The Scottish government has set out an indicative timetable for the re-opening of parts of the economy over the next two months.
The timetable is as follows:
From 2 April:
To all our members,
You may be contacted by external agencies, on behalf of HSE, arranging to carry out Coronavirus health and safety spot checks.
Please see the Guidance from HSE regarding this. This importantly includes the contact number to verify that the inspection is legitimate and some reminders about the type of things that an inspection will cover.
This is in relation to members own premises.
Inspections may also be carried out on sites and in those situations, HSE will be looking for the good practice outlined in V7 of the site operating procedures (SOP V7).
For our Scottish Members, slightly different rules apply. CICV Forum has extended its suite of guidance for the Scottish construction industry with its newly designed document to help you prepare for and answer potential questions asked by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) during COVID-19 spot checks of premises.
The CICV Forum: Covid-19 Spot Checks document is in our quick links section and can be found here.
Now excitement turns to Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2021 which is this week (1-5 March). This year’s theme is Business Backing Talent to showcase the great benefits of taking on an apprentice. Of 30,000 apprentices learning in Scotland, almost a third are in construction, even though the sector represents just 8% of all jobs.
CITB have worked with Developing the Young Workforce to create Build Your Future, a suite of virtual career resources, launching 1 March to coincide with Scottish Apprenticeship Week, and in support of International Women’s Day. Throughout the week, you can access helpful career insight covering innovation, trades and apprenticeships, women in construction, professionals in construction, and collaboration in construction.
Educators and parents/carers can choose to work through all of the resources in the pack, insert them into lessons, or support their young people to learn about the industry in bite-sized chunks. You can get involved and find the resources on the DYW website.
CICV Forum are continuing to liaise (with Construction Scotland) with the Scottish Government through the Construction Leadership Forum regarding Covid 19 restrictions. They have provided the following guidance for Scotland on the latest restrictions.
The Scottish Government has announced two funding incentives for apprenticeships. Both incentives sit alongside other training support available.
The Apprenticeship Employer Grant (£15 million), supports the Government's aim of maximising apprenticeships whilst also enabling an increased number of employers to be able to take on an apprentice (or upskill existing staff).
The Pathway Apprenticeships Programme has been created for school-leavers up to 18-years-old facing fewer options due to the economic impact of COVID-19. This programme will provide work-based training, which will start by helping 1,200 young people in the first phase gain key skills in sectors like construction, business, IT, engineering and early years education. Pathways Apprenticeships will offer 26 weeks of training with a £100 weekly allowance. This can be extended for participants who are disabled or care experienced. 
Additional to support for apprentices who have been made redundant as a result of the pandemic through the Scottish Government’s £10 million Adopt an Apprentice scheme.
Read the full details on the Scottish Government website