EDITORIAL

This newsletter appears at a time when most are finding the going hard. It is not only the weather that has turned against us. New figures from ConstructionSkills show that the current economic downturn has seen the annual requirement for new construction staff halve.  At the same time however we are told by ConstructionSkills that "the construction industry will continue to flourish in the long-term, and that the workforce will expand beyond the current number of 2.5 million.” The clear message is that now is not the time to cut down on the training. On the contrary the advice from ConstructionSkills is to continue training to ensure a safe, professional and qualified workforce thus securing a stronger, more competitive position to win and retain contracts. Businesses, we are told should protect and seek to improve the quality of their workforce to mark themselves out to potential clients. That is the message of this newsletter and is the theme running through your workshop programme.

Mike Eden

FEATURES

In this issue: 

Free seminar on developing the skills you need to run your business in these difficult times, a workshop on grants available and information on how to get a grant of £500.

A look at Health and Safety and Employment Law in association with Induction, Foreign Workers and Young People.

What can we do for you - Visits to members, Coaching and Mentoring

One members success!

Training CD's, Off the Job Training Provision and NVQ.

Plus dates for your diary!

 

Getting the Message Across

Our first workshop addressed the issues directly.

It is about striving to improve performance and meeting targets, about effective leadership in winning new business. Julie Seddon is running a workshop this week aimed at helping delegates to recognise, practice and develop the skills and techniques required to run businesses in these difficult times. It will be about providing people with goals, direction, coaching, training, support and more.

If you have missed this one but would like to attend a future one please let me know and if the demand is there we will repeat the workshop.

Inductions / Foreign Workers /
 Young People

Now is also a time to minimize risk in the business.

All three subjects offer potential challenges under both employment and health and safety law. In a "double header" Bruce Sutherland will look at the health and safety aspects and Julie Rae will consider the employment law issues. It is a fact that you are far more likely to be involved in an employment "difficulty" than a health and safety one, but the loss associated with a health and safety concern may be far higher, and these days could involve someone going to jail. Both risks can be minimised and the talk aims to provide practical guidance on the relevant legislation and standards.

We will run this in late November. If you are interested and wish to attend please let me know and I will let you have full joining details.

Date and venue to be determined when I have numbers.

Grants Workshop

Now is not the time to miss out on the grants and the financial support that is available to you.

We are organising a workshop to look at how you claim grant and for what, and also what other funding sources are available to you, from Business Link and Train to Gain.

We hope to have representatives from Train to Gain to talk about funding opportunities and from CITB-ConstructionSkills to answer your questions about Grants.

There will be a workshop and then there will be an opportunity for one to one discussions with a provider of your choice.

Details will be sent out  shortly.
 

MEMBERS AWARD

One of our members who is doing very well on the training front is Schooling Building Contractors Ltd.

They entered the FMB’ award scheme for Investment in Workforce Training & Development and were  awarded a Certificate of Excellence and selected as the Regional Winner and National Entry from the South West.

They have now received their certificate and will go forward to the National event on November 13^th. They go with our congratulations and our very best wishes. Well done to Mike, Trisha and Emma and all at Schooling Building Contractors Ltd.
 

Mentoring & Coaching Anyone?

I referred earlier in this newsletter to our workshop ‘Getting the Message Across’, a workshop designed to help delegates to recognise, practice and develop the skills and techniques required to run businesses. This has set me thinking about mentoring and coaching and wondering whether members might find such a Group sponsored service of value. We may not be able to go anywhere with this but I am in preliminary discussions at the moment about the nuts and bolts of such a proposal and it if does look as though it could take off I will talk with Business Link and Train to Gain to see what financial support is available. I have broached the idea with a couple of members and they see a value in it. If you are interested then please give me a call.

NVQ in Business Admin

Are you or do you have anyone interested in working for an NVQ3 in Business Management and Administration. There may be funding available to do this in addition to the grants from ConstructionSkills. I have six people who have said they would like to know more about it. I need another half dozen to enable me to talk to open discussions about extra funding. For more details, please give me a call.

Dates for your diary

The next meeting of the Executive Committee
                                            13th November 2008

AGM                                    25th February 2009

Annual dinner                     12th March 2009
 

OFF THE JOB TRAINING PROVISION

Our website now includes our ‘off the job’ training provision for 2008 and  has been expanded to include descriptions of the courses that are available. The list is not exhaustive. Our training provision is intended to reflect demand, so just because it is not on the list it does not mean we cannot source it for you. You want it, you ask for it and we will find it for you. That is how it works.

WEB DESIGN

If you are interested in a web design or need help and advice please contact the Devon Construction Training Web Master  - Chris Hopkins - on
01202 699860

or email:  chrisphopkins@yahoo.co.uk

or visit: www.your-own-page.co.uk

STOP PRESS

In case you missed the email I sent the other day here is a quick reminder of the Renewable Energy for Buildings Masterclass to be held on Tuesday 28 October in Exeter and on Thursday 30 October in Bideford. Details of this free Masterclass can be found on www.sustainablebuild.org.

We are looking at putting on the following courses at a place near you:

Working at Heights
Asbestos Awareness
Working with Power tools (including abrasive wheels) and HAV
Risk Assessment
An SMSTS course starting in November. There are 5 places available

Let me know if you have any candidates.

Devon Construction Training Ltd
Registered in England No.5551502 
Registered office: 16 Rydon Industrial Estate, Kingsteignton, Devon, TQ12 3SJ
VAT Reg. No. 881 3516 18