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The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has announced that this year’s CPA Conference will take place on Thursday 17th October 2019 at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Fillongley near Coventry. The CPA Conference is a one-day event organised by the CPA, the leading trade association for the plant hire sector in the UK. Speakers at previous events have incl ... more
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has issued a statement suggesting that the Apprenticeship Levy is exacerbating the construction skills shortage and must be reformed urgently. This comes after the latest statistics published by the Department for Education showed that the number of new construction apprenticeship starts for January 2019 has fallen to 950 compared with 1,216 the prev ... more
A fifth member of a forgery gang responsible for making and supplying false identity documents including Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) cards has been jailed for six years. Ukrainian national Oleksandr Sukhoviy, 39, was arrested in October 2018 following an investigation into what was dubbed an ‘industrial scale’ forgery factory in Stratford in East London. Following t ... more
An industry-led working group is developing a trailblazer apprenticeship at Level 2 for the occupation of Construction Plant Operative and is seeking feedback from employers. The working group has already developed the duties for the occupation, along with the outline of the requisite knowledge, skills and behaviours that form the basis for the training programme and assessment process. Ho ... more
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced a boost in funding to help employers take on construction apprentices. From April, CITB’s attendance grants to employers will increase to £2,500 per year, while achievement grants will rise to £3,500 for companies whose apprentice successfully completes their training. This is an overall funding increase from ... more
Dubai played host to the crème-de-la-crème of the powered access industry last month, when almost 350 industry professionals gathered to honour the winners of this year’s International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAs). Jointly organised by Access International and IPAF, the IAPAs celebrate best practice and excellence in the powered access industry, and this was the fir ... more
This time six years ago, we were commissioned by Newcastle Citizen’s Advice Bureau for a very unusual task: dressing up the city centre’s Earl Grey monument in a 40ft scarf. The organisation wanted to dress Earl Grey up in the 40 ft. knitted scarf to help publicise their work providing free and confidential advice in the city. The scarf, in CAB’s brand colours of blue and y ... more
A Yorkshire-based food manufacturing company, Karro Foods Ltd, has been sentenced after two workers suffered serious injuries when they fell over four metres through a rooflight. Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 13 April 2016, the two workers were investigating a leak from the roof at the Malton site of Karro Foods Ltd, which the workers did not realise contained several rooflights. T ... more
A repair and maintenance company has been fined after an employee fell from two metres while working on an unsecured ladder on a roof with no edge protection. Barkingside Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 7 September 2016, a roofer was working with a colleague to repair a leaky roof in Seaton Avenue, Felixstowe when he slipped from his ladder, falling approximately two metres and sus ... more
A Lancashire-based construction company, Rivergate Developments Ltd, has been sentenced for safety breaches after a worker fell 2.7 metres through an open stairwell. Leeds Magistrates’ court heard how, on 31 May 2017, Nathan Howes, aged 26, was working on the upper floor of a cricket club in Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire which was under refurbishment. Mr Howes was removing a ‘genie l ... more
