Civil Engineering Contractors Association said it now had “very strong concerns” about the affordability of training under the new levy, adding that the changes could “jeopardise the industry’s ability to deliver new skills in the future”. The concerns follow Build UK and the CBI’s calls for government to delay the
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is calling for applications from students, academics and practitioners interested in conducting research in architecture during 2016/17. The RIBA Boyd Auger Scholarship aims to support applicants in their personal, professional and academic development within the architectural field, providing an opportunity for imaginative, original
The surprise collapse of the Dunne Group this week is being attributed to the withdrawal of banking facilities by Spanish-owned bank Santander. Dunne Group was placed into administration yesterday, with the loss of 524 jobs. According to information received, the company had a net balance sheet of £12 million at
12 May 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is now offering a full-time bachelor’s degree in facilities management. The three-year course, which also has the option of an additional year in work placement, also includes BIFM qualifications. Linda Hausmanis, director of education at BIFM, said that
Britcon has earned a construction contract worth £13.5m to deliver a Dagenham-based anaerobic digestion plant on behalf of food waste recycling company ReFood (UK) Ltd. The £32m site is set to become the South of England’s leading integrated anaerobic digestion (AD) plant dedicated to food waste. The company’s appointment comes
The Chartered Association of Building Engineers has appointed Benjamin Charles Bradford as its new President. Earlier this month, the Earl of Lytton played host at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers Presidential Inauguration at the Palace of Westminster. This event was held to pay homage to the departing President, David Kitcatt,
The London lettings market is starting to wobble due to a potential Brexit and global economic concern, says the London Central Portfolio’s most recent report. The report shows that in the current quarter, lets have gained a mere 0.3% rental increase, with re-lets having been the worst affected, as shown
The Construction Industry Training Board and Build UK are set to join forces for one week of exclusive, behind-the-scenes events at a range of London’s highest quality building sites. The ‘Open Doors’ initiative allows entry to a host of construction enterprises in an attempt to motivate people to opt for
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is now part of the freshly launched Global Alliance for Urban Crises. The Alliance was launched during the first ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul and will bring together the Red Cross, Red Crescent, municipal government networks, UN agencies, urban professionals and
Civil Engineering Contractors Association said it now had “very strong concerns” about the affordability of training under the new levy, adding that the changes could “jeopardise the industry’s ability to deliver new skills in the future”. The concerns follow Build UK and the CBI’s calls for government to delay the introduction of the levy to give firms more time to understand and prepare for it. Details of the new levy were unveiled last Friday by the Department for Education. Under the proposals, companies with annual wage bills that exceed £3m will have to pay 0.5 per cent into the levy fund. Apprentice types will be banded under 15 new funding bands, with the government setting a maximum limit on what can be drawn down from the fund to pay for each type of apprenticeship. Any money spent on apprentices above this cap will not be covered by the fund, with firms instead having to pay all of the excess costs above the cap. CECA has argued that the caps set for the training of construction apprentices are far lower than the costs required to develop them. This could see firms forking out thousands extra in training costs and make apprenticeships less appealing, industry figures have warned. Chief executive Alasdair Reisner told Construction News: “You look at the funding caps for the construction sector and these are not numbers that will excite anyone in terms of delivering apprentices.” The new bands will see caps for roadbuilding apprentices capped at £5,000, while steelfixing apprentices will be capped at £4,000 and tunnelling operation apprentices set at £5,000. “We have historically outperformed the sector in terms of delivery but the new arrangements could see us become one of the more challenged areas for apprenticeship provision,” Mr Reisner said. He added: “We are carrying out urgent work to investigate whether the bands for specifically civil engineering apprenticeships are viable going forward.” Under the proposals, SMEs will make a 10 per cent contribution to training apprentices, with the government covering 90 per cent of every apprentice trained. Federation of Master Builders said the new funding arrangements looked “relatively favourable” to SMEs, while the Electrical Contractors Association said the government proposals were ”positive for SMEs”. Nevertheless, the FMB did warn that it was important that the types of apprentices were placed in the right funding bands to “avoid stacking up costs for small employers”. Under the proposals, SMEs would have to cover all of the training costs that exceed the funding cap put on that standard of apprentice. Mr Berry told Construction News: “Our understanding is that the training costs for a typical construction level 3 apprenticeship should be more than covered by some of the upper band levels, but it will be important that they are placed in the right bands which reflect actual cost, and this will need to be monitored carefully.” Last week Construction News reported that Build UK wanted the government to push back the intended April start until firms fully understood the changes. Build UK policy director Simon Nathan told Construction News: “Our stance doesn’t change: we believe a delay in the introduction of the apprenticeship levy still makes sense and we are confirming this with our members. “Reading the document, there still isn’t enough clarity and information for employers to properly assess the impact of the new levy, understand how the system works and plan for training.” These views were echoed by the CBI, which called on education secretary Justine Greening to change the April start date to give more time for firms to prepare for the changes. CBI director general Carolyn Fairbairn said: “Though business understands the fiscal challenges, it would be a great mistake to rush ahead before a viable scheme is ready. “The apprenticeship levy in its current form risks turning the clock back on recent progress through poor design and rushed timescales.” A three-week consultation period will now take place with firms and trade bodies able to respond to the proposals. The final details for the levy will be published in October. Apprenticeship pathway Level Provisional max funding band value Accessing and Rigging 2 £6,000 Applied Waterproof Membranes 2 £6,000 Building Control 3 £9,000 Built Environment and Design 3 £6,000 Chartered Surveyor 6 £27,000 Civil Engineering for Technicians 3 £9,000 Cladding Occupations 2 £6,000 Construction and Building Services Management and Supervision (Sustainability) 4 £12,000 Construction Contracting Operations 3 £9,000 Construction Operations 2 £4,000 Construction Site Management 6 £12,000 Construction Site Supervision 4 £12,000 Decorative Finishing 3 £9,000 Decorative Finishing and Industrial Painting 2 £6,000 Fitted Interiors 2 £5,000 Floorcovering 2 £5,000 Formwork Occupations 2 £6,000 Foundation Degree in Architecture 5 £12,000 Foundation Degree in Built Environment 5 £12,000 Foundation Degree in Civil Engineering 5 £12,000 Foundation Degree Professional Practice in Construction Operations Management 5 £12,000 Geomatics Data Analysis 3 £9,000 Heritage Skills 3 £6,000 Highways Maintenance 2 £5,000 Insulation and Building Treatments 2 £3,500 Interior Systems 2 £5,000 Maintenance Operations 2 £5,000 Management Quantity Surveying and Commercial Management 6 £12,000 Mastic Asphalting 3 £9,000 Mastic Asphalting 2 £6,000 Occupational Work Supervision 3 £5,000 Plant Maintenance 3 £12,000 Plant Maintenance 2 £9,000 Plant Operations 2 £4,000 Plastering 3 £6,000 Plastering 2 £6,000 Property Maintenance Operative 2 £9,000 Roadbuilding 2 £4,000 Roofing Occupations 3 £12,000 Roofing Occupations 2 £6,000 Science
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is calling for applications from students, academics and practitioners interested in conducting research in architecture during 2016/17. The RIBA Boyd Auger Scholarship aims to support applicants in their personal, professional and academic development within the architectural field, providing an opportunity for imaginative, original research, and travel. In 2016, one scholarship worth £5,000 is available to individuals or groups of students and graduates for a period of international travel (which can be during a period of international work experience). The RIBA Research Trust Awards are offering grants of up to £10,000 each, available to support original independent architecture research by practitioners, academics and recent graduates. The judging committee particularly welcomes applications from practice-led researchers. The RIBA LKE Ozolins Studentship is worth £18,000 outside London or £20,000 in London annually to a student who wishes to pursue, continue or complete a higher degree in research (PhD/MPhil or MRes) for a maximum of 3 years. RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “The breadth of research that we are able to support through these schemes is incredibly valuable to the profession. Innovative and creative research enables members to argue their relevance and identify new opportunities. I am thrilled that this year we have nearly £100,000 to allocate towards research into architecture.” The deadline to apply is 2 June 2016. For more information, visit www.architecture.com/researchtrustawards; Rwww.architecture.com/ozolins and/or www.architecture.com/RIBABoydAugerScholarship ENDS Notes to editors: 1. For further press information contact Callum Reilly in the RIBA Press Office: 020 7307 3757 callum.reilly@riba.org 2. For more information, www.architecture.com/researchtrustawards; www.architecture.com/ozolins and/or www.architecture.com/RIBABoydAugerScholarship 3. Interested applicants should contact Hayley Russell hayley.russell@riba.org 020 7307 3678 if they require help with their applications. 4. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) champions better buildings, communities and the environment through architecture and our members www.architecture.com Follow us on Twitter for regular RIBA updates www.twitter.com/RIBA Posted on Wednesday 13th April 2016 Source link
The surprise collapse of the Dunne Group this week is being attributed to the withdrawal of banking facilities by Spanish-owned bank Santander. Dunne Group was placed into administration yesterday, with the loss of 524 jobs. According to information received, the company had a net balance sheet of £12 million at point of collapse and had just banked £4 million in receipts only last Friday. This money was earmarked for outstanding creditors but, as soon as it was banked, Santander – having evidently lost confidence in the business – cut Dunne’s overdraft facility by £4 million, blocking its ability to pay creditors. Fraught discussions between the bank and its customer ensued but only resulted in Santander retracting all of Dunne’s banking facilities by Monday evening. On Tuesday morning senior Dunne directors personally addressed all staff, subcontractors and clients across the UK, telling them that it was enable to ask people to work when it could offer no guarantee that they would be paid. Our source within Dunne says that Santander called in FRP as administrators for the business and by Tuesday afternoon had changed the locks to all premises and shut off communication systems. “It seems assets are being drawn in by FRP as the balance sheet far outweighs any remaining bank debt,” our source says. “FRP have made it clear through around a dozen agents, each on fees of £10k to £15k per week each, that ongoing contracts or resources are not a priority.” We are also told that Dunne was scheduled to backdate what is described as “a small overall loss” in its proposed accounts for the year to October 2015, due to a loss on two of its 12 projects and the one-off cost of setting up the London operation. Backdating this loss was required by accountancy rules. However, an effect of it was to give a big boost to 2016 results, resulting in £6m profit for the first half of fiscal 2016 as well as a strong pipeline for at least the next two years. “With net balance sheet of approximately £12m, Dunne were positioned very well for the future,” we are told. Santander UK made a profit of £1.3bn last year. This article was published on 20 Jul 2016 (last updated on 20 Jul 2016). Source link
12 May 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) is now offering a full-time bachelor’s degree in facilities management. The three-year course, which also has the option of an additional year in work placement, also includes BIFM qualifications. Linda Hausmanis, director of education at BIFM, said that the degree would help to address the skills shortage within the FM industry. She said: “It offers an opportunity for employers to support the programme by offering work placements for students. “It provides a real signposting opportunity for all those FMs who are keen to promote FM as an exciting career to younger audiences.” The full-time tuition fee is £9,000 a year; the full-time international tuition fee is £12,360 a year; the full-time home placement year fee is £975 a year; and the part-time tuition fee is £6,750 a year. The degree also has a part-time option for students who are already in employment. Source link
Britcon has earned a construction contract worth £13.5m to deliver a Dagenham-based anaerobic digestion plant on behalf of food waste recycling company ReFood (UK) Ltd. The £32m site is set to become the South of England’s leading integrated anaerobic digestion (AD) plant dedicated to food waste. The company’s appointment comes after its construction of a £24m Widnes-based plant which was completed two years ago, as well as a £20m site built in 2011 in Doncaster. The construction of these sites has propelled ReFood to become the market leader in Europe for recycling food chain by-products and across the continent operates 11 AD sites. The new Dagenham facility shall be able to recycle 160,000 tonnes of food waste every year, while also generating in excess of 2,000m2/hr of methane gas. By applying gas to grid (G2G) technology the methane is to be upgraded to emulate the quality of natural gas, meaning it can be directly injected in to the national grid, meaning enough power will be produced to power over 10,000 homes in the UK. The site is to be built in the London Sustainable Industries Park (SIP), Dagenham Dock and is due to open its doors next summer following the end of the 66-week construction programme. The work will also include the construction of a modern office complex, as well as a de-packaging building. John Whitmore, Britcon Director, said the company was delighted to be once again working for ReFood (UK) in constructing the company’s third UK AD plant. Mr Whitmore added that Britcon were successful in securing another contract with ReFood (UK) thanks to their record of providing an experienced manner to construction, providing flexibility and full delivery of plans. Meanwhile, Paul Morris, ReFood (UK) Operations Director, said that Britcon have shown themselves to be highly proficient and experienced in such a complex part of construction whilst agreeing with our agenda for sustainability.
The Chartered Association of Building Engineers has appointed Benjamin Charles Bradford as its new President. Earlier this month, the Earl of Lytton played host at the Chartered Association of Building Engineers Presidential Inauguration at the Palace of Westminster. This event was held to pay homage to the departing President, David Kitcatt, before the inauguration of Benjamin Charles Bradford as the new President of CABE. Reflecting on his tenure as President, Kitcatt said he always endeavoured to get as many young people as possible to consider the possibility of a career in Building Engineering. He said this has been shown to be a successful mission as student membership of CABE has gone up by 102%, despite overall membership falling 7.7%. He said CABE’s vision is to raise standards, develop individuals and share knowledge. Mr Kitcatt’s final duty as President was to introduce his successor, Mr Bradford, who founded his specialist consulting firm, BB7, of which he is now Managing Director. The firm has gained national recognition for its specialist Fire and Security Engineering services, including major projects in Middle East and Africa. As a result, Mr Bradford has become known as a key figure in security and fire. Mr Bradford laid out his primary ambitions for the association, which included: boosting membership, increasing awareness of ethical and professional standards and encouraging communication with fellow professional groups to build thinking across different disciplines. He continued by saying that CABE’s vision is to be well known for making valuable contributions to all levels of society and to be the association of choice for progressive organisations and individuals. He also endeavours to make CABE members grasp the idea of “globally responsible building engineering”, while cementing the clear principles of public, environment and human rights which the engineering profession should always acknowledge and be working towards achieving.
The London lettings market is starting to wobble due to a potential Brexit and global economic concern, says the London Central Portfolio’s most recent report. The report shows that in the current quarter, lets have gained a mere 0.3% rental increase, with re-lets having been the worst affected, as shown by the 1.2% decline in rentals this quarter This fall may have been due to the rising stock on the lettings market, which has increased by 26.7% in the last quarter, as reported by Lonres. Conversely, existing tenant renewals have gone against these statistics as rental increased averaged 3.3% during the previous quarter. However, demands from tenants are still strong in the one and two bedroom property market as void periods have fallen to 23 days. Mayfair, Fitzrovia and Marylebone have shown the best results with a rise of 10.6% rent on average for a one bed flat, while for two bed flats the average increase is 12.8% over the last six month period. On the flip side, Earl’s Court and Chelsea have seen the biggest drop in rents, with an average drop of 9.7% for one bedroom flats and for two bedroom flats a drop of 14.4%. Often, the lettings sector is seen as a dependable gauge of general market thoughts because of the high turnover of properties and the ability of applicants to swiftly react to developing economic conditions. The LCP’s latest research shows that the ongoing economic uncertainty has resulted in the slowing down of the rental market. The market has started to subdue, despite consistently strong rental performance (a 5.5% average increase) during the course of the previous five quarters. The analysis also shows re-lets are painting a negative picture, as shown by a 1.2% decrease in rents during the last quarter, after a rather stagnant state of affairs over the last year.
The Construction Industry Training Board and Build UK are set to join forces for one week of exclusive, behind-the-scenes events at a range of London’s highest quality building sites. The ‘Open Doors’ initiative allows entry to a host of construction enterprises in an attempt to motivate people to opt for a career in the construction industry and help them make their first progression into the sector. Open Doors events are set to take place from Monday 13 June to Saturday 18 June and welcome everyone from civil engineers, bricklayers, front-of-house sales managers and future architects to visitors of all skill sets and ages. When visiting one of the projects, visitors will discover what goes in to constructing the iconic buildings of the future as well as being inspired to learn more about construction via the careers website for the industry – Go Construct. Build UK’s Chief Executive Suzannah Nichol said that the construction business is always endeavouring to secure the best talent available and that the Open Doors scheme, in partnership with CITB, provides an appealing opportunity to anyone contemplating a future career in the industry. She added that a career in the construction business is perfect for anyone seeking a fresh challenge or a chance to do something different with their career and that the Open Doors scheme is an ideal way of showcasing exactly what construction has to offer. Meanwhile, CITB’s Partnerships Manager, Lorraine Gregory, said that by 2020 in excess of 230,000 new jobs in construction will be created across the country and that the Open Doors scheme is a magnificent way of highlighting these opportunities. She continued by saying that visitors will be presented with a unique chance to witness for themselves what a job in the construction industry is like and how fulfilling a construction job can be.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is now part of the freshly launched Global Alliance for Urban Crises. The Alliance was launched during the first ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) in Istanbul and will bring together the Red Cross, Red Crescent, municipal government networks, UN agencies, urban professionals and the private sector. It is hoped that the culmination of all these organisations will form a joint platform for lobbying, action and advocacy in order to acknowledge the increasing importance of urban humanitarian assistance. The Alliance has also made several other major commitments, including an ‘Action Agenda’ which will deal with the complex nature of urban crisis management and response through innovation. The agenda will also empower municipal governments’ response capabilities through more predictable surge capacities of local governments and urban expertise, develop ways of effectively dealing with urban displacement and providing recommendations for sustainable financing instruments. The Alliance has also made a commitment to an Urban Crisis Charter which will see members work with each other to ensure urban societies, particularly the ones most at risk, to get ready for and deal with the effects of humanitarian crises faster. The RIBA is working in conjunction with the Institution of Structural Engineers and the Royal Town Planning Institute as part of its commitment. The aim of this will be to give the international humanitarian and development community a more practical conduit to the expertise of its member institutes. RIBA Vice President, Peter Oborn, said the RIBA is pleased to be part of the crucial new global framework for urban response, recovery and preparedness and that the organisation is looking forward to providing their expert knowledge. Oborn added that RIBA and its core support of 40,000 members will bring expertise to the alliance, in particular due to the fact that there is an increasing urban dimension to humanitarian crises.
