The year in review


This report gives an overview of the year’s activities within the Association and some of the initiatives carried out by our various partner organisations.


As you will know, the UK has voted to leave the European Union on the 29 March 2019. Talks are currently taking place on three aspects of how Brexit will work. Here are some of the facts about facts and figures relating to both the construction sector and GDP. •Construction output contracted by 0.9% in the quarter-on-quarter series in September 2017, but remains at relatively high levels.


• This fall of 0.9% for Quarter 3 (July to September) follows a decline of 0.5% in Quarter 2 (April to June), representing the first consecutive quarter-on-quarter decline in current estimates of construction output since Quarter 3 2012.


• The 0.9% decline in output was due to decreases in both repair and maintenance, which fell 1.4% and all new work, which fell 0.7%.


•Construction also fell 1.6% month-on-month in September 2017, stemming from falls of 2.1% in repair and maintenance and 1.3% in all new work.


• In the three months to September 2017, the total UK trade (goods and services) deficit widened by £3billion to £9.5billion; this was largely due


Finance


I would like to thank our National Treasurer, Bob Smith, for his extensive report on last year’s accounts and the summary for 2017 so far. We are very fortunate to have a Treasurer of his calibre working for the Association.


PDA Committees


Safety, Health & Environment Committee This committee normally meets three times a year and advises Members on relevant issues affecting the industry. During the reporting period I have continued to chair these Committee meetings. A few key areas that have been actioned during the year:


• The updated Health & Safety handbook was distributed to the full Membership following an extensive revision of content.


•We have been approved to host a series of paint- stripper training courses for Members. Our partners for this initiative are Barrettine and Strip-Safe DCM Paint Removal Training. Training will be rolled out to Members during 2018.


• The Committee discussed issues surrounding mental health in the work place. This important subject will be highlighted to Members during the coming year with a series of articles to be published in this magazine.


• The British Coatings Federation and CEPE (the European branch organisation of producers of paints, inks and artist colours) has noted that the European Chemical Agency Risk Assessment Committee has stated that titanium dioxide should be classified as being suspected of causing cancer by inhalation


12 decorator under


to an increase in imports of goods, primarily machinery, unspecified goods (including non-monetary gold) and fuels, partially offset by lower imports of aircraft.


• Imports of goods from both EU and non-EU countries increased between the three months to June 2017 and the three months to September 2017; exports to EU countries increased by £0.9 billion, while exports to non-EU countries fell by £1.7 billion in the same period.


• The UK’s total trade deficit (goods and services) narrowed by £0.7 billion between August and September 2017; this was primarily due to increased exports of unspecified goods


Another major initiative taking place in 2018 is the GDPR (General Data


Protection Regulation) seeking to create a harmonised data protection law framework across the EU. This aims to give citizens back the control of their personal data, whilst imposing strict rules on those hosting and ‘processing’ this data, anywhere in the world. The Regulation also introduces rules relating to the free movement of personal data within and outside the EU.


the Classification, Labelling and


Packaging in the EU. We continue to have input with the BCF


on all painting/decorating product


types of issues and


updates which they supply, as well as health and safety advice from major manufacturers who sit on this Committee.


Training & Education Committee


The PDA Education & Training Committee meets three times a year. I currently chair this committee. Topics of interest for this reporting period were as follows:


• The PDA is involved in the Trailblazer group on painting and decorating qualifications and the final end assessment document is currently awaiting completion before submission. The aim of the project is to put employers in the driving seat so that apprenticeships are based on standards designed by employers. These will be short and easy to understand and will describe the knowledge, skills and behaviour that an individual need to be fully competent in an occupation. The PDA is has managed to assert more


influence on Trailblazer development for the future


•Our Training Committee and other trade bodies have been concerned with the recent re- organisation of CITB. As a result of CITB adapting to the current environment, the Association Support Team had been disbanded and in future there will be general advisors, dealing with all subjects. Since the last report and representations from the PDA, it now has its own designated CITB support officer.


Funding Initiatives Funding of almost £40,000 has been granted to the Association from CITB to assist with qualifying training courses for 20 NVQ Level 2 places and five NVQ Level 3 places. As part of this funding we also intend to train four painting and decorating assessors. The project will run for 18 months. Funding amounting to €30,000 has also been


gained working with our European painting partners via the European Commission. This is a two-year project called In-Paint Project. It started from the premise that The International Association of Painting Contractors identified three key challenges for the next future. These are:


• Fewer young people entering the profession • Lack of quality in education/training


• Poor knowledge of market innovation by the painters and training colleges To improve the image of the profession and


upgrade the quality of Vocational Educational Training for painters, a partnership amongst enterprises and training providers needs be set up to enhance effectiveness in Work-Based Learning. As part of this process, best practice and tools will be selected from work based learning systems to define a model for the painting sector. Businesses and national associations will head the project. An amount of £15,000 has also been won by the


PDA from the EU and will involve Doncaster College in South Yorkshire. The initiative called PaintUp aims to reinforce the lecturer’s role in work-based learning, Its objective is to map the lecturer’s role in different Vocational Educational Training contexts


association news


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