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FMB FORMS ITS OWN TRAINING COMPANY

Hayley Fry, FMB Head of Training

Having the right training and accreditation is becoming more and more important in the construction world so we have set up FMB Training Services Limited to help give members the edge in a competitive market.

FMB Training aims to give members access to high quality, good value training which is specifically geared to the needs of the small building firm. Our aim is to give you the skills to help you maximize profitability, win additional work and get paid for it, and to deal effectively with red tape. FMB Training’s unique strength is that everything we do is based on the experience of FMB members in the real world. Our longstanding relationships with industry partners mean that we can deliver training of real value at the lowest cost possible, right across the UK - including Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland.

Over the autumn and into next year you will see an increasing number of training course offers coming your way. In particular, members are asking for training and guidance in the area of sustainable building as clients increasingly want to improve the energy efficiency of their homes without adding too much to the cost of work, so we are working hard to give members access to nationally recognised training courses in this area – more on this in future issues of Master Builder.

CELEBRATING GREAT TRAINING!

Management NVQ achievements: More than 100 FMB members have now achieved their Level 4 Management NVQs through the ‘Performance Plus’ courses that FMB has run in partnership with the National Skills Academy and Esteem Training Ltd. Groups of members in Leeds, Luton, London and Wolverhampton have attended monthly workshop sessions and received one-toone coaching and advice. The courses began with a ‘Where are you now?’ workshop; a chance to take an objective look at the business and any opportunities for improvement and growth. Business planning techniques, managing and motivating their teams, and the legalities involved in running a business were all explored. Feedback from participating members has been excellent, with many seeing the course as an opportunity to turn their business (even in some cases their whole lives!) around in a productive and profitable way. We are now working with ConstructionSkills and the Skills Academy to try to make this training available to FMB members across the country – watch this space for more news!

FMB Yorkshire & Trent Regional President, Glyn Machon, recently achieved his Level 4 Management NVQs through the ‘Performance Plus’ courses and said:

“Everything we knew about running a building firm 10 years ago has changed, and it will be different again in five years’ time, so firms who invest in improving their business and developing their employees now, will be the ones who thrive and grow in the future.

“I have been in the business for over 40 years, but I still got a huge amount out of this course, both from the trainers and from the other guys in the group who contributed their own experiences.”

Celebration events have been held in recognition of member’s achievements in London (FMB Director General Richard Diment met the delegates and presented the NVQ certificates), in Leeds where Glyn Machon presented, and at the Central Bedfordshire College in Luton where the certificates were presented by Tim Drayton, FMB Eastern Regional Chairman.

SUCCESS FOR ‘THE BUILDING COMPANY’

FMB members Paul and Tracey Doidge of The Building Company, Milton Keynes studied for their NVQ Level 4 in Management at the Central Bedfordshire College, in Luton. Trudy Mackenzie, Esteem Director and course tutor said: “Paul and Tracey took the course to put the foundation stones into their business, they put a massive effort into their work for the sake of their business and they were a joy to work with. In response Tracey said: “This course has made a huge difference to our business.” And Paul added: “I’d like to thank the course tutors and all the other course members, we are a very small business and this has given us proper direction, our future is bright and we are very excited about it.”

Leeds Level 4 Management NVQ graduates

TWO NEW COURSES FOR YOU

Course 1 - Women leaders in construction

Diversity is a hot topic in construction these days, as the traditional workforce is not providing enough skilled workers to equip the industry with the talented leaders it will need in the future. The industry also needs to get the best from its entire workforce. The FMB has won substantial funding from ConstructionSkills to run a ground-breaking leadership course for women. This ILM accredited programme is designed to bring you up to speed with the latest cutting edge thinking on how to get the best out of your teams.

Who should attend?

Women who are either already working as office managers, (or similar), within FMB member firms, or those who want to move into management in the future.

What you will learn

On this course you will develop a set of highly practical and useful skills to raise your firm’s profile and run a more efficient team. You will learn about:

Presentation skills
Networking and influencing
Performance management
Handling difficult people.

Course details:

Location: Choice of two central London venues in Holborn and near London Bridge Station. (We plan to run courses at other UK locations in 2012).

Dates: Course begins Wednesday 21 September or Thursday 22 September, followed by one workshop each month until April 2012.

Cost: £220 + VAT for the course. (Actual cost: £2,400 – members are receiving a huge discount thanks to ConstructionSkills funding). Places are limited so please book now to avoid disappointment. This really is a ‘once in a career’ opportunity for any women working in your organisation to gain the skills that will help drive your business forward - so book now! INCREDIBLE VALUE!

FMB members Tracey and Paul Doige of The Building Company, Milton Keynes receive their certificates from Tim Drayton, FMB Eastern Region Chairman

Course 2 - Success through service

Delivering great customer service puts you in a league of your own as far as your clients are concerned, and can help you win work in an increasingly competitive market. This new two-day course is being piloted by FMB Training – places are limited so register your interest now!

Who should attend?

Anyone working within an FMB member firm, who deals with clients.

What you will learn: