JOINT INDUSTRY BOARD - JIB
The principal objects of the Board are to regulate relations between employers and employees engaged in the industry in Scotland and Northern Ireland, to provide benefits for persons engaged in the industry in Scotland and Northern Ireland, to stimulate and further the progress of the industry, and in addition and in the public interest to regulate and control employment, the level of skill and proficiency, health and safety competence, wages and welfare benefits.

Membership of the Board consists of representatives of SNIPEF and Unite the Union. The main functions are the maintenance of the National Working Rules, the registration of apprentices, grading and registration of employees, the resolution of disputes and the operation of various industry schemes.

PROGRESS UPDATE ON SECTOR SKILLS AGREEMENT KEY DELIVERABLES 2008/9 (SCOTLAND)

SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the building services engineering sector has announced the progress thay have made from a comprehensive three-year Sector Skills Agreement action plan for Scotland Click here to download the SummitSkills report.

JIB ANNOUNCES NEW CARD, HEALTH AND SAFETY TEST AND FEE REGIME

CARDS
With immediate effect new cards will be issued to operatives who apply for a JIB Registration and Grading Card.  Current issue JIB cards will continue to be valid until their expected expiry date.

COMMON CARD DESIGN
The new JIB cards are to a common UK design, “blue” background logo for England and Wales and “Red” background logo for Scotland & Northern Ireland.

COMMON GRADING DEFINITIONS
The Englisht and Welsh and Scottish and Northern Ireland JIB's are bringing their grading definitions into line and there are now fewer differences between the two schemes - this process will continue.

NEW CSCS HEALTH & SAFETY TESTS FOR INDIVIDUALS

The Board has also decided to adopt new test arrangements for the CSCS Health and Safety Test which is required for the issue of a JIB Registration and Grading Card.

With effect from 1 June 2009 a new JIB paper based health and safety test will be introduced by the Board which will replace the current Prometric Test which will cease to be valid for the issue of a JIB Registration and Grading Card from 1 November 2009. The Board believes that the new paper based test will offer more flexibility to employers as the test can be administered on employers’ premises at a time during business hours which best suits the firm’s workload and availability of employees.

There will be two ways of accessing the new JIB Health & Safety Test.

1. Employers can apply to register suitable members of their staff to act as invigilators who can then conduct the tests on the employer’s own premises (or other suitable venue) at a time that suits the employer. These invigilators will need to apply to the JIB to become an approved invigilator – see application form opposite.  Once the system is operational invigilators will apply for the required number of tests and enclosing the appropriate fee. Test papers will be sent to the invigilator who can then conduct the tests at a suitable time but within 3 months of issue of the test papers. The invigilator will then return the test papers to the JIB to be marked.  The pass or fail result will be notified to the invigilator within three weeks of the JIB receiving the test papers in order for them to inform their candidates.  If successful, the JIB will in due course issue a certificate, a congratulatory letter and a Plumbing JIB (CSCS) registration card.

2. Employers or sole traders who are unable or who do not wish to appoint their own invigilator to administer the test can select test dates and venues from a published list available from the JIB office or on the JIB website. These local venues will have their own invigilators conducting tests on the published dates.  Candidates will be required to apply to the JIB in advance for a test on one of these dates and provide correct payment and candidate details.  The candidate’s individual and unique test paper will be sent to the pre selected test venue for the candidate to attend and complete on the selected date.  The invigilator will return the test papers to the JIB to be marked.  The pass or fail result will be returned to the individual candidate within three weeks of the JIB receiving the test papers.  If successful, the JIB will in due course issue a certificate, a congratulatory letter and a Plumbing JIB (CSCS) registration card.

FEE STRUCTURE FOR NEW CARDS

More information and a copy of the Invigilators application form and pack can be downloaded opposite.

redundancy

SNIPEF is aware of that a number of members are having to consider making staff redundant. In the opposite column you can download the statutory Ready Reckoner which shows the redundany payments which should be paid depending on age and length of service.

new working rules available

The JIB have issued a new set of industry Working Rules. The Rules contain information on:

Scheme of Grading Definitions and Conditions

Annual and Public Holidays with Pay Scheme

Industry Sick Pay Scheme

National Working Rules

Apprentice Training Scheme.

Copies are available from the JIB offices -  0131 225 2255 or by downloading and completing the order form opposite.

PLUMBING ORGANISATION ISSUES WARNING OVER “FAST TRACK” TRAINING

In recent years there has been a massive increase in what are known as 'fast track' training providers which tempt people to enrol on expensive short courses purportedly to learn all there is to know about plumbing. In most cases such courses do not lead to the achievement of a Level 3 SVQ which is the minimum qualification required by the industry in Scotland.

 SNIPEF Director Robert Burgon issued the following warning to those contemplating enrolling on a “Fast Track” course. “Plumbing and heating is a highly advanced and technologically challenging occupation. In Scotland the industry normally needs to recruit approximately 400 – 500 new apprentices each year to meet industry demands. These apprentices learn their trade through achievement of a SVQ level 3 qualification and also through the skills and experience they gain during their apprenticeship period.”

Robert Burgon added. “Traditional apprenticeships which last for 4 years and are delivered in employment with part-time attendance at one of Scotland's Colleges of Further Education, are still the method by which the industry recruits the majority of new plumbers. Anyone reading articles or adverts claiming that the industry needs thousands of new recruits needs to be very wary indeed.   Behind such claims are often 'fast track' training providers whose main aim is to sell places on inappropriate training courses. In fact the industry in Scotland has been recruiting sufficient new apprentices  to meet anticipated future demand ”. 

Robert Burgon added this warning to customers. “Unfortunately un-regulated trainers will often turn out “cowboy” plumbers, with all the risks to public health that entails. These individuals also have little experience in dealing with challenging plumbing or heating tasks. Make sure that when you use a plumber you ask to see their Industry Registration card- this will confirm if they have completed a proper plumbing apprenticeship”.

UK REGISTRATION SCHEME LAUNCHED

With effect from 1 July 2008 the Joint Industry Boards for the Plumbing Industry in England & Wales (JIB-PMES) and for Scotland & Northern Ireland (SNIJIB) have established a new joint organisation, called the UK Plumbing, Heating & Mechanical Engineering Services Registration Scheme. The new scheme brings together the two separate Registration and Grading Schemes which both Joint Industry Boards have operated since the early 1970s.

The new Joint Scheme continues to be affiliated to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS).

The objects of the new Plumbing UK Registration Scheme are to:

• Standardise the criteria for the issue of Plumbing JIB/CSCS Registrations Cards in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
• Have a common design and criteria for the issue of  Registration Cards by the two Plumbing JIBs with mutual recognition.
• Support the introduction by CSCS of a SMART Card to reduce fraud and protect identity.