News
Thursday 16 May 2013
ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, is a partnership between CITB-ConstructionSkills NI, CITB and the Construction Industry Council. It represents the whole industry from professional consultancies to major contractors and the SMEs in their supply chain. Its role is to provide leadership on skills for construction, ensuring that the UK’s largest industry has the skilled workforce it requires.
Thursday 16 May 2013
The Department for Employment & Learning is currently making its skills development courses available for all businesses.
For a limited period, financial assistance is available to eligible NI-based Micro Businesses, Small to Medium-sized Enterprises and Social Economy Enterprises at a rate of 100% of Programme costs (subject to maximum Programme costs of £3,000 per participant). Eligible companies may avail of up to £7,000 in funding through MLDP in each financial year
Further details can be discussed with the Department’s MLDP Programme Manager on Telephone: 028 9090 5345
Thursday 09 May 2013
There was standing room only at the first joint seminar delivered by CITB-ConstructionSkills NI and the Charted Institute of Housing. The seminar entitled ‘Retrofitting - Realising the Advantages’ was attended by a wide range of delegates from the public and private sector. Delegates heard from a range of expert speakers and were shown best practice case studies. Jim Dennison, Head of Operations at CIH said: “We were delighted by the success of our first collaborative training seminar with CITB-ConstructionSkills NI. We look forward to our next event on creating and maintaining healthier homes in June and to planning and delivering more issue-focussed events in the future.”
Thursday 25 Apr 2013
Last week successful participants in the 'Building Skills for Sustainable Construction' project gathered at Nutts Corner Training Centre for an informal information session on the overall project.
The project will send 30 individuals from the construction industry to Biberach in Germany to learn about building and retro-fitting energy-efficient buildings, renewable technologies and sustainable materials.
Two training courses will be held in June and October 2013 and each will last for two weeks. In addition, the participants will attend some language and cultural training before departing for Germany.
The funding has been provided by the European Commission’s Leonardo programme which is managed by Ecorys in the UK.
Interested parties can keep up to date with the progress of the project at www.citbcsni.org.uk or by ‘liking’ CITB-ConstructionSkills NI on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/CITBConstructionSkillsNI.
Thursday 25 Apr 2013
There is no doubt that the recession has hit construction extremely hard and the industry is changing at a pace. However construction is still a big industry with an estimated 60,000 currently employed in Northern Ireland.
Construction is crucial to the success of our economic revival, there are on average 660 required to enter the industry every year for the next five years, weakening demand for construction services means this demand will be solely to fill vacancies by those leaving the sector.
It is therefore very important for skills to be developed over the next few years in order to prepare for the upturn. Indeed research has indicated that construction could be facing an ageing workforce with around one in six workers due to retire within 10 years. It is also significant to note that the local construction industry is also losing people to other countries and therefore depleting our skills base.
Tuesday 16 Apr 2013
170 students from 9 schools in West Belfast got a chance to get hands on experience of brickwork, joinery, plumbing and wall & floor tiling at the ‘Have a Go’ programme held at Nutts Corner.
This ‘Have a Go’ programme ran for three days and was organised by CITB-ConstructionSkills NI and the West Belfast Business Education Partnership funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). Each day finished with a ‘flat-pack’ challenge, sponsored by IKEA whereby a group of students from each school had to compete against each other to assemble a flat pack table and chairs. The finished items were in turn donated by each participating school to the nearest nursery/playgroup for their use.
Monday 25 Mar 2013
Over 100 competitors from all over the Province tested their skills at Skillbuild 2013 which was held at Northern Regional College, Newtownabbey Campus on 20 & 21 March.
Skillbuild NI is held annually each spring, with the top local construction apprentices competing to win coveted titles in 12 different construction craft areas ranging from brickwork to wall and floor tiling. The winners may then go on to represent Northern Ireland in the UK Skillbuild Finals and potentially the UK at WorldSkills.
The Skillbuild NI competition not only encourages trainees to improve their own skills, but provides an example of the high quality work being produced in training organisations and colleges across NI. The Skillbuild test pieces are designed to challenge the ability of apprentices, testing skills within tight timeframes and the competitors are being continuously assessed throughout the 2 day competition.
Monday 28 Jan 2013
The Northern Ireland construction industry has gone through one of its most difficult economic periods and after five years of steep decline, construction output in Northern Ireland (NI) is expected to stabilise in 2013 with small levels of growth anticipated from 2014 onwards.
Monday 28 Jan 2013
The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), is reminding tradesmen that there is still time to sign up for free asbestos awareness training.
Through the ‘Asbestos Training Pledge NI’ initiative, which runs until 29 March 2013, local trades people can receive free training to help protect themselves from deadly asbestos.
While pleased with the uptake in the training so far, HSENI is urging local tradesmen to take advantage of the remaining courses. And, though nearly all of the classroom places have been filled there are still online courses available.
Thursday 10 Jan 2013
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI is now recruiting participants for an innovative project, to train 30 local construction workers in sustainable construction in Biberach, Germany. The ‘Building Skills for Sustainable Construction’ project will help participants widen their knowledge of sustainable construction methods, renewable energy and environmental standards.
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI Chief Executive Barry Neilson said ‘We are delighted to be able to offer this unique opportunity to the construction industry in Northern Ireland, and hope that we will build upon its success and expand the numbers in future years. Germany is one of the world’s greenest economies and research has indicated that buildings in Germany use 20% less energy than neighbouring countries. It is this know-how that we hope to transfer to the Northern Ireland industry to help us meet our local energy targets. This can only be done if the workforce receives training and improves their skills’.
Thursday 10 Jan 2013
The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) invites applications from individuals who wish to nominate themselves to serve as a Board Member of CITB-ConstructionSkills NI. CITB-ConstructionSkills NI aims to encourage the training of those employed, or intending to be employed, in the construction industry in Northern Ireland. Through this appointment process, the Department intends to appoint five Board Members for a period of three years.
The Department wishes to appoint four employee representatives and one educational representative.
Thursday 10 Jan 2013
Tailor the training needs of your team by booking CITB-ConstructionSkills NI Mobile Training Unit (MTU). Our MTU provides a convenient way of meeting training requirements with minimum disruption to site work. The unit travels across the Province delivering health and safety courses such as confined spaces, excavations, manual handling and working at heights in order to encourage the industry to build safely.
Wednesday 21 Nov 2012
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI have been working with local Essential Skills, numeracy, literacy and ICT tutors to launch a suite of resource packs tailored for construction students and those working in the industry.
These resource packs have been developed to support Essential Skills tutors in making tasks construction related helping the course to be more relevant and interesting for the student. Using ‘real life’ examples, scenarios and topics helps to successfully deliver the qualification and helps to increase pass rates. Construction is the only industry sector to have developed these packs.
Wednesday 21 Nov 2012
Building Learning NI is one of the 10 assessment centres involved in the Qualifying the Existing Workforce project which will qualify 500 unqualified employed construction workers to NVQ Level 2.
This initiative is a partnership between CITB-ConstructionSkills NI and the Joint Council for the Building & Civil Engineering Industry supported and funded by the Department for Employment and Learning.
Building Learning NI have offices in Ballycastle and Belfast. The company specialise in training and assessment in Construction. They have been working hard to promote the free NVQ’s and now have got 4 members of the one family qualified.
Alan Parks, Robert Ronald Parks and Robert Albert Parks and Nigel Parks have achieved Level 2 Specialist Concrete Operations in situ flooring. This qualification was completed via the Portfolio Building Route whereby the candidates build a portfolio of evidence from a range of sources.
Tuesday 06 Nov 2012
Requirement for first-tier subcontractors to have a Health and Safety Management Systems certified by a 3 rd party
Contractors, and their subcontractors, interested in working on government construction contracts are reminded of the change, coming into effect on the 31st December 2012, regarding Health and Safety Management systems for first-tier subcontractors.
Action 2 (b) of the Buildsafe-NI Action Plan 2011 already means that Government Construction Clients require main contractors’ first-tier subcontractors, with 10 or more employees, to have a Health and Safety Management System certified by a 3rd party.
Tuesday 30 Oct 2012
The 20 Northern Ireland members of Squad UK for WorldSkills in Leipzig has been released with 11 individuals representing construction trades. Competition areas include wall & floor tiling, electrical installation, plastering & dry wall systems, painting and decorating, joinery, carpentry, bricklaying and refrigeration & air conditioning.
These 11 young people will now participate in rigorous training and practical trials prior to final selection which will take place early next year.
Thursday 25 Oct 2012
10 young construction apprentices from across NI are reveling in the success achieved in the in the national final of SkillBuild, the UK’s largest multi-trade competition. The team achieved 2 Gold medals, 5 Silver and 3 Bronze in bricklaying, cabinet making, carpentry, dry-wall systems, joinery, plastering and wall & floor tiling. This achievement is building on the success achieved at last year WorldSkills proving Northern Ireland has highly skilled talent on a local, national and world stage. All team participants were invited to a celebratory evening at CITB-ConstructionSkills NI were key sponsors and partners applauded their success.
Wednesday 17 Oct 2012
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI has been awarded funding, to deliver an innovative project, to train 30 local construction workers in sustainable construction in Biberach, Germany. The ‘Building Skills for Sustainable Construction’ project will help participants widen their knowledge of sustainable construction methods, renewable energy and environmental standards. The funding has been provided by the European Commission’s Leonardo programme which is managed by Ecorys in the UK.
Pictured are: Torsten Windmueller, Kompetenz Zentrum Holzbau und Ausbau Biberach and Barry Neilson, Chief Executive, CITB-ConstructionSkills NI
Wednesday 17 Oct 2012
Over 80 people attended the Right Skills for Repair & Maintenance event in September, held at CITB-ConstructionSkills NI, Nutts Corner.
A series of speakers talked through skills needs, training, and qualifications for the traditional building sector illustrated by key case studies. Topic areas highlighted that relevant qualifications and evidence of competency and expertise combined with using the right methods and materials reduces the risk of damage to pre 1919 buildings, extends their life span and helps maintain consistent practices and standards.
Monday 08 Oct 2012
Changes to mandatory requirements for participation in tender competitions for works contracts up £4.3M
Thursday 04 Oct 2012
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI has been awarded funding, to deliver an innovative project, to train 30 local construction workers in sustainable construction in Biberach, Germany. The ‘Building Skills for Sustainable Construction’ project will help participants widen their knowledge of sustainable construction methods, renewable energy and environmental standards.
Thursday 20 Sep 2012
In a major initiative that should pave the way for the recognition of skills and competence in the placing of concrete the Quarry Products Association NI in partnership with CITB-Construction Skills NI have launched the new NVQ level 2 qualification in the placing of non structural concrete.
QPANI and CITB-ConstructionSkills NI hosted an introduction evening recently in the Dunsilly Hotel Antrim at which 40 concrete laying contractors heard how the assessment qualification has been put together, its recognition and value both locally and nationally and how it will be delivered to the Industry.
Wednesday 19 Sep 2012
10 young construction apprentices from across NI are reveling in the success achieved in the in the national final of SkillBuild, the UK’s largest multi-trade competition. The team achieved 2 Gold medals, 5 Silver and 3 Bronze in bricklaying, cabinet making, carpentry, dry-wall systems, joinery, plastering and wall & floor tiling. This achievement is building on the success achieved at last year WorldSkills proving Northern Ireland has highly skilled talent on a local, national and world stage.
Monday 17 Sep 2012
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI has launched its new £1.1m training grant scheme for the local construction industry. More and more construction companies are investing in training to help boost skills and prepare for the industry returning to growth.
Monday 10 Sep 2012
Nine individuals across Northern Ireland have been given the opportunity to learn a heritage craft while working on some major heritage projects over the last year, including the Derry/Londonderry City Walls and the Cathedral of St. Eunan and St Columba in Letterkenny.
Wednesday 05 Sep 2012
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI are please to announce a partnership arrangement under Tier 3 of the 2012-2013 Grant Scheme for a new four day Management and Leadership Programme specifically designed by hire industry professionals.
The programme is suitable for Managers and Supervisors who want to acquire competence in hire and rental operations that contribute to an effective, efficient and profitable business.
Friday 15 Jun 2012
CITB-ConstructionSkills NI has secured additional funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through its Skills for the Future Programme to continue and expand on work to sustain and develop traditional skills in the local built heritage sector.
Monday 26 Oct 2009
A collation of press clippings / photos for May to June 2009
highlighting ConstructionSkills in NI and CITB events.
Click here for Press Clippings