The Construction Products Association is forecasting steady growth in output across the sector, with output set to grow by 5 per cent in 2016, followed by an increase of 8 per cent the following year. By 2019, output in the sector will reach £6.8bn – more than three times higher
Britain’s construction industry faces ‘inexorable decline’ unless longstanding problems are addressed, according to an independent review commissioned by the government. In February 2016, quantity surveyor Mark Farmer was commissioned by the Construction Leadership Council, at the request of government, to undertake a review of the UK’s construction labour model. He
Commercial director Steve Holbrook, who has been with the business for 21 years, will take over from Mr Heather, who Construction News understands will join Sir Robert McAlpine. It is understood that Mr Heather will be joining Sir Robert McAlpine to head up its London and South-east business. Mr Holbrook
Book Course HSL is to run a 2 day course on Understanding and Using the Risk Management Maturity Model (RM3). 19-20 July 2016 Introduction The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) expect the rail industry to achieve excellence when controlling health and safety risks. They believe that this is only
6 October 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal The facilities manager of the future “is no longer a skilled tradesperson”, according to a report published by the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association. Instead, an FM will have to manage multiple complex systems generating big data that must be analysed, sorted and interpreted
The Construction Products Association is forecasting steady growth in output across the sector, with output set to grow by 5 per cent in 2016, followed by an increase of 8 per cent the following year. By 2019, output in the sector will reach £6.8bn – more than three times higher than the recessionary trough of £2.23bn reported in 2012. Growth in the sector will primarily be supported by the £15.2bn Roads Investment Strategy, alongside Highways England’s Smart Motorways framework and an additional £161m of funding brought forward by 2016’s Budget. However, warnings have emerged that a dip in fuel duty could lead to a fall in work on both the strategic and local networks over the next decade, while civil engineering contractors have already noticed a decline in workloads across the sector. Source link
Britain’s construction industry faces ‘inexorable decline’ unless longstanding problems are addressed, according to an independent review commissioned by the government. In February 2016, quantity surveyor Mark Farmer was commissioned by the Construction Leadership Council, at the request of government, to undertake a review of the UK’s construction labour model. He has now delivered that report. The Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model1, subtitled Modernise or Die, highlights construction’s dysfunctional training model, its lack of innovation and collaboration as well as its non-existent research and development (R&D) culture. It says that low productivity continues to hamper the sector, while recent high levels of cost inflation, driven by a shortage of workers, has stalled numerous housing schemes as they have become too expensive to build. The answers, it argues, lie in offsite prefabrication and a reinvention of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). Led by Mark Farmer, chief executive of Cast, a real estate and construction consultancy, the report says that the needs of construction firms need ot be more closely aligned to those of the customers that hire them. “If you buy a new car, you expect it to have been built in a factory to exacting standards, to be delivered on time, to an agreed price and to a predetermined quality” said Mark Farmer, a former partner at EC Harris. “This needs to happen more in construction, so that the investors, developers or building owners hiring construction firms increasingly dictate the use of modern methods of delivery and invest appropriately in the skills agenda to grow this part of the industry. There are more similarities between manufacturing and construction than many people are led to believe and this perception needs to change, starting in the housing market.” One recommendation set out for the medium term is a behavioural deterrent scheme in the style of the plastic carrier bag charge. This would levy a tax on businesses who buy construction work in a way that doesn’t support industry innovation or skills development. Clients could face paying a suggested levy equal to 0.5% of a scheme’s construction cost but would have the ability to avoid paying this tax completely by commissioning construction in a more responsible way. Farmer has made 10 recommendations which include: • Using the residential development sector as a pilot programme to drive the use of pre-manufactured construction, for example, through offsite built or modular housing. • A wholesale reform of the CITB and its levy system, including a new mandate to fund and drive forward skills development and innovation. • Government to use its education, fiscal, housing and planning policy measures to initiate change and create the right conditions that will support the construction sector’s modernisation. With more people leaving the industry each year than joining, the construction workforce is shrinking. Reliance on a fractured supply chain and self-employment also means there is little incentive for contractors to invest in long term training for the labour force. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many school leavers and graduates don’t view construction as an attractive career choice. Construction productivity has not improved in decades so ways to make the work less labour intensive must be found, such as through offsite construction. This, in turn, could make a career in the sector more attractive for young people by moving the work from building sites to digitally-enabled working in factories, it is suggested. Mark Farmer said: “The construction industry is in dire need of change. What is clear to me following the nine months spent conducting this review is that carrying on as we are is simply not an option. With digital technology advancements pushing ahead in almost every other industry and with the construction labour pool coming under serious pressure, the time has come for action. The construction industry doesn’t have the impetus needed for this change; it requires external action to initiate change. “Unless we find some way of promoting innovation in construction and making the work less labour intensive and more attractive to new entrants, there’s a very real danger of the construction sector going into an inexorable decline over the next few years. I hope this review generates some debate in the sector and all involved can consider their role in safeguarding the industry’s long term health.” Industry minister Jesse Norman said: “This government is determined to support more housebuilding, more quickly and in the places people want to live. Given the launch of the £3bn Home Building Fund, Mark Farmer’s important review in this vital sector is very timely. It makes a strong case for change in the industry, identifies areas where it needs to improve, and sets out areas for action. We will now carefully consider his recommendations.” Industry reaction Ray O’Rourke, chairman and chief executive at Laing O’Rourke, said: “Laing O’Rourke has invested heavily in innovation and continuous improvement, and therefore I welcome many of the findings and recommendations of the Farmer review. The report shines a light on the serious and systemic issues in UK house building and the wider construction industry, and we cannot afford to ignore them any longer. “There is significant scope for radical transformation through the adoption of new technologies and advanced manufacturing approaches. This will deliver the quality housing stock the UK urgently requires and directly address the acute skills gap that threatens our very future. Government, developers and deliverers need to invest collectively to achieve these shared goals and future-proof the industry.” Mace chief executive Mark Reynolds said: “Farmer’s review makes it clear that the construction industry needs to invest in training and R&D to boost productivity and ensure we have adequate capacity to deliver the UK’s economic and social infrastructure. It underlines the importance of introducing new skills and technology to the sector. We all need to embrace this catalyst for change to attract a new breed of talent to revolutionise our industry.” Like Laing O’Rourke, Legal & General has also invested in offsite prefabrication. Legal & General Capital managing director
Commercial director Steve Holbrook, who has been with the business for 21 years, will take over from Mr Heather, who Construction News understands will join Sir Robert McAlpine. It is understood that Mr Heather will be joining Sir Robert McAlpine to head up its London and South-east business. Mr Holbrook joined Skanska as a sponsored student of commercial management in 1995 and was then promoted to commercial director. He starts his role with immediate effect. This is the second senior figure to depart from Skanska in the last two weeks, after it was revealed by CN that executive vice-president Paul Chandler was leaving and expected to join Wates, after 34 years with the business. Mr Chandler has been with Skanska since 1982 and was MD of its commercial building business before being made an executive VP in 2010. He had responsibility for Skanska UK’s operating units for buildings. Source link
Book Course HSL is to run a 2 day course on Understanding and Using the Risk Management Maturity Model (RM3). 19-20 July 2016 Introduction The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) expect the rail industry to achieve excellence when controlling health and safety risks. They believe that this is only possible through effective and efficient management. ORR have described what excellent management capability looks like in the Risk Management Maturity Model (RM³). ORR inspectors use this model to assess duty holders’ risk management arrangements as required by the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. RM³ has been embraced by the UK railway industry and is increasingly influencing activity in Europe through its adoption by the European Railway Agency. This course, designed in collaboration with ORR, will provide you with a thorough understanding of what makes a good management system and why you need one how you can use RM³ within your organisation, and how an inspector uses RM³ to assess your risk management arrangements. HSL is delighted to be collaborating with ORR to deliver training on RM³. HSL’s comprehensive understanding of RM³ and best practice in the field of health & safety risk management across a range of industries, along with our knowledge of regulation puts us in the best position to help you to implement RM³ effectively and achieve excellence in H&S risk management. More information on RM3 here Overview of the RM3 Model The course will cover: Key elements of a good health and safety management system RM³: its development and organisational benefits How to use and apply RM³ within your organisation Key challenges that organisations face, including setting safety performance indicators (SPIs) and developing competent leaders Consideration of the human element of health and safety management systems The course uses a mixture of presentations and group exercises (including knowledge sharing activities to ensure good practice is shared) over two days to ensure delegates fully understand the topics covered. This course can also be run as an in-house course for organisations who would like groups of their staff trained in RM3. We are happy to discuss any modifications to the course content in these circumstances to ensure the training is tailored to your organisation’s needs. Who should attend? This course is intended as an introduction to RM³ and therefore would suit those who have little or no knowledge of RM³ and its application. Whilst this course is tailored to those who are responsible for health & safety risk management in the rail industry, delegates from other industries will find the course of relevance due to the cross-industry applicability of the principles of excellent risk management. Venue The course will take place at the HSL site in the spa town of Buxton. Buxton is in the heart of the Peak District and has good links to mainline train stations and Manchester International Airport. For in-house courses, HSL will deliver the training at your own premises. Please get in touch with our Training Unit to discuss further. Details of hotels in the Buxton area can be found at www.visitbuxton.co.uk Cost The cost of this course is £1095.00 per person (includes course notes, lunch and refreshments). Book Course Please note the invoice option is not available within 4 weeks of the course date, or for overseas customers. For further dates and additional information email: training@hsl.gsi.gov.uk or contact the Training & Conferences Unit at HSL directly on +44 (0)1298 218806. Back to Health & Safety Training Courses Source link
6 October 2016 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal The facilities manager of the future “is no longer a skilled tradesperson”, according to a report published by the Professional Retail Store Maintenance Association. Instead, an FM will have to manage multiple complex systems generating big data that must be analysed, sorted and interpreted to ensure the maximum return on investment on every facilities investment. The annual review of the state of retail facilities management and key trends affecting the nation’s leading retailers and suppliers, also stated that training and recruiting future FMs is “critical to the industry”. Other trends in the FM industry that would change how an FM would do their job include decisions being increasingly driven by technology because of the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the evolution of the retail landscape from indoor shopping malls into “highly specialised, rending stores, pop-ups, outlet centres and high-end malls”. The PRSM 2017 Trends Report can be found here. Source link
