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UK Academy launches in Scotland
Scottish-based facilities management and cleaning employers will be able to benefit from a new service launching this week, the UK Academy for Business Services.
The UK Academy will offer practical help to businesses on training issues, acting as the broker between employer and training provider.
Run by Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for FM and cleaning, the Academy will be launched at the British Institute of Facilities Management Scotland conference in Edinburgh on 30 September 2011.
"The UK Academy can offer a wide range of services to this industry, including full account management that helps ease the process of putting staff onto training programmes," said Steven Proudfoot, UK Operations Director at Asset Skills.
"The Academy has proved popular with employers in England who recognise how we can help identify the best programmes for their training needs, and then assist in implementing those programmes.
"Many of our current members who operate UK-wide already have substantial workforces in Scotland and now those employees will have access to the same benefits of Academy membership as their English counterparts."
Asset Skills Scotland is now looking to recruit Scottish-based FM and cleaning employers as UK Academy members and has already recruited a network of dedicated learning providers in Scotland with skills and expertise specific to the FM and cleaning sector. There are four colleges and two training providers who are delivering learning programmes throughout Scotland in this sector.
The UK Academy for Business Services can offer a range of services to industry including:
For more on how UK Academy membership can benefit Scottish employers, or about any of the opportunities listed here, contact Tim Pogson, Head of Asset Skills Scotland, on tpogson@assetskills.org or 0131 667 2448. Alternatively, visit www.assetskills.org/ukacademy or call 0844 822 2525.
Recruitment support for Scottish cleaners
The Scottish Government has funded Asset Skills Scotland to deliver a pilot programme to assist up to 60 candidates out of long-term unemployment and to guarantee them at least a genuine cleaning job interview.
Scottish employers who have vacancies now or will have before the end of March 2012 are invited to get involved in this fully-funded programme.
Candidates will undertake the 'Cleaning Sector Employability Routeway' which has two core elements:
The Scottish Government funding is good news for cleaning employers. The placement programme gives the prospective employer an opportunity to assess the candidate and their suitability for future employment. Secondly the candidate comes to your organisation already having undertaken a fully-funded introductory training programme.
Asset Skills will be working with four groups of candidates at locations throughout Scotland. The programme will be completed by March 2012.
If your organisation will have cleaning vacancies at any time between now and the end of March 2012 and you would like to benefit from this programme, please contact Tim Pogson, Head of Asset Skills Scotland, on tpogson@assetskills.org or 0131 667 2448. There are a maximum of 60 places available, so spaces are likely to be booked quickly.
Getting the right skills for the Green Deal
A series of events is being held to raise awareness of the skills required under the Green Deal, the government's flagship policy for improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
The Green Deal Connections events are free and UK-wide, and will benefit those working in energy assessment, advice and installation.
They are being organised by the Green Deal Alliance (GDSA) partnership made up of three Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) - Asset Skills, ConstructionSkills and SummitSkills.
Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills, said: "The government is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. It is crucial that you attend this event if you want to remain at the forefront of the Green Deal and acquire the necessary information on the skills and accreditations needed to advise on and install new green technologies."
The events are UK-wide and will cover:
The events are targeting:
The GDSA will develop and implement the Green Deal Competency Framework, which aims to develop common standards and qualifications to sit across all aspects of Green Deal assessment, advice and installation. The project is funded by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills through Phase 1 of the Employer Investment Fund.
Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: "The Green Deal Connection events are an important way for SMEs to understand what skills and training they will need to prepare for the forthcoming Green Deal, which rolls out in just one year. The time to prepare for the future is now and it is vital that firms, particularly SMEs, are able to meet demand for the construction of low carbon technology, as well as knowing how not to fall foul of changing regulations. Government has already made it clear that only those qualified will be able to secure work from the Green Deal.
"These events are supported by CITB-ConstructionSkills' Cut the Carbon campaign which is helping SMEs understand the impact of new legislative requirements impacting on carbon emissions, developing the right mix of knowledge and skills to respond to this demand and to ensure that government and larger contractors adequately support SMEs in meeting green skills needs."
Keith Marshall, OBE, Chief Executive of SummitSkills, said: "There has been so much talk recently about Green Deal that unsurprisingly many employers tell us they are unsure of where to start to prepare their people and their organisations to support and take advantage of the initiative.
"These events will guide visitors through the mass of information towards exactly what potential installers of environmental technologies need to know. Working with our partners Asset Skills and ConstructionSkills has enabled us to make the most of our joint resources and of each Sector Skills Council's expertise in their industries."
The Green Deal Connections events are taking place in or around the following cities:
To register, visit http://www.assetskills.org/GreenSkills/GreenDealConnections.aspx
To find out more, email greendeal@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2 888.
Online learning - course of the month
Learndirect eCourses are widely recognised as a benchmark in online learning and have already helped more than 3 million people gain new knowledge, life skills and qualifications.
Asset Skills is able to offer over 300 learndirect courses that might be of interest to your employees and which could really help your organisation.
Our featured course this month is 'Complaints and Quality Management: Quality through Customer Service'. This is a lively 2-hour online course produced by the respected Video Arts production company. The course focuses on the right way to respond to complaints and features well-known actors (Dawn French, Jane Horrocks and Stephen Tompkinson) in realistic situations that will help your employees recognise some common errors and understand how to correct them. The course treats a subject that all organisations must take seriously in a light hearted and entertaining way to keep your staff engaged throughout.
This course is available from us at the standard price of £34.99 plus VAT. Asset Skills UK Academy members would receive a discount on this and all our learndirect course titles, these savings could even pay the year's Academy membership fees.
For further information on this course and other learndirect titles available, or on UK Academy membership, email us on ukacademy@assetskills.org or phone us on 0844 822 2525.
Apprenticeship news: Town Planning Apprenticeship at Level 3
National Occupational Standards in Town Planning have been approved and a new NVQ based on these standards has been developed. To see the qualification structure, please click here.
Asset Skills would now like to gauge the need among planning employers for an apprenticeship to be developed. To see what a potential Apprenticeship would look like please click here.
We would like to hear your views and would greatly appreciate it if you could complete this quick questionnaire, available here.
If there is sufficient demand for an apprenticeship, and funding available, we will begin development work in April 2012.
For more information please contact Liz Black on lblack@assetskills.org or call 07921 976 815.
Apprenticeship news: Apprenticeships in housing workshop , Swindon
Asset Skills and the National Apprenticeship Service are inviting housing associations and representatives from local authority housing departments to an 'Apprenticeships in housing' workshop.
There will be opportunities to share good practice and learn about programmes designed for developing the housing sector and the community. Delegates will be able to:
The event is taking place on 18 October hosted by Swindon Borough Council at the Park South Community Centre, Cranmore Avenue, Swindon, SN3 2EE (close to Junction 15 of the M4).
RSVP to Natalie Garner by Friday 7 October Natalie.garner@apprenticeships.gov.uk or 0117 372 6437.
Apprenticeship news: Local Taxation and Benefits Apprenticeship
The Local Taxation and Benefits apprenticeship has been formally released and funding should be available from mid to late October. This apprenticeship is aimed at benefits and revenue staff employed by local authorities. Details of the apprenticeship can be found at: http://www.assetskills.org/QualificationsAndStandards/Apprenticeships/Localtaxationandbenefits.aspx
A summary of the requirements can be found at: http://www.assetskills.org/Housing/Housing.aspx
For more information on this apprenticeship please contact gspatcher@assetskills.org
Consultation on further education loans
The Government recently launched a consultation on its plans to introduce further education loans from 2013.
As this will affect some categories of apprenticeships, we would like as many apprentices, apprenticeship providers and employers as possible to respond.
The consultation covers measures to:
You can respond with your feedback here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FEloans
The closing date for responses is Friday 21 October 2011. More information on the consultation can be found on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) website
Funding available for technical certificates in FM and cleaning
Government funding is available for facilities management and cleaning employers to put staff through training for the following technical certificates:
Technical certificates are specialist courses that link to key components of a set job role.
Working with recognised training providers, Asset Skills is pleased to offer employers the chance to support their staff and take advantage of funding targeted at raising their workforce's skills and knowledge.
The courses take place as distance learning programmes that last between 3-6 months. The courses are nationally recognised and accredited by awarding organisations such as NCFE and City and Guilds. They can help employees with their career development and act as evidence they are operating to agreed national standards.
The courses on offer:
Eligibility:
The employer needs to provide minimum groups of five candidates. Employees must work in England, have been resident in the EU for the past three years, aged over 19 and not be studying, or hold, the same or a higher qualification.
There is a processing charge to the employer of £25 plus VAT that will be payable for each employee who enrols onto the course.
NB: the employee must independently wish to complete the programme and there is a penalty charge to them if they withdraw (unless it is due to a change of job).
Our partner, Learning at Work, has a proven track record within the FM industry of assisting employers to access this type of initiative and we are keen to promote this opportunity.
For more details please contact Tom Orton, the Asset Skills UK Academy coordinator, at torton@assetskills.org or call 0844 822 2525.
National occupational standards news: employer surveys
Asset Skills is conducting surveys on national occupational standards in the following areas:
To take part in our online surveys please visit www.assetskills.org/consultations
National occupational standards news: facilities management at level 5
New occupational standards in Facilities Management for Senior Managers have been developed to help shape qualifications at level 5. To view the full list of competences visit: http://www.assetskills.org/FacilitiesManagement/FMNOS.aspx
These occupational standards are currently being converted into units for qualifications. If you would like to take part in the development work, please contact vwilliams@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2 888.
National occupational standards news: residential block management
Asset Skills has updated occupational standards in residential block management. To view the full list of competences visit:
http://www.assetskills.org/PropertyAndPlanning/PropertyNOS.aspx
National occupational standards news: Infection Prevention and Control review
Skills for Health is carrying out a consultation to influence the development of National Occupational Standards (NOS) which will underpin future learning and development within the area of Infection Prevention and Control.
A suite of 13 Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) NOS were developed by Skills for Health in 2006/07 in partnership with stakeholders from across the UK. Given changes to practice since this time it is now deemed appropriate to review the NOS to ensure they are fit for purpose.
Therefore your feedback is now being sought on the draft revised NOS.
We are encouraging anyone involved in the area of infection prevention and control to complete an online survey to help in developing these programmes. You can access the survey at www.assetskills.org/consultations
Deadline for completion is 31 October. For more information please contact Vikki Williams at vwilliams@assetskills.org call 0845 678 2 888.
Westminster Kingsway College launches National Cleaning Academy, in partnership with Not Just Cleaning (NJC)
Westminster Kingsway College has announced the launch of a new National Cleaning Academy in central London to provide training and development for businesses and employees. The new Academy will be launched in partnership with commercial cleaning service provider, Not Just Cleaning (NJC).
The National Cleaning Academy at Westminster Kingsway College will aim to raise the standards of cleaning and support service training while working with one of the leading employers in the cleaning industry to provide learners with the opportunity to develop their skills.
The Academy will offer BICs, employability and Apprenticeships qualifications in Cleaning Service industry. The cleaning sector is increasingly seen as a dynamic career with clear and fast progression routes from entry level operatives through to supervisory positions and senior management. The National Cleaning Academy at Westminster Kingsway College will provide training that can progress the careers of those working in this industry.
Not Just Cleaning (NJC) is a commercial cleaning service provider working in London and the South East. NJC employs over 500 cleaning operatives and have achieved the Investors in People Standard recognising their commitment to their staff development. A new cohort of 17 cleaning operatives from NJC will be the first to undertake the Apprenticeship in Cleaning Services through the new National Cleaning Academy at Westminster Kingsway College.
This partnership will bring up to date training linked to skills required by employers working in the cleaning industry, which NJC will advise the college on and have a role in developing the courses to meet business needs.
The College provides a number of training programmes for the Facilities Management and Cleaning Services industry and is a partner in the Virtual Academy for Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council for Facilities Management, Housing, Property, Planning, Cleaning and Parking. The College has also been awarded accreditation from the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) as a recognised centre in providing advanced level training for the Facilities Management industry. It is the first further education college in the UK to gain approval from BIFM to deliver these qualifications.
Ray Shilling, Head of Employer Training Solutions at Westminster Kingsway College, said:
"The launch of the National Cleaning Academy at Westminster Kingsway College in partnership with Not Just Cleaning (NJC) will give a new focus to professional training and development for the Cleaning Services industry. We are very excited to be working with a partner who can provide industry expertise that will complement the professional training that we provide in this sector."
Peter Heppelthwaite, Director London Services from Not Just Cleaning (NJC), said:
"The partnership with Westminster Kingsway College represents a fantastic opportunity for NJC to share its knowledge and expertise and to raise industry training standards through the National Cleaning Academy. It will provide the conduit for cleaners to obtain meaningful, recognised qualifications that can lead to further career progression."
Westminster Kingsway College is recognised as one of the leading providers of training in London and has been accredited with the Training Quality Standard and is a BIFM Recognised Centre. The College offers custom designed, work-based training and professional development programmes through its Employer Training Solutions team. Further information can be found at www.employertrainingsolutions.co.uk or on 0844 844 0413.
Not Just Cleaning (NJC) is a commercial cleaning service provider in London and the South East providing a wide range of Cleaning Services and additional FM services which include Post Room Services, Janitorial Supplies, Pest Control and bespoke built web based CAFM systems. Visit www.notjustcleaning.co.uk or call 0118 930 4466 for further details.
New intelligence papers now available
The Asset Skills research team has produced a range of new intelligence papers looking at the value of apprenticeships for employers and staff across the footprint.
Asset Skills and Apprenticeships intelligence paper (issue 16):
This paper examines the value of apprenticeships for employers and staff across the Asset Skills footprint and discusses a number of key issues, such as; what is involved in an apprenticeship, which apprenticeships are developed by Asset Skills, the benefits for apprentices and employers, the barriers to apprenticeships for employers and how Asset Skills can help employers overcome these barriers.
Women in Senior Management intelligence paper (issue 17):
The occupational distribution of the Asset Skills workforce indicates that 17% of women are employed as managers and senior officials, compared to 27% of men. This paper focuses on the barriers to senior management facing women within the Asset Skills industries and examines a number of key issues, such as pathways into the industry, part-time employment, flexible working and the skills women employed in the Asset Skills industries need to overcome these barriers.
Client Services in Facilities Management and Cleaning intelligence paper (Issue 18):
This paper focuses on the shifting trends in the provision of services for clients within the facilities management and cleaning industries by examining a number of key issues, such as; rising client demand for reduced costs, its impact on service provision and the skills implications of this approach.
The papers can be accessed here: http://www.assetskills.org/Research/LabourMarketInformation/IntelligencePapers.aspx
For more information please contact the Asset Skills Research team on 0845 678 2888.
Parking sector to learn how to make itself leaner and greener
As with many areas of industry, the parking sector is mindful of the need to adopt smarter working practices to derive efficiency, whilst providing excellent services and reducing environmental impact. It is with this in mind that this year's British Parking Association's (BPA) Annual Conference is entitled The Lean Green Parking Machine: Smarter Ways to Efficient Parking Management That Don't Cost the Earth.
There will be a strong green theme running through the day which will look at how the parking sector can fulfil its role in reducing the environmental impact of traffic. For many, environmental issues, including carbon reduction targets, are an integral part of parking policy and planning. But there are challenges in trying to effectively achieve meeting one's green targets and credentials within current economic constraints, so the event will be asking whether it is possible to do everything and do it well?
The BPA Annual Conference takes place at the Kensington Events and Conference Centre on the 29 September, with guest speakers including Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Steven Proudfoot from Asset Skills, the Sector Skills Council, and Alastair Cooper, Chief Executive of NSL Services Group.
Tickets are priced at just £160 (£210 for non-members) which gives access to a choice of master classes with themes including urban and rural parking, technology, asset management, partnership working and near field communications (NFC). Further information is available from www.britishparking.co.uk
The British Cleaning Council is holding its 2011 conference with the theme 'Sustainable Business '. The event will take place at Kings Place in London's Kings Cross on 11 October 2011.
To register for the event please visit www.britishcleaningcouncil.org/cleaningconference
