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FACT: SSSTS vs SMSTS, Which Training Course Do I Need? A health and safety qualification is an important requirement for all businesses, but if you’re in the construction industry, you’ll probably need to decide between an SSSTS or SMSTS certification. The two courses are similar but choosing the right course will vary depending on your…

Get the Highways England Passport before the end of October 2019 or you will not be able to work on Highways England Projects. FaCT are pleased to announce that Highways England have now confirmed their commitment to the Highways England Passport Scheme, a programme to reduce the repeated induction process and validate all workers approved…

This article will detail some recent developments concerning skills cards. It covers the CRO card replacement options for gate installers and site hoarders and the withdrawal of the CSCS yellow card. The article also covers the increased demand, from sites, for blue skilled worker cards. CRO Card Replacement – The Solution You’ve Been Waiting For…

We’re pleased to announce that we’re supporting Band of Builders as they take on the national Three Peaks Challenge. A group of seven fundraisers from the organisation (Martin O’Donnell, Richard Patchesa, Gavin Crane, Louise Stevenson, Craig Cashmore, Andrew Pell & James Everitt) will be completing the National Three Peaks challenge, which includes scaling the highest mountains in…

So, there’s just a few days left to make the most of our Highways England Passport Scheme discount. The compulsory training, The Common Induction Course, is necessary to hold a passport card. The passport itself will be compulsory for anyone who works on Highways England sites. Why book now? Depending on the number of people…

Training, the dreaded word that a lot of companies avoid until it’s too late. However, the most successful businesses embrace training and have a happier and safer workforce. So, this article is all about changing your perception, and showing you the benefits of training! We’ll also detail what fencing training is available. Why Train? As…

Company fined after a scaffolder was injured in fall from height. 03/05/2018 A Yorkshire based scaffolding company has been fined £33,333.33 and ordered to pay £14,368.40 in costs. They were ordered to pay after a worker fell around 4 metres through a fragile roof light on an asbestos cement sheet roof. The worker sustained numerous…

HIGHWAYS ENGLAND PASSPORT SCHEME – LAST CHANCE FOR OUR DISCOUNT The Highways England Passport Scheme is being implemented across the industry and training is in full swing. We are offering a 10% discount on training booked and paid for before July 2018. That means you have just over a two months to get it booked…

If you haven’t heard of Band of Builders where have you been?! They are an organisation that first came to my attention when I started my job at Fencing and Construction Training. I was tasked with starting a company blog and I was on the lookout for stories to write about. I hit the jackpot…

We’ve identified a few health and safety incidents that have had their outcomes determined in March 2018. They demonstrate how important it is to complete the necessary training and to manage your workforce and assets correctly! 12thMarch 2018 – Company fined for unlicensed and unsafe asbestos removal in a primary school. R F Gardiner Limited…

National Apprenticeship Week It’s National Apprenticeship Week! We’d just like to say to all the apprentices and employers out there keep up the great work. Apprenticeships counter youth unemployment and help improve the skills base in the UK. This week is all about raising awareness of apprenticeships so please share this article and spread the…

Route to Blue Funding Update Additional Funding Secured Limited places – First come first serve   The ‘Route to Blue’ initiative aims to secure the future of fencing businesses and the industry as a whole with greater access to a skilled workforce.. The initiative will assist fencing businesses who want to get their installers trained,…

Asbestos is an extremely hazardous and harmful material. Recent statistics identify that in 2015 there were 222 deaths recorded where asbestosis was the cause. However, these figures could be inaccurate. This is due to the difficulty in identifying the cause of many lung condition related deaths. To safeguard against asbestos you can complete Asbestos Awareness…

This article will explore the Health and Safety Awareness course content and will prepare you for what to expect on the day of your training. What is the Health and Safety Awareness course? The Health and Safety Awareness course is one training initiative in the range of courses that make up the CITB Site Safety…

The Route to Blue Programme Do your staff need to hold a Blue FISS CSCS card? Does your workforce need to meet requirements to work on Sites and the Highways? Do you want to greatly reduce the cost of training? Then our ‘Route to Blue’ programme is perfect for you. As an approved provider we…

Staff training and development is an integral part of a business, and benefits both the employer and the employee. It is important to the infrastructure of industries and staff training and development can secure the future of businesses and the wider industries. Benefits of staff training for a business. Businesses have a duty, and often…

This is the second post in our catalogue of CITB Site Safety Plus course guides. We’ll detail the SMSTS course content in this post and provide details of the course.   What is the SMSTS Course? The SMSTS course is one of the courses that make up the Site Safety Plus programme. It is specifically…

We have received lots of questions regarding the SSSTS course content from people in the industry. So we thought we’d provide you with all the information you need. We’ll cover the SSSTS course content and the SSSTS course certificate. One of the questions we get asked regularly is ‘How hard is the SSSTS course?’. The…

What is an Apprenticeship – Recent changes to the scheme and why employing an apprentice benefits a business. What is an apprenticeship? The question What is an apprenticeship? is one that is often asked. An apprenticeship allows the candidate to learn whilst they work. It combines on the job training and traditional classroom learning. The…

We have two courses running on which we’re offering a huge 10% discount! Birmingham – SSSTS The SSSTS training is a two-day programme. It is designed for first line managers, foremen, gangers, team leaders and supervisors. The course is also especially relevant to those who have, or are about to achieve, supervisory duties and responsibilities….

Women in the UK construction industry Historically the construction industry has been a male dominated industry. However, in recent years positive steps have been made to increase the number of women in construction. We’re going to be looking at what’s going on now. We’ll observe some facts and figures from reports about women in construction…

The Highways England Passport Scheme Read our course page here. The Highways England Passport Scheme is an initiative that is has been launched by Highways England. The scheme is a momentous step on the road towards the vision ‘One Industry One Card’. Highways England are leading the charge towards this vision. A Smart Card will…

We have a massive discount on our SSSTS course that is being held on the 14th-15th of November. It will take place at our Birmingham training centre which has accommodation facilities if required. The price is now only £250!! The SSSTS course is required to renew Gold FISS CSCS cards. Furthermore, it is the standard…

An automatic gate installer has been jailed for 42 months for causing the death of Jill Lunn, a grandmother who was crushed by a falling gate. The ruling from the court states that the installer was guilty of manslaughter through gross negligence. The gate was installed in March 2013, but the installer failed to fit…

Mental health in construction is an area the needs attention. It is an issue that has been ignored for too long! The statistics don’t lie, we’ve created the infographic below to draw attention to the issue. Please share this wherever you can so we can raise awareness of the mental health issues in the industry….

The 2022 Qatar World Cup A shroud of controversy has long surrounded the 2022 Qatar World Cup. From allegations of bribes, to the alleged support of terrorism, the process has been under constant scrutiny. However, this article will be focusing on the construction environment in Qatar and how it is dangerous and often fatal. The…

The construction industry is clearly a rewarding and engaging career. However, it is often dangerous due to the nature of the work. The fast paced environment, heavy machinery and tools, working at heights and various other aspects all combine to make the industry one of the most hazardous to operate in. However, strict and detailed…

Trinity Fencing and Landscaping CIC are, at first glance, your average fencing company. But if you delve a little deeper, the extraordinary nature of the organisation becomes crystal clear. They have been running a programme ‘Employing the Unemployable’ working with ex-offenders for the past 2 years. The programme provides opportunities for ex-offenders by securing an…

FaCT Committed to Reducing Unemployment in Birmingham Hi everyone! We have recently received the exciting news of approval of the funding, which allows us to deliver no cost training to the unemployment sector in Birmingham. And we couldn’t be happier! Our managing director Tim Drew comments that: “As an organisation we really care about Birmingham and it’s…

From 1 August 2016, the Skills Funding Agency is stopping the funding in England for work-based assessments for the Level 2 Diploma in Fencing. Call FaCT to sign up for the funding in England, before 1 August 2016. The diploma is the only way to qualify for the blue FISS/CSCS card for skilled fence installers and is essential for…

As of the 1st of January 2016 there are changes to the Gold and Black FISS/CSCS card application and renewal process. For the Gold card you need to have attended and passed the Site Supervisors Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS) 2 day course, or refresher course, within the last 2 years and passed the Supervisors touch…

FUNDING  NOW  AVAILABLE to help upgrade to the BLUE FISS/CSCS CARD FaCT now has additional funding available to support the assessments for the Level 2 Diploma in Fencing – now the only way to upgrade to the Blue FISS/CSCS card for skilled installers.   Limited availability call the FaCT team for details! If you are between 19 and 24…

FaCT opened its new training facility with two health and safety courses this week. With seven learners on each course this location is proving to be very popular with our Northern clients. Located just north of Manchester it is easily accessible for those in the North West, and from along the M62 from Leeds and…

Sales Executive – earning potential £56k+   Job Title               Sales Executive Location               Home based – UK Contract               Freelance Salary                   Commission – potential earnings of over £56,000(un-capped) per year FaCT a rapidly growing construction training and consultancy company, are looking to expand their Health and Safety course delivery to the construction industry. and…

FaCT are very please to announce approval of its new vehicle restraint system training centre in the Midlands. Approved by Lantra on the 28th Aug 2014, we are pleased to be able to offer existing and new clients the opportunity to received approve VRS training at our new centre.   Currently approved to delivery the…

FaCT recently sent out a survey to over 400 of its clients asking “why you use us?” and “what you would like us to focus on in the future?” How our service was rated? We asked you to rate our portfolio of services as either very good, good, average or poor; here are the results-…

FaCT are please to have recieved confirmation for Lantra Awards, that if has been approved as centre for the following leadership and managment qualifications Level 3 Award in Principles of Time Management in Landbased Businesses Level 3 Certificate in Leading and Managing Teams in Landbased Establishments Level 4 Award in Introduction to First Line Management…

FaCT is constantly working hard to provide the very best service across the UK. Over the last two years FaCT has developed and added many new courses and funding opportunities – take a look at our website for more information. www.fctrain.co.uk  We are always looking to meet your requirements more effectively; so please tell us how…

On the 1st August the funding rules change and some of the training currently funded will no longer be supported. So now is the time to act. From the 1st August 2013, the current funding for Level 3 qualifications will stop and be replaced by student loans. Many sites are now requiring a Gold card…

FaCT are pleased to announce it has secured a contract with the Job Centre Plus and the Skills Funding Agency to delivery fencing and construction training to the long term unemployed. The first pilot programme is now recruiting in Chelmsford and will be delivered at the end of June and into July. The plan is…

On the 1st August the funding rules change and some of the training currently funded will no longer be supported. So now is the time to act. FaCT has secured more funding to enable more people to be trained before these changes are implemented. We have funding for: Lead installers and supervisors who need a Gold…

  Improvements to Health, Safety and Vocational Training programme in England FaCT has made improvements to their Health, Safety and Vocational training programme, to enable more to attend and take advantage of this funding. As well as organising your FISS/CSCS card application, FaCT has secured funding to help reduce the cost and also fund two…

FaCT open its doors for their first training course at their new training centre in Birmingham today. Twelve candidates for six different companies were the first to attend a health safety and environmental awareness course. “Its a great facility which was so easy to get to” was one comment from a candidate, and the trainer loved the…

FACT limites launches its new website, jointly designed and built by Norsk Solutions. Further developments will be happening over the next few months.