The UK has for the last few years been suffering from a stagnant housing market as a result of the now infamous financial crash suffered back in the latter half of 2008. As a result many homes saw an average of £10,000 wiped off their housing valuations resulting in home-owners having to put on hold their plans to move up the housing ladder. Many owners have instead deciding to make well considered home improvements to add value to their homes. As a result of this the DIY market has increased in popularity having been less favourable in previous years.

Research carried out by Idealo.co.uk discovered that searches for DIY goods online have increased dramatically compared to the same period a year ago. They accredited this to home owners continuing to view their houses as an investment and not simply a home and were attempting to counter the fall in their house value by making sometimes expensive alterations.

Idealo.co.uk found that the most popular searches were for ‘cheap tools’ which was recently also ‘trending’ in Yahoo.co.uk’s top 10 of all searches in the UK. Evidence also suggests that more people are now searching the internet for home improvement goods and bargains. Notably painting & decorating supplies were high on the list of items searchers wanted in order to create that all important new look. DIY courses as well as property development courses have also seen a rise in popularity as people seek to learn the skills they need to go it alone.

So if you are thinking about making some home improvements in an effort to maintain the value of your property and want to learn how to deliver a professional finish as expected from a tradesman, take a look at Access Training’s DIY courses or property development courses and you can start clawing back any value your property may have lost.

According to recent research conducted by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), companies looking to recruit staff with a high level of trade skills are still coming across the same stumbling block - they are at a distinctly short supply.

The report found that more than three quarters of construction related companies surveyed complained of a trade skills shortage.  They stated that the most difficult candidates to recruit were craft and trade skills workers, with a third of respondents admitting they were ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’ to find and hire as they are in such a short supply.

The CIOB’s deputy chief executive, Michael Brown, said: “There is still a skills shortage in the industry... no one knows what is around the corner. It will hit the industry twice as hard when we recover from the downturn as there will be a marked shortage of skills, even though we are currently operating at well below capacity.”

Interestingly, apprenticeships are currently struggling to fill the chasm in the trade skills gap. More than a third of those firms consulted during the survey employ apprentices; however, 44% currently do not do so, with 11% declaring their firm would be cutting back on the amount of people they were putting through trades training due to the testing economic conditions. However, the overall conclusion was that a third of respondents believed craft and skilled trades people were difficult to hire.

One comment made by a contributor elaborated thus: “We do not have problems attracting [apprenticeship] candidates, but unfortunately not everybody applying is of the required standard. Part of the problem is that the careers advice currently on offer seems to portray construction as a one level industry.” It seems that the best quality of candidate is not always attracted into the trades. Indeed, of the firms that do hire apprentices, 30% believed the number of individuals attracted into the industry had decreased.

This is very interesting news for adult learners and those looking into trades training as a career option. The message is loud and clear; there remains a huge skills gap with widespread opportunities available. Employers currently cannot attract the desired quality of individual, and apprenticeships are failing to fill the gap.

Here at Access Training, we teach a comprehensive range of industry recognised trade skills, which will help you secure a more lucrative and rewarding career. Contact Access Training today on 0800 345 7492.

Source: The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and www.Voltimum.co.uk

Believe it or not, despite all the extensive media coverage at the time, many people are still unaware that the Corgi accreditation, which regulated the work carried out by gas fitters, has now been replaced by Gas Safe.

The Corgi Register changed to the Gas Safe Register back in September of 2008, after the HSE conducted a study which established the need for a new system to cope with the increase in the number of homes using gas in the UK (about 21 million). More importantly, it was designed to improve the statistics for death and injury resulting from gas installations. It was felt that a new Gas Safe Register would increase public awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Stephen Manley, an Inspector for the HSE, referred to the need for more people to be aware of the change from Corgi Registration to Gas Safe Registration: “It is illegal for an unregistered person to carry out work on a gas appliance. When unqualified workers try to bypass the law in this way they are not only putting themselves at risk of prosecution and a large fine, they are also putting their customers' lives at risk.

"Working with gas appliances requires a great deal of skill and knowledge, it is also potentially very dangerous. Only qualified and registered engineers should attempt it.

Paul Johnston, the Chief Executive of the Gas Safe Register, commented: "To fit, fix or service gas appliances… that person [needs to be] Gas Safe Registered [not Corgi Registered]. You shouldn't take any risks; badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause fires, explosions, gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning".

So, if you are looking to become qualified as a gas fitter, you need to become Gas Safe Registered. Access Training offer the simplest way to get Gas Safe Registered quickly and safely; our gas training courses come with a guaranteed work placement with a reputable Gas Safe Registered company, giving you the skills and confidence to fit gas appliances safely. However, just remember that it’s the Gas Safe Register and not the Corgi Register you really need to be a part of.

For comprehensive training enabling you to become Gas Safe Registered, contact Access Training today on 0800 345 7492. We have an enormous range of industry accredited trades training courses, which will teach you everything you need to know.

There are expected to be in the region of 230,000 disappointed young people who could miss out on a university place this year, damaging their hopes for a rewarding job, and in their view, affecting their future earning ability. But is this the case? What about the wealth of vocational training options available which can lead to an extremely rewarding and lucrative career?

The median salary for graduates is £23,000*, which compares poorly to the average salary for an electrician in the UK, which currently sits at £31,701*.

At the moment university fees stand at £3290 per year, rising to £9000 in a year’s time. That’s £27,000 for a three year course (without the inclusion of living expenses). For that price you could gain dozens of industry recognised qualifications, including City & Guilds plumbing and electrical awards, as well as becoming Gas Safe qualified and registered, with bags of money remaining to buy your first van and all your tools!

To add to the strain for university places, these potential students are also coming under pressure from competition for places from the EU, with applications for places rising by 8% already this year. It stands to reason that with the much vilified 2012 rise in fees, many more applications are being received per place as an attempt to beat the price hike, but to what end?

The surge in applicants shows a further increase on the quarter of a million that applied for a university position last year, with one in three unable to gain a place.

However, this needn’t be the end of the world; in fact it can be the start of a whole new successful chapter of an individual’s life. Vocational alternatives such as careers as a plumber, electrician or gas engineer are readily available. The Government recently announced their intention to set up 40 new university technical colleges (UTCs), however this news was lost amongst the furore of the tuition fees protests. Such careers are extremely worthy alternatives to a university education, especially given the current skills gap in the country which has existed for decades.    

Even EAL, the organisation which awards vocational qualifications across sectors including plumbing, electrical and gas, has called for an end to what it rightly describes as, “snobbery against vocational training”.

Sally Hunt, General Secretary of the University and College Union believes: “Our Government seems intent on ignoring the global trend of increasing access to university, which will see thousands of applicants denied the chance to fulfill their potential.” However, she doesn’t acknowledge that through vocational training courses an individual’s potential can still be fulfilled.

So save your money, study for less time and develop the technical ability and skill to earn many times what a graduate would expect to earn, all without the vast huge amounts of debt. Sounds like a sound plan to me? And remember, the Government has revealed there will be a freeze on university places this year and 10,000 fewer next year. There is an alternative and a prosperous debt free career, call us here at Access Training to find out more about developing in trade skills in plumbing, gas, electrical, carpentry and plastering.

*Sources: www.salarytrack.co.uk and www.mysalary.co.uk