MET-UK

November 2008: Households warned against faulty electric lights at Christmas
The National Association for Professional Inspectors and Testers (Napit) is encouraging households to have a safe Christmas this year by making use of trained domestic energy assessors.With the tradit...

November 2008: HIPs should be clarified says Ombudsman
Home sellers may be having a tough time shifting their property in the current stagnant property market, however they must not take their eye off the ball when it comes to Home Improvement Packs (HIPs...

November 2008: Eight million planning training
Millions of people are planning to learn new skills or brush up on existing ones over the next 12 months as a result of the economic recession, a new survey has disclosed.Research commissioned by the ...

November 2008: Maintenance contracts offered
A housing association has disclosed that it will tender property repair and maintenance service contracts worth £50 million annually later this month, Contract Journal has reported.Family Mosaic,...

November 2008: Olympics 'overstaffed'
Building work on the 2012 Olympics is being duplicated and held up by overstaffing, the Guardian has reported.Currently, there are 850 publicly funded officials working on the construction of the game...

October 2008: NVQ could be scrapped
Fears have been raised that the government is to scrap the NVQ qualification, which provides training for a number of construction site skills, Contract Journal has reported.ConstructionSkills have su...

October 2008: Kier boost maintenance training
The construction group Kier is attempting to defy the housing market downturn by taking on new apprentices to bolster its maintenance activities.The firm has hired two young people to work in partners...

October 2008: Energy skills shortage addressed
A National Skills Academy for Power has been set up to tackle the energy and utility industry's skills shortage.The department for innovations and skills have announced the move, which will be created...

October 2008: Leicester Square building plans approved
Plans to overhaul a neglected corner of London's Leicester Square have been given the go-ahead by Westminster Council.The proposals include a new Odeon cinema and a 240-bed hotel complex, with street-...

October 2008: Govt provides skills funding
The government will provide an additional £93 million to tackle current and future skills shortages in sectors including housing, the Skills minister has announced.In a three-year deal, £69 ...

October 2008: Plumbers set to sail through training course
A health trust in Hull is facing criticism over plans to spend £400,000 on a yacht, which will provide, amongst other things, plumbing and electrical training to youngsters.The Hull Primary Care ...

October 2008: National Grid given £10bn contract
The National Grid's electricity alliance contractors are to reap the benefits of an additional £10 billion of work.The project, which will upgrade the grid to take on nuclear and offshore windpow...

October 2008: 1km tower gets go-ahead
A multi-billon dollar plan to build the world's tallest building has been launched despite the current financial crisis.The developer Nakheel is expected to build the tower at the centre of its port a...

October 2008: Union criticises Tory apprenticeship plans
The Conservative Party has been criticised by a construction union after proposing a shake up of apprenticeships and industry training.Speaking at the Conservative conference, shadow skills secretary ...

October 2008: Rok integrates PHE acquisitions
The building and maintenance firm Rok has brought the five plumbing, heating and electrical companies it has acquired over the past two years into one business.Rok Plumbing Heating and Electrical (PHE...

September 2008: Olympic officials to spend £20m on training
Olympic officials will spend £20 million improving the skills of British workers to fill gaps left by Polish builders and electricians returning home.The Olympic Delivery Authority, alongside the...

September 2008: Velodrome secures post-Olympic future
The London 2012 velodrome has become the first purpose-built Olympic venue to secure its future.Olympic chiefs have agreed to spend £12 million transforming the velopark into a top training base ...

September 2008: NHF: govt housing targets 'impossible'
It will be "almost impossible" for the government to reach its target of building three million new homes by 2020, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has said.The property body has claime...

September 2008: Women welcomed into construction
National Construction Showcase Week will be held in Bradford this October and will aim to get more women involved in trades training.A marquee will be set up in Centenary Square, with exhibition stand...

September 2008: Apprentices see minimum wage rise
The minimum wage for apprentices has been increased by £15 per week, as the government bids to boost trades training. John Denham, the skills secretary, announced these plans at the Trades Union ...