and you can take as long as you please to complete the course. Please visit ww.learntolet.co.uk
June 2009 Edition
