After two years of research, the Chartered Institute of Building has released its newly published Code of Quality Management in response to a number of high-profile construction incidents.

Aimed at improving the overall quality of construction across the UK, the Guide to Best Practice Construction Quality Management provides industry professionals with a single resource to help them achieve a higher, safer standard of work.

Construction Quality

A renewed focus was placed on the construction industry in February 2017 following the closing of 17 schools in Edinburgh. Just months later, the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower fire raised the profile of this issue even further.

These events ultimately led to the creation of the Construction Quality Commission, made up of former CIOB presidents. Over the course of two years, the CQC created the Code of Quality Management, which was made public this week.

High Standards

Following the Grenfell Tower incident, the resulting Hackitt report highlighted that “the system does not facilitate good practise” and that “there is insufficient focus on delivering the best quality building possible”.

The CIOB aims to act as a moral compass for the construction industry, promoting pride in work and quality output, and hopes that the new code will help industry professionals to maintain high standards across the board.

The result should be an increase in quality and an overall safer output of work from construction jobs going forward.

High Standards

The new code of conduct for industry professionals should help raise the bar for those in the construction industry and really contribute to building work across the UK.

At Access Training UK, we’re also committed to providing would-be construction workers with the tools and knowledge to help them strive within the industry.

If you’re interested in entering the construction industry and learning a valuable trade the right way, why not do so with Access Training UK?

Constructing Professionals

Here at Access Training UK., we offer a variety of construction courses, ranging from carpentry courses and NVQs to kitchen fitting and plastering.

With a whole host of construction courses for all skill levels, we can help you go from complete novice with no prior experience to fully-trained, skilled professional in no time at all.

Meanwhile, we can also help existing pros hone their skills further and build on their current knowledge to become a more well-rounded professional.

Whether you’re a newbie with a dream or an old dog looking to learn some new tricks, we can help you achieve your construction goals at Access Training UK.

For more information on construction courses with Access Training UK, why not drop us a line and talk with one of our advisors? Call now on 0800 345 7492 or drop us an email using the button below.

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While many people are panic-buying coffee, baked beans and various other post-Brexit goods, a (semi) silver lining is starting to emerge.

As it stands, the average salary for a construction worker is sitting at roughly £45,900, for a site manager, £50,500, and for a senior site manager £62,900! Amazingly, some construction workers are commanding wages not dissimilar to our MPs. Back in 2017, the average salary for a construction worker was considerably less, at only £42,300. 

That's incredible news for the lucky individuals working in these construction roles, but the reason their wages are so high leaves much to be desired for the British economy.

Why Have Construction Wages Gone Up?

The uncertainty around Brexit is (unsurprisingly) causing workers from overseas to lose confidence in Britain and the job prospects it can offer. As expected, they're beginning to seek work elsewhere in the world.  On top of that, many foreign nationals who have been living and working here for years are getting cold feet and seriously considering packing up and leaving (if they haven't done so already).

Whether this will have a positive impact on the construction workforce long-term is yet to be seen, but the initial impact has been somewhat fruitful for those that remain. 

The Construction Worker Commodity

Nearly 1/3 of construction workers in London are originally from Europe. As Brexit takes its toll, our pool of EU construction workers is starting to evaporate, leaving the remaining workers to fulfil demand. As with any commodity, be it gold or grain, it becomes more valuable as it goes down in number - construction workers are no exception!

So, as the number of construction workers in the UK goes down, the demand for skilled workers goes up and suddenly, being good at your job makes you considerably more valuable than you may have been a few years ago! 

The downside of all this? Brexit is putting extra strain on manufacturers who are unable to progress with business as usual until Brexit has blown over. 

Time to Train

If you've been thinking about learning a trade or working in the construction industry, it seems as though there's never been a better time to start! Not only can you benefit from steadily increasing salary prospects, but you can also help keep Britain's construction industry afloat in this time of turmoil! 

Here at Access Training Academies, we offer avenues into a huge range of construction industries, including but not limited to:

• Carpentry
• Plastering
• Kitchen Fitting
• Plumbing

And more! If none of these courses takes your fancy, there's plenty more for you to choose from. If you're interested in starting a new career in a professional trade, then give us a call on 0800 345 7492 now!

Following Chancellor Philip Hammond's new budget, the construction industry is speculating on how its announcements could affect jobs and opportunities here in Britain. The budget gives insight into the government's vision of Britain for the coming years, as well as their predictions for the economy.

Following a few tough years for the construction industry, we waited with baited breath to hear the plans, and it looks like it may be good news. Here is a closer look at how the some of the announcements from the budget will help the construction industry:

Help for first-time buyers

The abolition of stamp duty is great news for first-time buyers buying a property that is worth less than £500,000. This means that first-time buyers will save an average of £1,660 when purchasing homes between £300,000 and £500,000.

This is sure to encourage more people to buy property, as 80% of people buying their first home will now not have to pay the highly-criticised stamp duty that buyers were previously subjected to.

The need for new homes

The government is aiming to build 300,000 new homes a year - numbers that have not been seen since 1970. With the decision to buy new land for the purpose of creating more homes, there will be far more opportunity for those trying to purchase a property.

The government will also create 5 new 'garden towns'.

How will this affect the construction industry?

Where there are new homes, there are new jobs for construction workers. With Britain looking to expand its homebuilding industry, there has never been a better time to learn a trade. The ongoing UK skills shortage has given carpenters, plasterers, tilers and various other tradespeople the opportunity to find plenty of work for decent pay.

The 2017 Autumn Budget is encouraging when considering the job opportunities for those in the construction industry. Hopefully, it will also encourage more people to learn a trade skill which will, in turn, help the skills shortage.

If you would like to take advantage of the skills shortage and join this growing industry, you should look at the trade training courses we offer here at Access Training. We help get you qualified and working in the shortest possible timeframe. Go to our homepage to see what we offer, or contact us today to discuss your options.

Why have construction industry wages risen so much?

If you caught our blog post yesterday you'd have seen that Britain's capital has quite a few construction projects in mind, and so skilled bricklayers are needed more than ever to keep up with the schedule. So much in fact, that wages are approaching an all-time high.

With wage inflation rates currently running as high as 10% thanks to skill shortages, bricklayers are are currently earning around £170 per day. However specialists are expecting this to rise to a staggering £200 a day!

Carpenters are another trade currently enjoying similar pay rates, with plasterers also cited as being in high demand.

These are big plans for London rennovation, and qualified constuction workers in the area won't only be finding themselves with plenty of work available - they'll also be able to enjoy these incredible pay rates. If you require the right qualifications to work onsite or want to retrain to work in the construction trade, Access Training Academies are here to help. With our intensive bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, tiling, plumbing, electric, gas and decorating training courses, you'll be able to quickly and effectively learn the skills you need from veteran tradesmen with years' of experience in the business.

Take advantage of the amazing construction opportunities available and give us a call on 0800 345 7492 today.

Via Construction Enquirer

We're well over the halfway point of 2014 and even now the construction industry's huge growth spurt still shows no signs of slowing down. There have been so many pieces of news coming out lately that doing a blog post for every one of them would have taken ages! So here we've put together some of the latest headlines to have hit trade and construction news websites to show why it is a better time than ever for Britons to consider a career in the construction industry;

• July has seen the sharpest growth in housing construction since November 2003.
• Construction buyers are reporting the highest rate of construction job creation since surveys began back in 1997.
• London mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled that London's investment in infrastructure will need to reach nearly £1.3 TRILLION by 2050 in order to cope with the capital's growing population.
• Work is set to start on a £90 million rennovation project to London's Covent Garden.
• Specialist construction contractors are reporting their workloads rising, and are confident of further growth ahead.
• The Construction Products Association has forecast a further 10% in growth over the next two years, contributing nearly £11 billion to the UK economy.

That's quite a few stories, all of which are pointing to the same two conclusions - construction growrth is at an all-time high, and skilled workers are going to be desperately in need to make sure this growth continues. Whether you're a school leaver or someone looking for a fresh start in a brand new job, Access Training Academies can help make that career in the construction industry happen. We specialise in all forms of construction training, including carpentry, plastering, tiling, bricklaying and painting/decorating - all of which have been specially designed to train you to the level of professional in a short and effective time frame. Along the way you'll earn the proper qualifications needed to start your new career, learning from tutors who've spent years' working in the industry. Despite the short timeframe, there's no quality skimped on our courses and you'll also have the additional benefit of learning trade secrets from those who know the ins and outs of the business.

For more information on our range of construction courses, give Access a call on 0800 345 7492 today and we'll find the perfect construction course for you.

Even if they aren't part of a trade, one of the first things people probably think about when they look at a building site is how safe it looks. Health and safety is always the top concern when it comes to building site work, and new statistics from the Health & Safe Executive show just how different things are in comparison with 40 years ago.

Their new document, titled 'Statistics on fatal injuries in the workplace in Great Britain 2014' suggests that the number of fatalities in Britain has dropped by 85% over the past 40 years, from more than 650 a year in 1974 to a record low of 133 today. The provisional data also states that there were a total of 42 fatal injuries to construction workers in the UK between 1st April 2013 and 31st March 2014, which is 9% lower than the average figure of 46.

Minister for State Health and Safety Mark Harper praised the findings, calling Britain "officially one of the safest places in Europe - and the world - to work". He also added: "While we all rightly curse false health and safety excuses, it's worth thinking how fortunate we are that we can go out to do a hard days' work, knowing our safety is being taken seriously."

HSE Chair Judith Hackitt also commented on the news, praising the Health and Safety at Work Act. "The Health and Safety at Work Act may be 40 years old but it – and our regulatory system – are world class."

Site safety may be better than ever, but construction workers looking to work onsite still now require a Green Labourers' Card to prove they are qualified to work and are familiar with the health and safety requirements. To earn this, applicants are first required to pass the Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment award. Here at Access Training we offer the City & Guilds version of this exam, which you can complete alongside your construction training or as an individual qualification. To find out more on the exam and the changes made the the Green Labourers' Card. give us a call on 0800 345 7492.

News via HVP Mag

s1jobs, Scotland's largest recruitment platform, is reporting a "digital revolution" within the construction industry as they saw an almost 50% rise in job vacancies advertised online in April 2014 compared with the same month last year.

With the construction industry still very much in the middle of its recent boom, it seems job seekers are also getting wise to this with s1jobs also recording more than 46,000 job applications in the first four months of this year.

They believe this suggests that the stereotypical image of a builder is a thing of the past (and they wouldn't be wrong there!), with them now more likely to be scrolling through job listings on a pc, tablet or smartphone. More than 35,000 searches for construction vacancies are made on the s1jobs site each month, while 13,500 candidates have looked to maximise their recruitment prospects by posting their CV online on s1jobs.

Scottish construction recruiter Contract Scotland was also in agreement of this new trend, with spokesperson Jennifer Brown saying: "IT literacy is assumed these days rather than requested. Take it from us, we haven’t seen a paper CV in years – I would definitely say it’s becoming a thing of the past."

Don't be fooled into thinking this is just a trend happening in Scotland either. The ever-increasing use of the internet to advertise and apply for jobs is something that's happening all across the UK - and arguably the world as well! With the floodgates open for people all over to apply for jobs, it's more important than ever that you make sure you have the right skills to put yourself ahead of the crowd. And the most effective way to do that is with an Access Training Academies trades training course. From bricklaying and carpentry to plastering, tiling and painting/decorating, we have all your construction needs covered complete with full City & Guilds accreditation. Unlike college courses which can take years to complete to the same standard, our courses get you up to speed in a matter of weeks with intensive hands-on training from industry professionals.

From there, the world is your oyster and no amount of online application forms will stop you in achieving your goal. To find out more give our team a call on 0800 345 7492, where our course advisers would be happy to answer your questions.

News via Installer magazine

Many have been speculating it for a while now, but yesterday Sky News were warned by experts that the shortage of skilled workers is having a serious impact on the construction industry's recovery.

In order to keep up with the huge demand for new houses, thousands of workers will need to be recruited and trained over the next few years. Last year a total of 108.190 houses were fully built in England, falling very short of the 220,000 target the Home Builder's Federation says are needed to keep up with demand. In turn, the shortage is then driving up house prices, being cited as one of the many factors contributed to the rising costs.

The CITB estimate that around 390,000 workers left the construction industry during the recession, and since 2008 fewer apprentices have joined the sector. This has resulted in an aging workforce, with a further 410,000 estimated to retire in the next five years.

Speaking to building firms across the UK, Sky News were told that bricklayers and roofers were among the trades the industry is most struggling to get an influx of. One interviewee - Mark Aldcroft, who manages a site near Stockport, also said: "Sometimes we can't get enough of the joinery industry because they're being pulled from pillar to post, various other contractors and house builders."

Mike Bialyj from the CITB said there will "undoubtedly" be an impact on the housing sector, telling Sky: "One in 20 companies were forecasting that their business could be damaged or even irreparably damaged due to the skills shortage, so we really do need to make sure we fill the gap."

With an estimated 80% of properties now unaffordable for the average working family partially because of this, its more important than ever that this skill gap is filled. Construction workers are needed more than ever, and two year-long college courses may not be able to fill them in time. What you need is an intensive training course like the kind we offer here at Access Training. Even though your training will take place in a matter of weeks, these courses don't skip out on any of the quality you'll find elsewhere. You'll learn from experienced tradespeople as you work up from the basics and earn official City & Guilds qualifications along the way. Upon completion you'll have the skills and knowledge of a professional tradesperson and be ready to start a brand new career.

Want to find out more? Get in contact with one of our course advisers by calling 0800 345 7492 or filling in the online form here on our website. They'll be happy to speak to you in more detail, answer any queries and even provide you with a tour of our training facilities. 

The housing may be in trouble, but you could be the one to help save it. If you're tired of your current work and/or are looking for something more active and hands-on - then a construction career could be the opportunity you've been waiting for.