News

Sorry there is no current News information

New CITB ConstructionSkills Grant Scheme Announced
(Originally posted: Friday 30th July 2010)

The new CITB-ConstructionSkills Grant Scheme has been agreed and will be implemented from 1 August 2010.

Under the new scheme priority has been given to new entrant and NVQ achievement grants.

For more information on CITB-ConstructionSkills grants please visit www.cskills.org/grant

Note:  All claims for the grants scheme year ending 31 July 2010 must be submitted by 31 October 2010.

CFA Event - 14 October 2010
(Originally posted: Friday 30th July 2010)

To coincide with a trade show being held in Cambridge by STS Flooring Distributors Ltd (CFA member), CFA will be holding a networking event open to all interested parties.

The agenda will feature a presentation from Jane Gardner of Axion Recycling Ltd who will explain how you can save money, whilst at the same time improve your green credentials by making use of the Recofloor vinyl recycling scheme.

Full details will be sent out to CFA members shortly.

Harrogate Flooring Show - 5, 6 & 7 September 2010
(Originally posted: Friday 30th July 2010)

Come and see us in Hall B, stand 9 which we are sharing with the CFJ. 

Call to book an appointment if you would like to meet up with Richard Catt or one of the team.

New member benefit - CRB checks
(Originally posted: Friday 30th July 2010)

Through NSCC and CAPITA recruitment vetting service, the CFA can now provide members with a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checking service.

Designed to protect children and vulnerable adults, CRB checks are becoming a basic requirement for working on many contracts. e.g. Schools, Hospitals and Nursing Homes.

The cost is £45.50 plus VAT per check.

For further information, please contact NSCC on 0844 249 1004 or the CFA offices on 0115 941 1126.

National Floor Show moves
(Originally posted: Friday 30th July 2010)

The National Floor Show has moved to become part of “Interiors 2011”.

The show was due to take place from 7-9 September 2010 at the NEC, but will now take place at the same venue from 23-26 January 2011.

The show will feature exhibitors representing various elements of the industry including Carpet, wood, laminate, vinyl, rugs, tiles, ceramics, cleaning products, tools and accessories, but will also provide an opportunity to interact with another specialist sector.

NSCC Accident Survey 2009/2010
(Originally posted: Friday 30th July 2010)

CFA members have exceeded the number of NSCC accident survey responses this year by more than 50 over last year’s total.

Thank you to all those companies who submiited their accident returns.

Fall in public sector spending is cause for concern for specialist contractors
(Originally posted: Friday 30th July 2010)

Cuts in public sector spending are threatening previous signs of recovery in the construction industry according to the latest NSCC State of Trade Survey (A copy of the lastest survey is available to view in the members area of the CFA website, the report is for quarter 2).

Although the results for the second quarter of 2010 show Specialist Contractors reporting increases in enquiries (42%) and orders (39%), just 38% of respondents anticipate an increase in workload over the next 12 months, down from 53% last quarter. As existing work nears completion, the conversion of future enquiries into orders will become critical in the coming months and the Coalition Government’s cost-cutting measures are likely to have a significant impact.

In spite of this future uncertainty, there are early signs of employment pressures with 78% of Specialist Contractors experiencing recruitment difficulties due to a low number of skilled applicants. This highlights the need for continued investment in training if a future skills shortage is to be prevented.

Payment practices have worsened this quarter with just 3% of Specialist Contractors reporting payment within 30 days and almost one in four waiting longer than 60 days. Cash retentions are further hampering cash flow with 85% of respondents having money withheld against them in retention. Almost half of these monies are overdue for release at an average of over £55,000 per respondent.

The NSCC Chief Executive, Suzannah Nichol, commented on the results of the NSCC survey:
"Specialist Contractors continue to face difficult trading conditions and this quarter’s results highlight the importance of public sector funding to construction. With the industry accounting for 10% of GDP and generating £2.84 in economic activity for every £1 invested in it, the case for maintaining capital spend on construction projects couldn't be clearer.”

NSCC now contributes its findings to the State of Trade Survey published by the Construction Products Association (CPA) to enable the experiences of the specialist sector to be compared with the wider industry.

EU ecolabel criteria for wood floors published
(Originally posted: Friday 15th January 2010)

First-ever environmental criteria for awarding the EU ecolabel to manufacturers of wooden floor coverings were published in the blocís official journal on Wednesday. The criteria were approved by member states in September. They will be valid for four years.
At least 50% of solid wood and 20% of wood-based materials contained in floor coverings must come from sustainably managed forests, rising to 70% and 40% respectively from January 2013. The same criteria apply to wooden furniture.

The French competent body is preparing a user manual specifying how to implement these criteria. Green group EEB has called for clearer guidance on requirements for the proportion of wood not coming from sustainably managed forests.

Other criteria include energy consumption limits for the production of wood floor and bamboo coverings, laminated coverings and cork coverings. There are also limits on the amount of toxic substances in these products, such as arsenic, cadmium and mercury.

M&S to only specify CFA flooring contractor members
(Originally posted: Thursday 7th January 2010)

Following consultation in the summer of 2009, we are delighted to announce that leading high street retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has decided to only specify CFA flooring contractor members to install floors in their premises.

In addition, M&S engaged the training arm of the CFA, the Flooring Industry Training Association (FITA), to carry out an assessment programme for installers to establish a base line of competency and best practice.

M&S Construction Standards Manager Matt Edgell made the following comments regarding the objectives and experience of working with both the CFA and FITA:

“As part of a significant drive in 2009 to identify and eliminate a large number of poor quality flooring installation in its stores, M&S established a team whose challenge was to remove the identified issues. This challenge led to the development of a ten point Flooring Improvement Programme fully supported by the flooring industry itself. As part of this improvement programme M&S were introduced to the Contract Flooring Association (CFA).

We were impressed with their ability to represent leading contractors, manufacturers and consultants whilst remaining independent. We also like the additional reassurance and support that using a CFA member Flooring Contractor and Manufacturer provides.

Overall our experience of working with the CFA and FITA has been incredibly positive and we look forward to reaping the rewards of the relationship with an improved quality of installed floor.”