Upskilling your business with Sandwell Council
Date added:
20 May 2010
Have you heard about the Construction Commitments awareness training yet?
In a nutshell, this Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council training helps local businesses to become aware of, and compliant with, the six government and industry-led Construction Commitments, giving them a better shot at bidding for and winning private and public-sector work.
In particular, we want to set SMEs in great stead for working with the principal contractors tasked with our region’s regeneration projects. You can learn more about the background to the Commitments - and why Sandwell Council created the training - here.
The training also allows construction buyers to see what they need to do to support their local supply chain. In this short film, Tim Pritchard, urban design manager for Sandwell Council, says it is valuable and interesting for the council to "understand where [SMEs] are coming from and what their needs are - and more importantly, what we can tell them so they can get a better understanding of the projects we're currently working on and how they can actively engage".
Now several groups of Sandwell SMEs have completed their training, we thought it would valuable to share their feedback with you and offer a case study from one participant. Fred Rose [pictured], general manager of Need A Skip Ltd in Smethwick, kindly agreed to assist.
Background:
Need a Skip Ltd started some 15 years ago in Abberley Street, Smethwick. Five years ago, the company moved to its current premises in Brandon Way, West Bromwich, where it has a Materials Recycling Facility.
Need A Skip specialises in the processing and recycling of construction and demolition wastes, and also caters for the needs of commercial, industrial and domestic customers.
The firm currently employs 35 people, and last year had a turnover of just over £2m.
As general manager of Need A Skip, Fred spends most of his time making sure that the company and its customers comply "with all the regulations that are required by anyone involved with waste materials."
Fred’s thoughts on finditinsandwell and the Construction Commitments awareness training:
"I attended one of the first meetings of finditinsandwell where we all sat round a table in one of the rooms off the main council chamber. It has come a long way since then. I have found the meetings, and the website, to be a good way of keeping my finger on the pulse of what is happening locally. It has certainly changed my opinion of Sandwell Council, who I now find to have some ‘go getters’ at the helm.
"It was at a finditinsandwell meeting that I found out about the Construction Commitments training. As someone who is constantly involved in filling in forms intended to satisfy potential clients that we are a professional company who can be trusted to handle their waste in a safe and environmentally friendly way, I liked the idea of a method of approval that [can be] audited and monitored, by Sandwell Council.
"I became even more interested when I found that this could lead to a nationally recognised accreditation/endorsement. Anyone working with, or for, the construction industry knows that there are supposed national accreditation schemes that you have to pay to join, but have difficulty being able to find any real benefits. The idea of linking the process to public-sector [construction] contracts is brilliant, and I want to be part of it.
"The two-day course was exceptionally good. I was surprised at how much I learned over the two days, even though I regularly have to fill in Pre Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) which cover a lot of the items in the course. We seemed to get through a lot of information, but in a very relaxed way. (My compliments to the training providers!)
"I intend to go on to the accredited level, and possibly to endorsed status on some of the six modules that are relevant to our industry. I am sure that this is the way forward, as regulation of the construction industry is not going to decrease, so if you want to continue being involved you have to get in front of the game. I would recommend the two-day course to anyone, you are guaranteed to come out much more aware of the potential for your company."
If you're interested in enhancing your business profile by taking up Sandwell Council’s training - which costs just £100 for two days - simply email nathan_boyce@sandwell.gov.uk for details of the next session dates.
More praise for Sandwell Council from our training participants:
“Excellent, the course will really push my business forward at a fast pace” - Tom Billingham, T&L Commercial Interiors
"It’s exciting being involved in something in its early stages and I can see great benefits to the industry if it is wholeheartedly supported and endorsed. I thoroughly recommend it – there is nothing to lose but lots to gain.
"finditinsandwell is a fantastic vehicle and can only get better as more boroughs take it on board with their own versions.
"Affirmation of the course by a principal contractor who attended (which was a good incentive to attending initially) was also encouraging" - Des George MCIAT, Anglo Holt Construction Ltd
“Well run course” - Kem Davis, West Midlands Electrical Installations Ltd
"Most informative, well run course” - Ken Haycock, Haycock Industrial Services
"Very good course and helped to clarify many issues around PQQs" - Maqq Rafique, Airguard Filters Limited
“The course was informative and gave depth to levels of compliance needed and a wide perspective for forward planning and continuous improvement of the business. It was very well planned and presented” - Sam Williams, Allround Plumbing
“I was educated and enlightened and, the course, I feel, will bring value to my own working life as well as to the Company I work for and ultimately will lead to delivering superior value to all our Clients.
“Forkers have had, since the inception of the business an ethos which reflects many of the principles of the Construction Commitments and the course was in a way an acknowledgement of our ethic, however as always there is more work to be done!
“Again, many thanks for a course which delivered value” – Pauraic Sweeney, Forkers
“Helpful eye opener to review existing practices” - Dev Masih, JAW Business Solutions
“Very informative and detailed on requirements/systems required” - Andrew Lowe, Orton Electrical Services Ltd
“Very good informative course” - Lawrence Allers, Posative Energy Solutions
"We are pleased to be one of the first companies in Sandwell to sign up to Construction Commitments training and we are confident that this new comprehensive supplier accreditation scheme, which is tailored to clients' requirements, will enable us to further demonstrate our capability, expertise and quality and give the client increased confidence to choose local contractors for future projects” – Peter Watson, Forkers
"What we're trying to do is build a stronger and deeper relationship between the pulic and private sector for mutual benefits. It would seem to me that the six Construction Commitments are a part of that new contract between the public and private sector. Part of a new way of working, part of a new relationship, that delivers not just what the council want, or what the supplier wants, but a mutual advantage for both parties. So that we're genuinely working in partnership rather than in an old fashioned relationship."
- Jan Britton, executive director of urban regeneration, Sandwell Council
"One of the benefits of undertaking the training as well as learning about the Construction Commitments, is actually listening to some of the other attendees from supply chains. It's quite interesting to understand where they're coming from and what their needs are, and more importantly what we can tell them so they can get a better understanding about the projects that we're currently working on and how they can actively engage, and help the process better for everybody." - Tim Pritchard, urban design manager, Sandwell Council
"A thorough understanding of the Construction Commitments benefits us as a medium sized company but also smaller companies that are here as well. It means really that we can all work together to a high quality and standard, and we're all albe to provide services to larger companies and organisations, and we know, our standards will comply with their requirements."
- Ron Pinfield, CLM Construction Ltd
"The accreditation will help not only companies like ourselves, but other smaller companies possibly working in conjunction with ourselves, where we can continue to gain work with Sandwell Council and also offer what we have to other local councils like Dudley, Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Any companies that are thinking of going on this training, I can highly recommend it. It's been very well thought out and over the long run, you can see the benefits it will have."
- Paul Banner, B-Trac Services
"Well prepared and interesting training programme, very well delivered" - Andrew Stapleton, Managing Director APiC UK
"Sandwell's Construction Commitments training not only makes the supply chain stronger and more resilient for the future, but allows SMEs to become better prepared for the expected recovery from the recession. We Strongly support this programme because it is entirely consistent with our own objectives to improve the construction industry in the West Midlands and to drive best practice, it is our hope that other local authorities will in due course follow the lead of Sandwell MBC." - Michael Thompson, Executive Director West Midlands Centre for Constructing Execellence (WMCCE)
"Great Initiative to encourage local trading and really well run and helpful course" - Paul Hutchens, Eco2Solar
"Very helpful and informative" - Tom Welch, Rowelec
“We loved the course. Very beneficial. A welcome aid to help us benchmark ourselves against other companies, best practice and industry standards” – CLM Construction
“Very interesting. Made me realise we need to set up some new systems and procedures” – Richard Larner, RDS Construction
“Very informative course and was a pleasure to attend as I have furnished myself with far more knowledge than I anticipated – well done to the tutors” – Larry Mazic, Zicam Integrated Security
“Well delivered and very interactive sessions, pleasing atmosphere always” – Mark Astbury, Brass Group
“Some very useful ideas for me personally. Will try to introduce things at work, if not now then in the future!” – Wayne Bailey, AGW Electrical Services
"I have already changed the way I quote for jobs, in particular, larger ones. I recently quoted for a £200K job in Walsall as you may be aware. Well, the client came back to me and asked for a breakdown of the costs and for some more information in certain areas. As I'd been on the course 8 days by then, I realised how much I'd learnt. I sent back a detailed breakdown with some transparancy BUT without being ashamed or frightened to do that. I also included details of some of our supply chaim, who were based in Walsall and this was incredible. I found that by using one of our heating fitters, electrical and paint suppliers and more, that I could genuinely add weight to our proposal.
"I spoke about our obligations, socially and environmentally but kept it short and to the point. I was proud to return the information, I was confident, you could see we had put a lot of thought into the job.
"Well I've got an appointment with the chairman now, so nothing etched in stone but ... there's only us being interviewed.
"I've been on the course 10 days now, I can drill down into any objectives, waste, energy, transport, bring it on ... even get you the carbon footprint for our next job if you want?
"The Construction Commitments course has given me a new outlook completely, I always moan we never get larger jobs, 200/300k and I can see why now. I dont know how we did previously. We weren't sustainable, not very environmental and didn't know what a supply chain was" - Anonymous, local construction firm
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