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National Apprenticeship Week 2018 – Why are apprenticeships beneficial?

March 6, 2018 By businessequip

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 word!

Evidently, apprenticeships are great for the apprentice. They give them the opportunity to learn outside the classroom and a route into an industry that they have an interest in. Some young people have no interest in formal education, however when they get involved in an apprenticeship they thrive and develop rapidly. We recently attended an event in Birmingham for young people looking for work opportunities. The passion and drive that was evident in many of the young people was great to see, and really demonstrates why apprenticeships are so successful.

Alongside the benefits to the apprentice, businesses also experience many different benefits to employing an apprentice. Increase in employee motivation, reduction of recruitment costs and an increase in productivity are just a few of the common reports from companies. Apprentices increase business productivity by on average £214 per week. 96% of businesses report that an apprentice is beneficial to their business. Clearly, an apprentice is a huge asset to a business.

apprenticeship

Help is Available

One of the main stumbling blocks businesses have when employing an apprentice is the cost of the training. Therefore, there are numerous funding provisions to assist with the cost of training. This, combined with the lower wage costs for an apprentice really soften the impact on the bottom line. If you throw in the increase in productivity the investment in training is very worthwhile. The fencing apprenticeship that we offer is funded and many businesses take advantage of this. The reduced cost of training coupled with the gain of a skilled staff member is too good to miss!

So, National Apprenticeship Week is all about raising awareness and creating opportunities. However, an apprenticeship is not just great for the apprentice, they are equally as beneficial to businesses.

If you’re interested in our apprenticeship scheme give us a call on 0121 476 4731

Enquire Here!

ROUTE TO BLUE – ADDITIONAL FUNDING SECURED – LIMITED PLACES AVAILABLE

February 28, 2018 By businessequip

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, qualified and holding the Blue FISS CSCS card. We are so pleased to announce some additional funding to help support the businesses with the cost of the training.

We have secured additional capital for 50 people to receive funding to help towards the cost of the Level 2 Diploma in Fencing. The places are very limited so call and reserve your place today!

There are restrictions with this funding

The candidate must be 19 years old or over (We can also fund younger people via the apprenticeship programme)
The candidate must not hold a level 2 qualification – call the office we can check (if they do we can fund via the apprenticeship programme)
Candidates must be employed by a company who currently employs an apprentice or are enrolling an apprentice or a commercial candidate at the same time (talk to Tim about this)
Candidates must live and work in England

What’s the cost to the business?

Programme 1 Unfunded Cost: £1350 Funded Cost: £850 Saving: £500	Level 2 diploma, all visits, registration, verification, certification and card fee.

Programme 2 Unfunded Cost: £1550 Funded Cost: £1050 Saving: £500	As above, plus the health and safety course and touch screen test fee.

Programme 3 Unfunded Cost: £1850 Funded Cost: £1250 Saving: £600	As above, plus manual handling, cable avoidance, abrasive wheels, safe use of power tools.

Remember places will be in high demand and limited so call today on 0121 476 4731 or you can email tim@fctrain.co.uk about the Route to Blue.

You can also ENQUIRE HERE!

Asbestos Awareness – Who needs the training? What does the course involve?

February 26, 2018 By businessequip

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 training. This article will look at statistics, the course content and also the details of the course.

Asbestos related diseases take years to develop. Therefore, many of the current cases were caused by exposure to asbestos in previous years.

Levels of asbestos exposure were particularly high in the years prior to 1980. In the era following World War Two, much of the building material contained asbestos.

Therefore, the current statistics are expected to continue at similar levels until the end of the decade. The statistics are then expected to decline due to improved safety measures and increased awareness of asbestos after 1980.

Asbestos Awareness Training– Who needs it?

Any worker that carries out work that could disturb asbestos carrying materials. Asbestos Awareness training provides information on how to avoid asbestos and situations where it may be encountered or disturbed.

A worker will need extra training if they carry out work that will directly involve dealing with asbestos. The Asbestos Awareness course does not allow the worker to work in a role that requires contact with asbestos.

Some of the job roles that will benefit from the training are below:

Maintenance workers
Electricians
Plumbers
Joiners
Painters and decorators
Plasterers
Construction workers
Roofers
Shop fitters
Gas fitters

The Course Content

The course will identify what asbestos is and how exposure can affect health. It will also provide information about the increased risk of lung cancer in asbestos workers who smoke.

The course will also make the candidate aware of how they can encounter asbestos during work. Furthermore, the course will identify emergency procedure in case of exposure to asbestos.

The course will ultimately identify methods and safe practice to avoid exposure to asbestos.

Course Details

The course lasts for half a day. You can also complete an online training course if you’d prefer. We offer a combi deal where you can combine two half-day vocational courses into one days training. This will save you time and money! We can deliver this at your venue or you can come to us.

If you want to enquire or find out more about the course give us a call on 0121 476 4731

You can also enquire here.

CITB Health and Safety Awareness Course Content – What can you expect?

February 21, 2018 By businessequip

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 Plus programme. It is suitable for anyone who currently works or who is considering working in the construction industries.

What is the purpose of the course?

The course aims to improve the understanding of health and safety in the construction industry. It will identify situations and scenarios in construction where safety could be at risk and will also provide the candidate with advice on how to keep themselves and their colleagues safe. The premise of the course is to improve health and safety standards in an often-hazardous industry.

The Health and Safety Awareness course content

The Health and Safety Awareness course takes one day to complete. The course is interactive and requires the participation of the candidate. The day culminates in a multiple choice test that the candidate must successfully complete before being awarded the Health and Safety Awareness certificate.

The course will cover areas such as:

The responsibilities of workers concerning their own and also others safety.
Legal requirements and liabilities.
Hazards and the control of hazards.
How to work together and achieve better safety standards.
Manual Handling.
Working at Height.
Fire Prevention.
Occupational Health.
Work Equipment.

Crucially, you can study the course as the initial training requirement for a green CSCS or FISS CSCS card.

The certification and validity

Upon successful completion of the course the candidate will receive a Site Safety Plus – Health and Safety Awareness certificate. The certificate will usually be distributed a few weeks after the completion of the course.

The certificate is valid for 5 years from the completion date. Therefore, a course refresher will need to be completed before the expiry date of the certification to remain certified.

What will you need?

You will need a valid form of ID and also a good understanding of spoken and written English.

To read more about the course view our Health and Safety Awareness course page.

Alternatively, visit the CITB website.

If you want to enquire about the course give us a call on 0121 476 4731

You can also enquire here.

The ‘Route to Blue’ Programme

February 7, 2018 By businessequip

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 have been granted government funding that will help you with the cost of training. For candidates aged 17-19 the programme is fully funded and for ages 19+ it is 75% funded!

We will work with you to devise a programme that suits your needs and also complies with all regulations.

The programme is a great way to gain a skilled and member of staff, who holds a Blue FISS CSCS card and secure the future of your business. New entrants and existing staff members can enrol on the ‘Route to Blue’ programme.

Q&A – Regular questions and concerns answered

We’ve put this programme together because of frequent concerns that many businesses have voiced. The Q&A examples below are real questions from real businesses. The answers demonstrate how our ‘Route to Blue’ programme addresses these questions and concerns.

My staff need to hold a Blue FISS card to work for clients, on construction sites and the highways. How can we ensure that we meet the needs and requirements of these clients?

We’ll work with you to understand exactly what you need. We’ll then devise a programme to support your and your clients’ needs that complies with all regulations.

My business is struggling to find staff that are trained and qualified.

Our ‘Route to Blue’ programme supports you and both your new and also existing staff. They will train on the job and quickly become the skilled member of staff you need.

We just can’t afford training. It’s expensive and will heavily impact our bottom line!

We’ve secured funding to greatly reduce the cost of training. Dependant on age this can even be up to 100% funding! However, don’t worry the minimum funding available is 75%. (Only available in England)

If you need any additional information please get in touch on 0121 476 4731 or request a call back here!

You can also submit an electronic enquiry and we will get back to you!

Get in touch and get started on the ‘Route to Blue’!