“Health as well as safety” is the message during this year’s Construction Initiative by HSE as poor standards and unsafe practices on Britain’s building sites are targeted during a nationwide drive aimed at reducing ill health, death and injury in the industry. From 22 September until 17 October, HSE Construction Inspectors will carry out unannounced Book

The Scottish Government has asked industry bodies to recirculate its guidance on “Exclusion from public contracts of companies which engage in blacklisting” which was published at the end of 2013 and which can be found here: SPPN 4-2013 (Scottish Government Guidance on Blacklisting Public Sector Procurement)

The Phoenix online CSCS checker is being phased out and will be unavailable from Monday 22nd September. CITB have brought in a new online system which now brings up the operatives photo, similar to the way the card readers do. The new system can be accessed via the link below. It does not require a Book

The days are getting shorter and winter is just around the corner so it makes sense to be prepared for what may lie ahead. Here are some useful links with help and advice on staying safe during the winter months, covering such topics as winter driving, outdoor working in colder weather and home and office Book

Skills Development Scotland have launched a new online toolkit aimed at SMEs which will enable businesses to examine and refresh their employment practice in relation to gender equality. The toolkit, calledThink Business, Think Equality, was developed by Close the Gap, a partnership project which works with employers and employees to address the gender pay gap. Book

We have had a few new members join our Training Group during August and would like to welcome the following: G D McFall Building & Roofing Contractor Thomas McMaster & Son Concrete Repairs.

On 1 July this year CSCS introduced a new card called a Provisional Card. This card is for those • working through probationary periods whilst employers assess their suitability for employment • undergoing supervised work experience (aged 16+) • working as a labourer but have not previously applied for a CSCS card or are • Book

One of our member companies has recently achieved a new accreditation introduced by CITB called Be Fair aimed at demonstrating a commitment to fairness, inclusion and respect within the workplace   They worked hard to achieve this and were the only company in their category in Scotland to win the award.  Well done to everyone at Macform! Book

Here is the latest grant comparison sheet from CITB for their new grant year which commenced on 1 August:   CITB 14-15 Scotland Grant Comparison

We have had several new members join our Training Group over the past few months and would like to welcome the following:   Allma Construction – Barrhead T & A Joiners – Johnstone Argyll Homes for All – Helensburgh Burnbrae Contracts – Strathaven Forkers Scotland – Grangemouth Smith Brothers Builders – Beith  

Healthy Working Lives help employers create a safer, healthier and more motivated workforce. They work with all kinds of businesses, completely free of charge, offering practical information and advice to help improve health and safety and the wellbeing of everyone at work. A healthier workforce really does make for a healthier business. Their website is Book

New Flexible Working Regulations As of today (30th June 2014) new Flexible Working Regulations and Part 9 of the Children and Families Act 2014 will come into force. This will mean that the right to request flexible working will be extended to cover all employees after 26 weeks’ service, rather than only those with children Book

Hundreds of contractors sought for £120m Glasgow framework Glasgow City Council is looking for up to 270 contractors to join an approved list to share a £120 million framework. The three-year deal will cover highways and civil engineering works across the city plus repairs to historic buildings. The framework has been divided into 27 lots Book

You may already be aware of the Pride of Construction awards which are being held in London by CITB and nominations are open for the CITB Gold Awards. Showcase your talents or nominate someone you know by Monday 30 June 2014. Here is further information and how to nominate: CITB Gold Awards Criteria CITB Gold Awards Nomination Form CITB Pride of Construction Awards FAQs

Along with manufacturing, financial and legal businesses, employers operating in the building sector will be able to apply for a share of a £4 million pot of funding. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) has launched a co-investment scheme, in an effort to help companies overcome some of the skills barriers which they Book

Confirmation has been received from Skills Development Scotland that they are approving, under their Flexible Training Opportunities funding, the one day on site assessment and training workshop for craft occupations being run through CITB. This means you pay £1000 to CITB for the course but SDS will return 50% of that to the employer and Book

CITB is launching a ‘big conversation’ to get your views on how they should be using their funds. They want to have a discussion with the industry to get your thoughts on the way they should be allocating their budgets. By joining the discussion, you will guide the investment decisions taken by the employer-led CITB Book

If you are a small business with a H&S query then check out the HES’s online SMES guides Easy ABC: http://www.hse.gov.uk/abc/ and join them on their #askHSE Twitter chat on 5 June at 12.30pm.

The Building Contractors Training Group now has a Linkedin page. Please follow us to increase our visibility and attract more members to the Group. Remember, the more members we have the more cost effective training can be.

A consultation by HSE has been underway since 31 March and will end on 6 June on the replacement of the CDM Regs.  You can respond to the consultation via the following link:  http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd261.htm  

Scottish businesses with 100 employees or less can apply for up to £5,000 towards employee training costs and the 2014-15 application form to apply for the Flexible Training Opportunities funding is now available on the Skills Development Scotland website which can be accessed using the following link:  http://www.ourskillsforce.co.uk/funding-for-skills/flexible-training-opportunities/

Welcome to the new BCTG website! We hope you find the new BCTG website site useful not just for information on courses and course bookings but also for the news items which will be updated regularly.  We are always looking for ideas and suggestions on how we can improve the website so please feel free Book

If you have experienced workers (recommended minimum 5 years) who you require to have a blue skilled CSCS card, this can be achieved through on site assessment.  CITB are offering a On Site Assessment & Training Workshop.  Delegates would attend this one day workshop where they are given an overview of the qualification, the process Book

If you are interested in obtaining VQ’s in Construction Site Supervision/Management etc for your workworforce which would have the added benefit of being able to apply for a Gold or Black CSCS card, then please get in touch as we have details of two providers – J B Management and AVQ Management who are offering Book

If a Training Group member company is booking a course through NCC directly, they are entitled to a 10% CITB discount.  Just quote the name of the Training Group you are a member of when making the booking.

Over a year has now passed since the formation of the National Training Group Chairs Committee so it is time to ask what have we achieved. Ian Dickerson Head of New Entrants & Funding Learning & Development Kier Group plc Firmer committment Firstly we have removed the uncertainty over the future of training groups that Book

CSCS is withdrawing its Certificates of Commitment with immediate effect. CSCS Chief Executive Graham Wren says: “Certificates were introduced in the early days of the scheme aimed at those companies who had high numbers of their workforce holding CSCS cards. However, through a number of surveys we know that a high percentage of the workforce Book

From 1st July 2014 the green Construction Site Operative (CSO) will no longer be issued. If you have a CSCS green CSO card that expires after 1st July 2014 you need to know what to do when it is time to renew your card.  The information below explains which CSCS cards are available depending on the Book

Employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety Information for Employees Regulations (HSIER) to display the approved poster in a prominent position in each workplace or to provide each worker with a copy of the approved leaflet (available as a free download in alternative formats FROM HSE) that outlines British health and safety Book