The Sector Skills Council for the places where we live and work
Careers Advice Line 0800 056 7160
Election Fever is in the air and the time is coming ever closer when politicians take to the campaign trail and civil servants are unable to become involved in matters of policy.
Quite what the extent of this will be this time around in terms of support funding for training in England is uncertain, except that the status quo will remain in place (however unsatisfactory) until a new Government is elected, of whatever colour.
One of Asset Skills' main roles is to ensure that the employer voice on skills is heard by each of the Governments across the UK (and not all are going to the polls at this time, of course) and it is this activity that is likely to be restricted from early April. But this remains a good time for strategic planning to present arguments to a new administration that will recognise reality but seek a fairer deal for employers on skills in the industries we cover.
Meanwhile there is no let up in terms of activity as you will read below, with new apprenticeships available, employer commitments and the availability of graduate internships. We have produced detailed research updates on skills issues to support your strategic thinking, and we heard this week that the Women and Work programme, recently celebrated in the House of Lords, is to continue for at least another year.
This newsletter presents just a taster of all that is happening. Recent research has demonstrated that every pound of public money invested in Sector Skills Councils is repaid 20 times over. The study of four SSCs was commissioned by the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils by accountancy and business advisory firm Baker Tilly.
Click here to see the report
Be assured that we remain here to support you with your skills issues. Please feel free to contact me on rbeamish@assetskills.org. I promise a personal response.
Richard Beamish
Chief Executive, Asset Skills
Asset Skills calls on more businesses to get involved
Cleaning and facilities management employers are being urged to take part in a new scheme offering cleaning apprenticeships to young people.
The programme is being run by the training academy of FM and support services company Jarvis PLC, which has funding for 50 apprentices aged 16 to 18 years on the Cleaning and Support Services Apprenticeship.
Other employers who have signed up along with Jarvis to offer work placements and jobs as part of the scheme include Keir Group, Ecovert, Regent Cleaning and Interserve.
Asset Skills is calling on other employers to get involved to ensure the success of this first phase.
"This is really good news for young people especially at a time of high unemployment," said Karen Waterlow, Facilities Management and Cleaning Specialist at Asset Skills.
"The new Cleaning and Support Services Apprenticeship is an excellent first step in to a range of rewarding careers in the cleaning and FM industries."
Jarvis will employ the apprentices for the period of the programme which will be delivered in 22 weeks and the host employer will need to provide minimum of 16 hours work each week. Jarvis will cover all employment costs, other than PPE and on-site supervision.
Jarvis will deliver all the training on site and will offer all the apprentices a completion bonus as an incentive to stay on programme.
Employers are being sought all over England but in particular in the following cities - Sunderland, Liverpool, Sheffield, Oldham, Birmingham and London where pilots are already planned.
Employers will be asked to provide a commitment to continue the young person's employment (providing they are suitable) after the 22 week period has been completed.
Asset Skills is supporting this pilot for collaborative employer working and is looking at such innovative models as part of plans for a "virtual skills academy" for FM. We are keen to hear from employers interested in getting involved.
To find out more about the Jarvis scheme and plans for a virtual academy, please contact Karen Waterlow by emailing kwaterlow@assetskills.org or call 01392 423 399 or 07733 224 902.
The huge success of the Women and Work project has been celebrated at an event held at the House of Lords.
More than 16,500 female workers have benefited from the initiative which is run across several different industries by Sector Skills Councils (SSC). The Westminster event was a joint SSC venture and was attended by employers and partners.
The Women and Work programme was set up in 2006 to tackle the under representation of women in traditionally male-dominated industries. In the cleaning sector few women were progressing into management roles.
In the three years running the scheme in the cleaning industry, Asset Skills has helped more than 3,500 women cleaners find rewarding career paths through leadership training.
Phase 4 of the programme starts in April 2010 and employers who are interested should contact Vicki Bowring at vbowring@assetskills.org or call 0845 645 2888 (Local rate call).
Several research projects have been completed by Asset Skills and are now available.
Sector Skills Assessment 2010 - This assessment of current and future skills needs is a robust analysis of industry trends, drivers of productivity, identification of areas for workforce development and reducing skills gaps and shortages in the UK.
Sector Fact Sheets - The latest sector fact sheets are also now available. Asset Skills uses Labour Market Information (LMI) to enhance our understanding of the industries we cover. This LMI draws on a range of qualitative and quantitative data collected by Asset Skills and others to broaden our knowledge of employer needs.
Barometer Reports - The ongoing Barometer survey seeks to establish solid data on levels of investment in skills and company performance. The new documents summarise and update the key findings in each sector.
All of the new reports can be found on our website www.assetskills.org
For more information contact Michelle Jay at mjay@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2888 (Local rate call)
Asset Skills is calling on employers across the footprint to visit a new website that aims to raise awareness of a large scale overhaul of sector-based qualifications.
Many employers have already had substantial input to the development of these qualifications. The new website is part of a joint project between Business Link and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, designed to ensure that businesses remain at the heart of the changes.
Chief Executive of Asset Skills, Richard Beamish, said: "It is our job to ensure industry is fully aware of the changes currently underway in vocational qualifications. The overhaul aims to make training easier for employers to understand and more user friendly to learners."
Skills & Further Education Minister, Kevin Brennan, said: "Employers are now looking to put themselves in the best position to take up the opportunities of growth - skills will be crucial to taking on that challenge. That is why we are simplifying and modernising the system of vocational qualifications and I believe these changes will be invaluable to businesses and learners alike.
"For anyone who wants to get the skills they need into their business or take up training opportunities themselves, the new website gives them a great opportunity to find out more."
Vocational qualifications are undergoing change as part of a wider reform of qualifications across all sectors. The new set of bite-size qualifications will be easier to understand and access and have simpler titles with clear indicators of size, level of difficulty and content.
The Government believes that these new qualifications will help to build a better skilled workforce - leading to improved retention rates and increased profitability across all industries.
The new website provides links for employers to find out more about the reforms process and gives them an opportunity to influence skills strategies for their sector.
It includes links to help employers map in-house training to nationally recognised qualifications, work with training providers to develop relevant units that can be taken as part of a nationally recognised qualification and to join forces with other employers in the sector to create high quality skills and training opportunities.
Employers who are interested should go to www.businesslink.gov.uk/vocationalqualifications or call Asset Skills for more information on 0845 678 2888 (local rate call).
Asset Skills launched the new Housing Apprenticeship in February.
The event - at a learning centre in London run by the Peabody Housing Association - was attended by a number of training providers and professional partners including the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Centre for Housing and Support.
Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills (pictured right), and Stephen Howlett, Chief Executive of Peabody Housing Trust and Asset Skills board member, both gave an informal presentation about the benefits of the apprenticeship.
It is hoped to have a similar event later in the year to launch the Level 2 apprenticeship. For more information contact Catharine Hinton, Housing Specialist, at chinton@assetskills.org or call 07554 452 286.
Research is underway that aims to identify gaps in learning and training opportunities among housing staff in the East of England. It is being carried out jointly by Asset Skills, the Association of Colleges in the Eastern Region and the Chartered Institute of Housing.
This research will be a key input into work to develop provision of appropriate and accessible learning in housing, including housing apprenticeships.
We would be grateful if you could assist us by taking a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire.
All information will be treated in the strictest confidence. Responses will not be attributed to any individual. But please do give your details if you are interested in hearing more about the work that we are doing.
Several housing associations have appeared in the Sunday Times list of the 100 best companies to work for.
The list, which has run for a decade, is drawn from more than 1,000 companies which submit themselves to the scrutiny of the people who know them best - their staff.
Housing groups Luminus, New Charter and Calico, and retail and estates management company Sewell Group, all came in the top 20 - with many other housing and property organisations also making the list.
Asset Skills would like to congratulate all.
Asset Skills is supporting a new qualification for people working in the housing sector that has been launched in the North West. The Professional Certificate in Housing Law has been developed to support staff working in housing associations.
The project has been led by Chester University, via their Learning Pathways for Housing Practitioners.
Housing Associations are now expected to work more closely with local communities, and integrate delivery of new housing within a broader regeneration framework. Staff need to be more flexible, multi-skilled and highly trained than ever.
The modules, including Community Safety Law and Tenancy Management & Homelessness, can be offered via workshops and a distance learning format. The flexibility of the programme also allows people to put their studies into practice in real work situations.
For more information contact Catharine Hinton, Housing Specialist, at chinton@assetskills.org or call 07554 452 286.
Positive Action for Disability is a new service that has been set up by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).
It provides an opportunity through recruitment services, organisational support and trainee support, to unlock the potential of disabled people in the community.
There are over 10 million disabled people in Britain. Nearly seven million of these are working age. Many of these people live in, and rely upon, social housing and are able to make a valued contribution to managing and supporting the housing sector.
The CIH would like to work with progressive housing organisations to make the sector more representative and create new opportunities for disabled people.
For more information visit www.cih.org/careers/positiveaction or call 024 7685 1788.
A reminder - Asset Skills is running a series of events to raise awareness of a new learning and qualification framework which puts customer service in a public sector context.
The events so far have been well received and provided a useful forum to exchange information, network with colleagues and resolve queries about the Public Service Skills Framework (PSSF).
The remaining events will be held at:
• 09 March: Newcastle
• 16 March: Manchester
• 31 March: London
Click here to register or visit www.assetskills.org/PSSFEvents/
The events will include information on:
• The PSSF and its two new qualifications: Skills for Supporting Public Services (SSPS) and Getting on at Work (GoaW)
• Accessing learning in the workplace
• Available funding
• Optional consultations with awarding bodies, learning providers, skills advisers and Union Learning Representatives.
For more information please call Asset Skills on 0845 678 2888 (local rate call) or email Phil Stott at pstott@assetskills.org or Tom Orton at torton@assetskills.org
The number of people gaining a qualification through the Train to Gain programme has hit the one million mark.
Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said: "This is a great achievement for the programme and for each of the one million people who have now gained a qualification that will help them get on at work. With new skills they can further their own careers and make a significant impact on the business they work for."
Facilities management company MITIE Group PLC, has more than 49,000 members of staff and has used Train to Gain to help with staff development.
Roger Goodman, Corporate Development Director, MITIE, said: "Train to Gain has enabled MITIE to support our people with training and qualifications in a way that would not otherwise have been possible. The programme reaches people that are most in need of help and gives them the broad skills they need for work, and a platform from which to go on and develop."
In a recent LSC survey of employers who use the training initiative, 80 per cent said they were likely to recommend Train to Gain to other employers and use it again themselves. A significant number of employers (41 per cent) also said Train to Gain had helped them cope with the recession.
For more information about how the Train to Gain programme could benefit your business, contact Asset Skills by emailing info@assetskills.org or calling 0845 678 2888 (local rate call).
The search is now on for entrants for the Asset Skills UK Team Clean Challenge 2010.
The competition will start in May 2010 and the closing date for entries is 23 April.
The entry fee is £200 as it has been for the last three years. This ensures the competition remains sustainable, and that we can provide independent judging.
This year, in addition to the heats, the top three teams will be required to take part in a final, which will be at Merton College, London, in July. The purpose of this is to verify and discriminate between the skills of three top class teams and give each the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and competence again.
Entry forms are available for download on the Asset Skills website by clicking here. Alternatively contact Chris James at cjames@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2888 (Local rate call)
Entries are also open for the Team Clean Challenge, Scotland.
The competition is supported by the British Institute of Cleaning Science and the Scottish Government. Entries are welcome from both public and private sector employers across Scotland.
The prison strand of the competition has received a high number of entries and is due to start soon.
For more details, contact Kevin McCruden at Asset Skills Scotland at kmccruden@assetskills.org or call 01887 829 171.
Asset Skills recently exhibited at the Skills North West event, aimed at informing young people about the opportunities available to them after school or college.
At a time when youth unemployment is widely recognised, we are keen to raise awareness of jobs in our sector, particularly those which may not be familiar to young people and those that are still thriving despite uncertain times.
The scope and level of careers available within the Asset Skills footprint means there are jobs suitable for every kind of student. Teachers and careers advisers were keen to take away our information packs.
The event was a big success with an estimated 15,000 students passing through. We will also be exhibiting at the Skills West Midlands event in March.
If you would like to view any of the Asset Skills careers materials please visit the careers page on our website www.assetskills.org or contact Cathy Lindsay-Carl at clindsay-carl@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2888 (Local rate call)
Minister for 14-19 Reform and Apprenticeships, Iain Wright, says Government remains committed to building on and investing in the Diploma programme. Mr Wright emphasised that by 2013 every young person will have an entitlement to study a Diploma.
The diploma in Construction and the Built Environment (C&BE) is the new qualification available to young people interested in careers in property, housing and facilities management. Students study a wide range of subjects that mix academic learning with practical, hands on experience.
Mr Wright says the total number of Diploma students across all subject areas now stands at over 36,000 - treble last year's numbers.
Asset Skills would like to hear from more employers from the built environment who are interested in helping deliver the C&BE diploma. Please contact Cathy Lindsay-Carl at clindsay-carl@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2888 (Local rate call)
Asset Skills has launched a new programme that will pay half the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP) Technical Award training fees for property staff.
The funding, from the Department of Employment and Learning Northern Ireland, will subsidise the course costs for 100 estate agency professionals. Potential trainees can now sign up for the limited number of places.
The industry-related qualifications that can be taken include the:
• Sale of Residential Property
• Residential Letting and Property Management
All are Level 3 qualifications - broadly equivalent to A-Level standard - run by NFOPP awarding body. For further information on this programme please visit the Asset Skills website at www.assetskills.org or contact Adrian Watson at awatson@assetskills.org or 07843 211 488 or Tara Angell at tangell@assetskills.org or 07827 947 531.
Money recovered from convicted criminals has been put to good use tackling anti-social behavior by a housing association in Wales.
The Wales & West Housing Association (WWHA) was awarded £7000 from the new Community Cashback scheme, which is administered by the Home Office. The scheme gives people across England and Wales a direct say in how £4 million of recovered criminal assets should be spent in their communities.
The WWHA, one of the biggest housing associations in Wales will use the money to send out a message of 'zero tolerance' about anti social behavior, in an area called Connah's Quay.
Picture shows: (In bus) Claire Bryant of WWHA, Alan Holden of Flintshire Council; (standing in front of bus) Carole Morris WWHA, Cath Marland WWHA, Michelle Turner of Deeside College, and, David Hughes of WWHA.
Mae arian a dderbyniwyd gan droseddwyr a ddyfarnwyd yn euog wedi'i ddefnyddio gan gymdeithas tai yng Nghymru i ymdrin ag ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol.
Derbyniodd Wales & West Housing Association (WWHA) £7000 gan y cynllun newydd i Ad-dalu Arian Cymunedol, sydd wedi'i weinyddu gan y Swyddfa Gartref. Mae'r cynllun yn rhoi llais uniongyrchol i bobl ledled Cymru a Lloegr am y ffordd y dylai £4 miliwn o asedau a adferwyd gan droseddwyr gael eu gwario o fewn eu cymunedau.
Bydd WWHA, un o'r cymdeithasau tai mwyaf yng Nghymru'n defnyddio'r arian i ledaenu neges o 'ddim goddefgarwch' am ymddygiad gwrthgymdeithasol, mewn ardal o'r enw Cei Connah.
Pennawd y llun: (Yn y bws) Claire Bryant o WWHA, Alan Holden o Gyngor Sir y Fflint; (yn sefyll o flaen y bws) Carole Morris WWHA, Cath Marland WWHA, Michelle Turner o Goleg Glannau Dyfrdwy, a, David Hughes o WWHA.
Quick Reads are short, exciting books by bestselling writers and celebrities for adults who find reading tough, have lost the reading habit or simply want a fast, fun read. They are written to literacy guidelines and over the last five years Quick Reads have been used successfully by hundreds of thousands of new readers in and outside of the workplace.
In the latest survey of over 30,000 people, after reading Quick Reads:
• 55% of workplace learning reps felt that morale in the workplace had improved
• 40% saw improved communication skills in their colleagues after using Quick Reads
• 88% of readers felt more confident at work
World Book Day, 4 March 2010, sees the release of ten brand new books including titles by Andy McNab, Cathy Kelly and Rolf Harris. Financial guru Alvin Hall's Money Magic, a simple and practical guide to managing your finances, is an ideal way to combine literacy and numeracy.
Special employer packs are available for use in the workplace. See http://www.quickreads.org.uk/buying-your-quick-reads/employer-packs/ for details
To find out more visit www.quickreads.org.uk
With support from the Welsh Assembly Government, an additional 7 titles are available for readers in Wales. For more information on the titles from Wales, visit http://bit.ly/quickreads
Mae llyfrau Stori Sydyn a Quick Reads yn gyfrolau byr, llawn cyffro wedi'u hysgrifennu gan awduron llwyddiannus a sêr poblogaidd i apelio at oedolion sy'n cael trafferth darllen, sydd wedi colli'r arfer o ddarllen neu sydd eisiau darllen llyfr hwyliog ar garlam. Cânt eu hysgrifennu yn unol â chanllawiau llythrennedd, a dros y pum mlynedd diwethaf mae cannoedd o filoedd o ddarllenwyr newydd wedi defnyddio llyfrau Stori Sydyn a Quick Reads yn llwyddiannus yn y gweithle a thu hwnt
Yn yr arolwg diweddaraf o dros 30,000 o bobl, wedi iddynt ddarllen llyfrau Stori Sydyn a Quick Reads:
• Roedd 55% o gynrychiolwyr dysgu mewn gweithleoedd yn teimlo bod morâl yn y gweithle wedi cynyddu
• Roedd 40% wedi gweld gwell sgiliau cyfathrebu ymhlith eu cydweithwyr wedi iddynt ddefnyddio llyfrau Stori Sydyn a Quick Reads
• Roedd 88% o ddarllenwyr yn teimlo'n fwy hyderus wrth eu gwaith
Ar Ddiwrnod y Llyfr, sef 4 Mawrth 2010, bydd deg llyfr Quick Reads newydd sbon yn cael eu cyhoeddi, gan gynnwys teitlau gan Andy McNab, Cathy Kelly a Rolf Harris. Mae Money Magic gan yr arbenigwr ariannol Alvin Hall, sy'n rhoi cyflwyniad syml ac ymarferol i reoli eich arian, yn ffordd ddelfrydol o gyfuno llythrennedd a rhifedd.
Mae pecynnau arbennig ar gael i gyflogwyr eu defnyddio yn y gweithle. Ewch i http://www.quickreads.org.uk/buying-your-quick-reads/employer-packs/ am ragor o fanylion
Am fwy o wybodaeth ewch i www.quickreads.org.uk
Gyda chefnogaeth Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru, mae 7 teitl ychwanegol ar gael i ddarllenwyr yng Nghymru. Am ragor o wybodaeth am y teitlau o Gymru, ewch i http://bit.ly/storisydyn
An Innovation & e-Business Roadshow will be taking place in Wales in March.
There will be information on all apects of business development.
The events are being held at:
• Cardiff - 9 March
• Swansea - 10 March
• St Asaph - 24 March
To register, visit www.welshevents.co.uk/event/innovationebusinessforwales2010 or call on 029 2036 8279.
Bydd Sioe Deithiol Arloesedd ac e-Fusnes yn teithio o amgylch Cymru ym mis Mawrth.
Bydd y digwyddiad yn brofiad rhyngweithiol sy'n cynnig cyngor a chymorth. Bydd gwybodaeth am bob agwedd o fusnes, am ddatblygu prosesau a chynhyrchion newydd a gwell, am fabwysiadu technolegau newydd ac am fuddsoddi mewn gwaith ymchwil a datblygiad.
Bydd y sioe i'w gweld yn y mannau dilynol:
• Caerdydd - 9 Mawrth
• Abertawe - 10 Mawrth
• Llanelwy - 24 Mawrth
I gofrestru ewch i www.welshevents.co.uk/event/innovationebusinessforwales2010 neu ffoniwch 029 2036 8279.
The Government has announced funding for 8,500 graduate level internships as part of its Backing Young Britain Campaign.
In the South West alone, 820 placements have been secured, through the collaboration of 12 universities, using funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
The internship programmes are being set up and administered by the individual universities and will vary in their terms and conditions.
There is funding attached to all the placements and businesses and graduates from all sectors and disciplines are eligible to apply. Companies and organisations in the low carbon sector are particularly encouraged to get involved.
The Graduate Internship Programme follows the Graduate Talent Pool initiative, which was launched last autumn to match business opportunities with graduates. Employers can access Graduate Talent Pool here
The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) Awards are now launching for 2010.
The event aims to celebrate and recognise the very best in the facilities management industry. The awards are given for excellence in 13 categories.
If you would like to nominate a colleague or company, please visit www.bifm.org.uk/awards2010 or contact Sandra Light from FM Events at sandra@fmevents.biz or 0141 639 6192. The closing date for entries is 30 April 2010.
Elsewhere the annual BIFM Conference returns to London on 13 and 14 April 2010 at the Riverbank Park Plaza Hotel.
It will consider how well the industry has emerged from testing economic times and how facilities managers are dealing with ever-extending responsibilities. These include providing, maintaining and developing a range of services such as property strategy, space management and communications infrastructure to operational issues such as cleaning, energy use and security.
For more information visit www.bifmconference2010.com
A new website has been launched that will help skills improvement in the local environment.
It will help those tasked with finding learning programmes for staff working in areas of environmental health and street cleaning.
www.localenvironmentskills.org is a free on-line resource which shows employers where their team's skills gaps are and suggests training support. Many of the courses will be free as they are supported by Train to Gain funding, subject to availability.
The website can be found at www.localenvironmentskills.org
