The government and the Greater London Authority have recently announced plans that will see as many as 50,000 new homes built across London in the next few years. These properties will be part of designated housing zones that will provide much-needed homes for families and provide a boost to the construction industry. As the construction sector demands more skilled workers, those with CITB training could have an advantage.
The proposals were launched by George Osborne, the Chancellor, alongside Boris Johnson, London's Mayor. These plans will be backed up by £200 million of funding and will see up to 20 of these zones created across the capital. This programme of housing development is not just restricted to the capital. There are plans in the pipeline to roll out the scheme to other areas of the country.
As part of this strategy to tackle the issue of shortfalls in the availability of property, local authorities will be able to speed up the planning and construction phases. There will be the removal of some restrictions, enabling councils to make better use of the available land.
Boost for the Construction Sector
The Construction Skills Network report from the CITB highlighted that up to 6,400 roles could be available in the capital by 2018. House building is now at its highest level since 2008, as the economy begins its recovery from the recession. However, there is still a large discrepancy between the demand for good-quality and affordable housing and the number of properties available. These proposals from the government are designed to go some way to alleviating this problem.
These new homes will undoubtedly lead to more roles for skilled workers as well as apprentices. Those employees who have the right level of skills and commitment will be most in demand, and CITB training can give workers an edge over other applicants. CITB training can take various forms from plant maintenance and operation to scaffolding and health and safety courses. Choose courses that are relevant to your particular skills and ensure that you put the CITB training on any application forms or CVs that you produce.
At ACT we offer a range of CITB training courses, covering health and safety awareness, plant manager training and site manager and supervisor training. We have considerable experience of providing these courses and can support you in finding the most appropriate one. Details of all our courses can be found through the site or you can contact us for further information.
Monday, 7 July 2014
Friday, 20 June 2014
CITB Training Needed to Stem Skills Shortage
A recent report has highlighted that there has been growth within the construction industry. This can only be good news for companies operating within the market. However, it does bring up issues concerning the availability of appropriate labour (as staff should hold CITB training to ensure they are working safely) and a rise in the cost of materials and labour.
A Construction Products Association report showed that there has been a rapid growth across the construction industry. It is the first time in the last six years that the industry has recorded growth for four quarters in a row. Activity amongst the new-build sector is rising particularly fast and there is strong optimism about the next 12 months.
Along with a rise in activity levels, there has also been an increase in the prices paid through tenders. During the first quarter of 2014, there was an increase in the number of companies that saw rising tender prices: 47% of companies had seen a rise against just 2% for the last quarter of 2013. However, a large proportion of this increase is taken away by the rises in the costs of materials and labour. 50% of companies that took part in the survey reported that there had been an increase in labour costs.
Recruitment Issues
This rapid growth in the market has meant that recruitment levels are struggling to keep up. As more new-build sites begin, there is a growing need for individuals who are readily available and possess the correct skills and experience. In the first quarter of 2014, 61% of companies had problems recruiting bricklayers; this figure was only 41% at the end of 2013.
The construction industry’s Council and Industry Training Board (CITB) works alongside the industry to ensure that all employees are sufficiently qualified and safe. CITB training consists of a number of different courses which can be adapted depending on the requirements of the individual or company.
If the construction industry is to be able to deal with this rise in activity, then they need to focus on having a trained and experienced team behind them. CITB training is one route to achieving this.
At ACT we offer a range of training courses, including CITB training, City and Guilds, NEBOSH and IOSH. Our website provides comprehensive details on our full range, or one of our team will be happy to assist you with your requirements.
A Construction Products Association report showed that there has been a rapid growth across the construction industry. It is the first time in the last six years that the industry has recorded growth for four quarters in a row. Activity amongst the new-build sector is rising particularly fast and there is strong optimism about the next 12 months.
Along with a rise in activity levels, there has also been an increase in the prices paid through tenders. During the first quarter of 2014, there was an increase in the number of companies that saw rising tender prices: 47% of companies had seen a rise against just 2% for the last quarter of 2013. However, a large proportion of this increase is taken away by the rises in the costs of materials and labour. 50% of companies that took part in the survey reported that there had been an increase in labour costs.
Recruitment Issues
This rapid growth in the market has meant that recruitment levels are struggling to keep up. As more new-build sites begin, there is a growing need for individuals who are readily available and possess the correct skills and experience. In the first quarter of 2014, 61% of companies had problems recruiting bricklayers; this figure was only 41% at the end of 2013.
The construction industry’s Council and Industry Training Board (CITB) works alongside the industry to ensure that all employees are sufficiently qualified and safe. CITB training consists of a number of different courses which can be adapted depending on the requirements of the individual or company.
If the construction industry is to be able to deal with this rise in activity, then they need to focus on having a trained and experienced team behind them. CITB training is one route to achieving this.
At ACT we offer a range of training courses, including CITB training, City and Guilds, NEBOSH and IOSH. Our website provides comprehensive details on our full range, or one of our team will be happy to assist you with your requirements.
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
CITB Training Needed to Stem Skills Shortage
A recent report has highlighted that there has been growth within the construction industry. This can only be good news for companies operating within the market. However, it does bring up issues concerning the availability of appropriate labour (as staff should hold CITB training to ensure they are working safely) and a rise in the cost of materials and labour.
A Construction Products Association report showed that there has been a rapid growth across the construction industry. It is the first time in the last six years that the industry has recorded growth for four quarters in a row. Activity amongst the new-build sector is rising particularly fast and there is strong optimism about the next 12 months.
Along with a rise in activity levels, there has also been an increase in the prices paid through tenders. During the first quarter of 2014, there was an increase in the number of companies that saw rising tender prices: 47% of companies had seen a rise against just 2% for the last quarter of 2013. However, a large proportion of this increase is taken away by the rises in the costs of materials and labour. 50% of companies that took part in the survey reported that there had been an increase in labour costs.
Recruitment Issues
This rapid growth in the market has meant that recruitment levels are struggling to keep up. As more new-build sites begin, there is a growing need for individuals who are readily available and possess the correct skills and experience. In the first quarter of 2014, 61% of companies had problems recruiting bricklayers; this figure was only 41% at the end of 2013.
The construction industry’s Council and Industry Training Board (CITB) works alongside the industry to ensure that all employees are sufficiently qualified and safe. CITB training consists of a number of different courses which can be adapted depending on the requirements of the individual or company.
If the construction industry is to be able to deal with this rise in activity, then they need to focus on having a trained and experienced team behind them. CITB training is one route to achieving this.
At ACT we offer a range of training courses, including CITB training, City and Guilds, NEBOSH and IOSH. Our website provides comprehensive details on our full range, or one of our team will be happy to assist you with your requirements.
A Construction Products Association report showed that there has been a rapid growth across the construction industry. It is the first time in the last six years that the industry has recorded growth for four quarters in a row. Activity amongst the new-build sector is rising particularly fast and there is strong optimism about the next 12 months.
Along with a rise in activity levels, there has also been an increase in the prices paid through tenders. During the first quarter of 2014, there was an increase in the number of companies that saw rising tender prices: 47% of companies had seen a rise against just 2% for the last quarter of 2013. However, a large proportion of this increase is taken away by the rises in the costs of materials and labour. 50% of companies that took part in the survey reported that there had been an increase in labour costs.
Recruitment Issues
This rapid growth in the market has meant that recruitment levels are struggling to keep up. As more new-build sites begin, there is a growing need for individuals who are readily available and possess the correct skills and experience. In the first quarter of 2014, 61% of companies had problems recruiting bricklayers; this figure was only 41% at the end of 2013.
The construction industry’s Council and Industry Training Board (CITB) works alongside the industry to ensure that all employees are sufficiently qualified and safe. CITB training consists of a number of different courses which can be adapted depending on the requirements of the individual or company.
If the construction industry is to be able to deal with this rise in activity, then they need to focus on having a trained and experienced team behind them. CITB training is one route to achieving this.
At ACT we offer a range of training courses, including CITB training, City and Guilds, NEBOSH and IOSH. Our website provides comprehensive details on our full range, or one of our team will be happy to assist you with your requirements.
NEBOSH WINS QUEEN'S AWARD
NEBOSH has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2014 for its “outstanding achievement” in international trade.
The Award recognises its international growth over the three years to the end of March 2013. In that time overseas registrations for NEBOSH examinations more than tripled.
The Awards are announced annually each year on the Queen’s birthday (21 April) to celebrate and encourage excellence in UK Business. NEBOSH was one of only 110 companies to receive the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2014.
“Health and safety is an export that Britain should be proud of,” said NEBOSH Chair, Sir Bill Callaghan. “It saves lives, prevents serious injuries and protects people’s health in workplaces throughout the world.”
“British educational standards have often been admired and followed in other countries,” said NEBOSH Chief Executive, Teresa Budworth. “This is something we have sought to uphold through our vocational qualifications, which have a strong reputation and are seen as a thorough test of health, safety and environmental knowledge and its practical application.
“We are humbled and proud to have been recognised for our contribution to Britain’s international success by this Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The whole team at NEBOSH have contributed to this success, including staff members, our Board of Trustees, Examiners and our network of over 600 accredited course providers.”
For more information on NEBOSH’s success, please visit their website www.nebosh.org.uk or contact the NEBOSH Customer Services Team on +44 (0)116 263 4700
The Award recognises its international growth over the three years to the end of March 2013. In that time overseas registrations for NEBOSH examinations more than tripled.
The Awards are announced annually each year on the Queen’s birthday (21 April) to celebrate and encourage excellence in UK Business. NEBOSH was one of only 110 companies to receive the Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2014.
“Health and safety is an export that Britain should be proud of,” said NEBOSH Chair, Sir Bill Callaghan. “It saves lives, prevents serious injuries and protects people’s health in workplaces throughout the world.”
“British educational standards have often been admired and followed in other countries,” said NEBOSH Chief Executive, Teresa Budworth. “This is something we have sought to uphold through our vocational qualifications, which have a strong reputation and are seen as a thorough test of health, safety and environmental knowledge and its practical application.
“We are humbled and proud to have been recognised for our contribution to Britain’s international success by this Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The whole team at NEBOSH have contributed to this success, including staff members, our Board of Trustees, Examiners and our network of over 600 accredited course providers.”
For more information on NEBOSH’s success, please visit their website www.nebosh.org.uk or contact the NEBOSH Customer Services Team on +44 (0)116 263 4700
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Classroom taught health and safety training will broaden career horizons
Health and safety courses within schools can generate a new interest which can be pursued in their education. As well as promoting education, it also provides beneficial skills that are extremely valuable to you students’ lives and will broaden their future career horizons. Here at Act Associates, we have a distinct range of courses available for the classroom which are accredited by NEBOSH, IOSH training, IAS, IEMA, ECITB and much more! When it comes to health and safety courses it doesn’t get better than that! Once they are accredited with one of these courses, or complete a diploma, this will really enhance their career possibilities and will leave a positive impression on future employees.
You can rest assure that your pupils will be trained by professionals that have been endorsed by the relevant awarding bodies for such courses. Classroom taught training gives us the opportunity to interact and engage students, to share our passion for these important courses. This is the best way for your pupils to learn, receiving face to face training. They can share their input, raise questions, and work as a team to facilitate their learning. This is much more likely to create interest surrounding the topics and encourage them to achieve the highly respected and widely recognised Nebosh diploma.
Our classroom courses can be tailored towards your schools specific preferences and requirements. Whether it’s a one day course covering essential skills such as risk assessment, or the NEBOSH diploma, we will share our experiences and knowledge with your students in order to inspire their future. Our courses can build your students up to the well-recognised NEBOSH certificate. This is an essential minimum that would be required for future full-time health and safety jobs. Once students advance to the NEBOSH diploma, this opens the doors to many more career opportunities. This is required for health and safety managerial jobs, so once achieved, is a very valuable tool!
These courses and qualifications provide students with an idea of what a career in the health and safety world would require and expect from them. It will really strengthen their future job possibilities as they will be able to demonstrate they are keen to learn and adapt. The certificates also reflect valuable personal skills and attributes, making them more employable. This is by virtue of showing this person is willing to go the extra mile and they can handle challenging situations.
To see what other health and safety oppurtunities we provide, please see our website today.
Thursday, 1 August 2013
Heres some articles that ACT Associates Ltd have found this month
Learning Objectives Made Easy with This
Simple Tip
If
you’re required to list the learning objectives it doesn’t necessarily mean
they have to be presented as a list. You’ve probably seen those websites where
there’s a top image and underneath it are some buttons to reveal additional
images. Why not create something similar for the learning objectives of your
elearning course? Instead of listing all of the objectives as bullet points,
create a single objective on each screen. Then add a button that allows the
person to navigate through the objectives. It satisfies listing the objectives,
but it doesn’t force them to a bullet point list
How I would approach creating compliance
e-learning
Last week I reported on Towards Maturity's latest study, Reinvigorating
Compliance Training. The study showed clearly what
a hole we have got ourselves into with e-learning compliance training. More
often than not management is coming to us with a requirement for a simple
tell-and-test programme that does little more than tick boxes, and it seems
that we are only too keen to oblige. In the process we risk irreparable damage
to our status as professional designers and perpetuate management's perception
that we are mere order takers. It's easy to criticise, much harder to put
forward a solution. However, I like a challenge; so, it falls to me to put my
reputation on the line by suggesting how I would approach a request for
compliance e-learning. I'm going to assume that I've already explored the
alternatives and that e-learning stands a reasonable chance of influencing the
outcome. So what would I do?
Compliance - e-learning's greatest friend and worst enemy
Universally, lack of
employee engagement emerged as the biggest barrier to effectiveness – and is
linked strongly to the poor reputation of compliance e-learning. Ask yourself
what efforts you are currently making to really engage your audience and make
it relevant to them. If you are subjecting your employees to ‘death by
PowerPoint’, rolling out the same content year after year to everyone
regardless of their job role or risk profile, blinding the learner with
irrelevant detail about what the law says rather than what it means to them or
failing to engage your line managers in the process, then the chances are you
are potentially turning off the very people whose buy-in you need to
effectively mitigate your compliance risks.
Online CE and Training Leader RedVector Named 2013 Honoree for the
Best of Elearning! Awards
RedVector
is being recognized for its premier online training and compliance solution,
which delivers, facilitates, and tracks online learning programs targeted to
the needs of design and construction professionals and provides comprehensive
license management capabilities to ensure compliance with certification
requirements.
"This
is really something special," says RedVector CEO Tom Wallace.
"Knowing that this honour comes directly from our clients who voted for us
means we’re really doing something right. Our goal at RedVector has always been
to provide the highest-quality online training and education solutions to help
industry professionals expand their knowledge and stay compliant, and we will
continue to look for new and engaging ways to not only meet but exceed their
needs."
OnlineITcourses.com Offers IT
Training and E-Learning Facility
A number of IT e-Learning courses from all over the world are offered
through this website. Individual students can also learn IT courses online.
Networking and Server courses are also offered, which cover the topics, general
IT knowledge, network technologies and operating systems. OnlineITcourses.com features a
link named Course Catalogue, which includes IT eLearning courses like
Microsoft, Linux, Cisco, IT Security and Comp TIA under the title Server and
Networking, Java, Programming languages and Microsoft .Net under Software
Development, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server under Databases and finally SAP,
Google and Microsoft Office under Desktop and Office. IT training on project management courses covers certain
specific methodologies like PMBoK, Prince2 and ITIL.
http://www.sbwire.comThis news feed was brought to you by ACT Associates Ltd
Monday, 22 April 2013
NEBOSH National Diploma exam success January 2013
ACT
Associates would like to congratulate all the students who recently passed
their NEBOSH National Diploma exams in January 2013. Well done in achieving
such excellent results.
Our next NEBOSH National Diploma Unit A course commences 15th July 2013 at our prestigious Midlands venue.
E-learning and blended learning options are available for most NEBOSH awards.
Our next NEBOSH National Diploma Unit A course commences 15th July 2013 at our prestigious Midlands venue.
E-learning and blended learning options are available for most NEBOSH awards.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
ACT Associates launch new website
ACT Associates are pleased to be able to celebrate the launch of their new website.
We hope that you find our new ACT website has a fresh look with improved navigation which allows you to find the information you need more quickly and easier. We have reviewed and updated all our information so that you can be confident that everything you are reading is as current as possible.
ACT Associates now offer more health and safety products and services than ever before and this is why we decided to re-vamp our website, to allow us to promote ourselves as best we could!
The benefits of the new website are:
Success on the iAS CDM Co-ordinators course
ACT
Associates would like to congratulate all the delegates who attended the CDM
Co-ordinators course held at Stourbridge last week 26-27 March 2013. Well done from all at ACT.
Find
out more about this CDM Co-ordinator training course provided by ACT. This
three-day CDM Coordinator course equips delegates with the relevant skills and
knowledge to satisfy the requirements of the role of Co-ordinator under the new
CDM Regulations 2007.
Please
visit our website www.actassociates.co.uk
SMSTS Health and Safety Exam Success
ACT
Associates would like to congratulate all the delegates who recently attended a
5 day SMSTS course (Site Managers Safety Training Scheme). All students passed their exam but we would
like to make a special mention to Mark and Andy who both achieved 100%, well
done!
As
a result of our continued success in providing Site Safety Plus courses in the
UK; including SMSTS Refresher, SSSTS, Health and Safety Awareness, Achieving
Behavioural Change (ABC) and Plant Manager Safety Training, we are now
delighted to confirm further venues and dates throughout 2013.
Please
visit our website www.actassociates.co.uk
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
ACT to exhibit at Health and Safety Scotland 2013
ACT
Associates are pleased to announce we will be exhibiting at the forthcoming Health
and Safety Scotland on the 17-18 April 2013 at SECC, Glasgow.
First
launched in 2007, Western Business Exhibition's regional event series has
expanded rapidly with support from the industry's leading voices and
stakeholders.
There
is now a significant safety exhibition and free educational conference
programme at five excellent venues throughout the UK and Ireland. So, if you
are responsible for the health and safety of your workforce then there is now a
free-to-attend event almost on your doorstep, wherever you are.
ACT to exhibit at the SHE Show South 2013
ACT
Associates are pleased to announce we will be exhibiting at the forthcoming SHE
Show South 2013 on the 23 April 2013 at Doubletree by Hilton, Milton Keynes.
The
SHE Show is a high profile conference running alongside an exhibition featuring
key suppliers and service providers in the fields of safety, health and
environment. Celebrating it's Fifth year, it has now become one of the
most successful events of its kind in the SHE arena.
ACT
is a leading provider of flexible solutions to your health, safety and
environmental training needs; together with support through our audit and
consultancy services.
ACT to exhibit at the HRD 2013 Conference and Exhibition
ACT
Associates are pleased to announce we will be exhibiting at the forthcoming HRD
2013 on the 24-25 April 2013 at Olympia, London.
The
HRD Conference and Exhibition offers practical solutions to your Learning and
Development challenges. 10 reasons why you should attend HRD...
- Focus on
specific areas such as coaching or talent or get an update across all
areas of L&D.
- Benefit from
sessions in three different formats and find a learning style that suits
you.
- Get practical
tips and advice to improve individual and organisational performance.
- Hear from L&D
and business leaders, who are experts in their chosen fields
- Work through
your business issues in practical workshops with like-minded peers.
- Benchmark your
existing approaches to learning and development.
- Hear from
leading organisations who are tackling the same challenges as you.
- Meet top L&D
suppliers and get tailored advice to issues you're facing.
- Take a look at
the latest products and services in learning and organisation development
at the free exhibition.
- Get professional
development advice and try speed networking and make new contacts.
Worcestershire Health and Safety Group Meeting 13th February 2013
ACT
Associates would like to thank our representative David Smith for giving such an
excellent and informative presentation on OHSAS 18001 and Auditing at the
Worcestershire H&S Group meeting on 13th February 2013 at Perdiswell
Leisure Centre, Worcester.
David Smith has many years’ experience developing, writing and implementing
management systems. He chairs a variety of British Standards Institution
technical
committees including the one responsible for occupational health and
safety management systems.
Additionally, he represents the United Kingdom on a wide variety of ISO
and European committees on management systems standards.
NEBOSH Certificate exam success December 2012
ACT
Associates would like to congratulate all the students who recently passed
their NEBOSH Certificate exams in December 2012. Well done in achieving such excellent
results.
Our
next NEBOSH General, Construction and Fire Certificate courses will commence 10
June 2013 at our ten UK venues: Midlands, Cardiff, London, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle,
Scotland, Nottingham, Bristol and Oxford.
If
interested in furthering your career in health and safety and considering the
NEBOSH National Diploma as your next step then our Unit A study period
commences 15th July 2013 at our prestigious Midlands venue.
E-learning
and blended learning options are available for most NEBOSH awards.
Please
visit our website www.actassociates.co.uk
Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Exam technique for NEBOSH exams
Make sure that
you study the past exam questions and suggested answers that are in your RMS
study book (if purchased) available from http://www.rmspublishing.co.uk/publications/nebosh.aspx. You can get access to
examiner’s reports from the NEBOSH website (www.nebosh.org.uk). These are produced to help students and
tutors in future exams. They are
intended to be constructive and warn of the common mistakes made by people
sitting these exams. A common fault is
that candidates fail to pay attention to the command word in each
question.
Understanding the command words
The phrase
‘command word’ is used to refer to the words specifically associated with the
learning outcomes and assessment objectives of the NEBOSH Certificate
qualifications. The syllabus learning
outcomes are concerned with what students can do at the end of a learning
activity, to assess this command words used are action (active) verbs.
Revision tips for NEBOSH exams - Mnemonics
The use of
mnemonics is another brain association technique to aid revision and memory
recall. The techniques relies on the use of key words to trigger memory recall,
often when there are several key headings which require recall to fully answer
a question; common ones used in health and safety include, for example, the
definition of a safe system of work, PEME.
The mnemonic
PEME is sufficient to trigger the answer, thus:
A safe system of
work involves the combination of People, Equipment, Materials and
Environment in the correct way to
ensure a safe outcome.
There are many
other such mnemonics which you may find useful, for example, reminders for the
assessment of risk from Manual Handling
operations; LITE or FIAT for the hierarchy of measures
Friday, 15 February 2013
Revision tips for NEBOSH exams – mind maps/key words
Mind maps (often referred to as a spider gram) is a powerful graphic
technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain.
It uses the visualisation part of the brain to retain information in such away
that it can be quickly recovered when required. Tony Buzan, is recognised as
the inventor of mind maps in the 1960’s.
Mind maps are best used for a single topic, such as learning a language,
the technique is used to identify all the components necessary to achieve this
and possibly the order in which they should be carried out. This part is an
essential aspect of revision; the fact that you have abstracted that which is
required will imbed the information into the brain and enable threads of
connectivity to be established simplifying recall in the future.
Revision tips for NEBOSH exams
You should recognise the knowledge that you
already possess that is relevant to the NEBOSH syllabus. Don't underestimate the
importance of this.
But, it is never too early to start revising!
Throughout your course you should have been
thinking about this and noting the topics that you are finding it difficult to
deal with.
·
Simply reading the publication or course notes repeatedly
will not normally help you to remember the information, from the start of your
study revisit each days study and abstract (handwritten preferred) the essence
of the subject.
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
New Training Venue!
ACT Associates Ltd,
a leading provider of health, safety and environmental training courses and
consultancy services, are proud to announce the addition of another training
venue to their already extensive list in the UK .
The new location is
the superbly located Mercure Nottingham City Centre Hotel, winner of the
Certificate of Excellence 2012 from tripadvisor. This new addition brings the total number on ACT’s
training venues list to ten: Midlands, London , Manchester , Scotland ,
Bristol , Cardiff ,
Leeds, Newcastle , Nottingham and Oxford . Allowing our NEBOSH accredited courses to
provide an excellent foundation in health and safety for managers, supervisors
and people starting out on a career in health and safety.
Courses being offered at the Nottingham
venue are: a NEBOSH General Certificate, NEBOSH Construction Certificate and
NEBOSH Fire Certificate.
Our highly-qualified health and safety tutors will
be used who are experienced and competent in delivering the courses to a high
standard. The tutor's role is an
essential component to the success of the NEBOSH course objectives. NEBOSH examinations can be taken at one of
our many venues across the UK .
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