Construction course proven to boost profits and cash flow

A new kind of training programme, a qualification that is proven to improve profitability and cash flow for specialist contractors, will be launched in the UK from the autumn.

Available exclusively from the Confederation of Construction Specialists (CCS), the new qualification is a BTEC in contract law that will help companies avoid costly legal pitfalls and potential traps when dealing with main contractors.

The new BTEC, which will allow successful students to display letters after their names and go on to qualify for an HNC, is based on the same CCS courses which have helped to transform the way that specialists negotiate new contracts.

Companies across the UK have claimed that staff who have taken previous CCS courses have made a major contribution to profitability by quickly eliminating late payers and difficult clients.

This in turn has resulted in improved cash flow and less stress. Specialist contractors have also been able to avoid many of the unfair clauses that are now routinely put into new contracts by main contractors looking to avoid risks.

BTEC courses require seven days study in five modules. The first four modules each consist of approximately ten hours work, two in preparation, which requires locating and reading standard documentation within the delegates own firm, attending the course for slightly over 6 hours to have contact with the lecturer, and a further two hours of written coursework.

The fifth module is similar, but consists of 3 days (spread at least a month apart).

Successful completion will result in the receipt of a BTEC Award. For the delegate, this is a nationally recognised qualification and can be used as a stepping stone onto further courses. The delegates company will gain by having a better trained workforce as well as increased profitability.

To illustrate the course in more detail - Module 1 covers "Formation of contracts", in which the key questions of how contracts are formed and which documents incorporated are discussed.

Two looks at commercially aware project management, i.e. the importance of record keeping. Three is about Payment, promptness, and comprehensiveness, and four is about claims and disputes, or rather how to avoid them.

Module five takes these principles and applies them to the most common, and some less common, situations.

It costs very little to qualify for the new BTEC award and some of the cost can be rebated back via the CITB for contributing companies.

The price would normally be £2,100 for the entire course but is discounted to members of the NSCC to £1,800.

Training courses are run on a regular basis in Aldershot, Wombourne (near Wolverhampton) and Selby in Yorkshire. Courses are also available in Glasgow, and given sufficient numbers, can be run at any location in the country, particularly if, as some firms do, there is a policy of training all project and sales staff.

Those that have taken BTEC construction courses can further qualify for a diploma to join the Institute of Construction Specialists.

The benefits of joining the institute lead to the further development of the commercial skills required for success in Specialist Contracting and the opportunity to network with like minded Specialist Contracting staff.