Boon Edam, a global market leader in entry solutions has unveiled a quality, engineered solution technology for a brand new, state of the art building in St Pancras; now home to The Francis Crick Institute. The biomedical discovery organisation, required an entry solution to seamlessly integrate with its new building’s
Northumberland College has launched a new Apprenticeship Academy and welcomed its 1,000th Apprentice. Northumberland College has recently launched its new Apprenticeship Academy that will focus on meeting the needs of Apprentices and their employers. This new Academy sees Apprenticeship Support Officers and Assessors for all subjects working more closely together.
A recent report and release of statistics by online conglomerate eMoov has indicated a staggering discrepancy between the amounts of pay earned by top estate agencies in the United Kingdom compared to other workers, including those in the building and construction trades. The study calculated that some high-profile estate agencies
Safran Nacelles, a technology-driven conglomerate with high-profile focuses as varied and exciting as those of defense, security services and even aerospace technology, has started the second month of the new year well by investing in personnel by putting more than 100 of them forward for the Composites Assured Practitioner Scheme
Mister Struan Robertson has been honored with being selected by GSA to become the newest person to be added to their executive Group Board and will equally be acting as the new Chairman of the company’s Investment Committee. GSA, which specializes in the building of residences for students all over
With the recent declarations of the Bank of England to freeze the amounts of interest rates that it normally gives out, it is always useful to seek out advice from someone who knows what they are talking about when referring to how this will affect the different property and construction
Boon Edam, a global market leader in entry solutions has unveiled a quality, engineered solution technology for a brand new, state of the art building in St Pancras; now home to The Francis Crick Institute. The biomedical discovery organisation, required an entry solution to seamlessly integrate with its new building’s modern design. The research centre, a flagship for UK biomedical science and one of Europe’s largest biomedical research facilities, is a base for 1500 scientists and staff, whilst housing technology to help create discoveries for illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Therefore, the entry solution required advanced security to ensure staff, visitors and equipment could be kept safe and protected, whilst complimenting the design. With 140 years’ experience with manufacturing entry solutions, Boon Edam ensures its products technology meet the strictest quality standards. The building is serviced by five Automatic Crystal Tourniket’s. This product was selected following an assessment of everyday use including analysing the number of visitors and size of luggage expected to be carried into the building whilst creating a user friendly and attractive gateway into the building supporting the green principles that were embedded into its design and carried through to its operation. The revolving doors use a combination of laminated and toughened glass, which results in a reduction in the traditionally framed elements of the door. The minimalistic, all glass revolving doors provided a stylish solution which complimented the new building’s façade. They also met the security requirements; with each Crystal Tourniket supplied with an external night locking door. Finished in stainless steel, the additional feature provided a further layer of security for the building. The night locking door was mounted onto a stainless-steel track fixed to the glass soffit and provided with fully integrated locks. Ian Goldsmith, Head of Sales at Boon Edam Ltd commented, “We are thrilled to have provided the entry solutions for this building. The cross-border project between Boon Edam BV (Netherlands) and Boon Edam UK was successful in meeting the precise requirements of The Francis Crick Institute. The Crystal Tourniket’s have provided the new building with the secure, eye catching solution desired whilst utilising the environmental benefits of installing a revolving door.”
Northumberland College has launched a new Apprenticeship Academy and welcomed its 1,000th Apprentice. Northumberland College has recently launched its new Apprenticeship Academy that will focus on meeting the needs of Apprentices and their employers. This new Academy sees Apprenticeship Support Officers and Assessors for all subjects working more closely together. Susan Goldstein, Director of the Apprenticeship Academy said: “Apprenticeships offer a fantastic opportunity for employers to recruit and further develop staff with the skills and expertise needed for their organisation’s success.” “For individuals, regardless of their age or background, apprenticeships offer access to structured industry-standard learning and qualifications. Successful apprenticeships are delivered by a robust and cohesive partnership between employer, apprentice and the College. The Apprenticeship Academy will ensure that each partner is clear about their responsibilities and opportunities within this process. Our aim is to support as many Apprentices as we can in achieving their career and educational goals and at the same time help employers to meet current and future skills needs.” Northumberland College is in a unique position to meet skills needs, offering as it does, more than 40 different Apprenticeships at Level 2, 3 and 4, one of the largest ranges of apprenticeship subjects in the region. The College has invested more than £10m in modern learning facilities, plus recently received further funding from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership for a £2.5m science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) centre, which will open later this year. Susan says: “We are constantly reviewing our offer to make sure that it meets the needs of apprentices and contributes to the economic well- being of our region.” National figures show that for every £1 of government investment in Level 2 or 3 apprenticeships, there is typically a return of £26 to £28 and that someone with a Higher Apprentice (Level 4) could earn £150,000 more on average over their lifetime. The Apprenticeship Academy, working in partnership with the College’s Business Training Solutions team provide bespoke information, advice and support to employers and their Apprentices. With a history of delivering training over the last 60 years the College has now recruited it’s 1000th Apprentice, April Halligan. April, aged 18 from Fenham, Newcastle, is a Bricklaying Apprentice with Newcastle City Council. Newcastle City Council Apprenticeship Manager, Paul Maddison said: “Building and Commercial Enterprise and indeed Newcastle City Council as a wider organisation, has supported apprentices for many years and boasts a successful track record of providing opportunities for young people to develop skills and secure employment. “More recently, in partnership with Northumberland College, to increase employment opportunities for local 16-18 year olds, April Halligan has been part of a new Apprentice Pathway Programme that has been developed to provide further placement opportunities for young people within the City, in particular those Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).” April said: “The programme has provided an excellent opportunity, opening new doors to my career. I’ve improved my skills and experienced different workplaces including maintenance and building sites. I’m a lot closer to my goal of becoming a qualified brick layer and gaining full-time employment thanks to this experience and the support from Northumberland College.” April’s Apprenticeship Assessor, Ged Tait, plays a pivotal role of working with Construction Apprentices including April, on site and at College has a primary role in supporting the learners. He said: “An assessor’s job includes supporting Apprentices while they are at College and in the workplace, by encouraging them and giving feedback to improve their performance and enhance their skills. “Every eight weeks I go out to visit my apprentices for assessment and progress reviews and the learners are able to contact me any time if there is a problem relating to their NVQ qualification. “April is the first female apprentice bricklayer I have worked with. She is making good progress with her qualification and I have received great feedback from her mentors at Newcastle City Works.” Graham Charlton, Northumberland College’s Brickwork tutor said: “April is a model student with a 100% attendance record for her theory, practical and functional skills lessons, she has a fantastic attitude towards her programme of study, both in the classroom and workshop. She has settled in with the group right from day one.” The College is also supporting employers through a range of Government changes to Apprenticeships. One key change is the move towards the use of Apprenticeship Standards. Standards show what an apprentice will be doing in a particular job and the skills they need to demonstrate, in order to be considered competent. Standards were developed by employer groups called Trailblazers. Another change, from 6 April 2017, is the government’s Apprenticeship Levy. This will see all employers with an annual payroll over £3million, contribute to apprenticeship training at a rate of 0.5%. The College’s Business Training Solutions team is currently offering a series of free events for employers to guide them through the Levy and other Apprenticeship changes. Employers wishing to find out more about apprenticeship training and the Levy may contact the College’s Business Training Solutions team on 0170 841 268 or email training@northland.ac.uk
A recent report and release of statistics by online conglomerate eMoov has indicated a staggering discrepancy between the amounts of pay earned by top estate agencies in the United Kingdom compared to other workers, including those in the building and construction trades. The study calculated that some high-profile estate agencies could be paying their unskilled agents up to £815 an hour: this is, the survey explains, a clear result of the incredible soaring of the prices of homes across the United Kingdom, particularly in and around the suburbs of London such as the borough of Barking and Dagenham. Whilst it is clear that the rising value of a property will in turn increase the rise in commission by successful estate agencies, the discrepancy between what they could profit from this compared to skilled laborers in the country is a prime example of the scrupulousness of these property agencies. EMoov calculated that a skilled practitioner in manual labor, such as the professions carried out by electricians and plumbers would on average make between £17 and £18 an hour. In comparison to this, an estate agent could be earning more than £800 an hour in this country due to the shocking rise in house prices recently. Surely this is to be seen by the building and construction industries as an indication of the lack of fairness and the sheer lack of scruples that these estate agencies have. At a time when concerns are constantly being raised about the worrying lack of skilled laborers and manual workers in this country, it is clear that something ought to be done to ameliorate this shortage. But when the wage gap between what a hard-working electrician might earn and what an estate agent could earn based on the current housing market is so huge, it is clear that something must be done to tackle this unfairness in society where salesmen are being paid more than 19 times more than workers whose aim it is to keep British homes warm and in decent working order.
Safran Nacelles, a technology-driven conglomerate with high-profile focuses as varied and exciting as those of defense, security services and even aerospace technology, has started the second month of the new year well by investing in personnel by putting more than 100 of them forward for the Composites Assured Practitioner Scheme (also known as the CAP). This initiative is designed to help assess workers’ own input against the development and construction strategies of the company itself, in order to determine what can be done to ensure long-lasting productivity between employer and employee. In order for this to work, employees complete a number of tests and initiatives, and are then awarded a criteria (Bronze, Silver or Gold) that the governing body feels that they meet. This ought to be of particular use to the building and construction industry, which has seen numerous reports in recent times of a shortage of competency and skill in those specific industries. It is therefore essential, one might argue, for the future of the industry itself that such tests such CAP be carried out by more companies in these sectors than ever so that these can determine what aspects they need to improve and work on in order to maintain the amount of skilled workforce in the United Kingdom. Through conducting such initiatives and assessment sessions as these, companies like Safran Nacelles will be given a greater idea of what they need to do in order to progress themselves into the future of the 21st Century. Indeed, their decision to put the Burnley branch to the test was an ambitious and brave move for the company to make, and Composites head of Safran Nacelles Mister Graham Banks has said that the scheme will be used in order to determine who will be the future leading forces of the company in the long term. It is a strategy that companies from all over the country are being encouraged to adopt.
Mister Struan Robertson has been honored with being selected by GSA to become the newest person to be added to their executive Group Board and will equally be acting as the new Chairman of the company’s Investment Committee. GSA, which specializes in the building of residences for students all over the country, is extremely proud to welcome such an experienced member of the housing and building industry through their doors. Indeed, with the greater demand for student places at university also comes the even greater and more pressing increase for building and designing new accommodation sites in order to house them. It is therefore clear that much-needed investment needs to take place in order to ensure that companies like GSA can handle the various demands for accommodation space in the years to come. With 20,000 individual accommodation residence space laid out across an expanse of no less than seven different countries, a business like GSA is forever committed to the idea of developing new and alternative forms of housing and construction that is able to cater and satisfy the increased demand for student space at campuses all over the world. Having succeeded the procurement to build 2,500 new beds in Japan, GSA are clearly paving the way forward as a prime example of a business that prides itself with over-seas projects and investment initiatives. Indeed, the building business has projects and initiatives planned for the year in countries as varied as Australia as well as Japan, and it is clear that with $1.5 billion in its investment strategy, Mister Struan Robertson will have his hands full in terms of helping to develop the company’s investing initiatives even more extensively than ever before. With a wide range of experience in investing in the hospitality sector, such as hotel and short-stay accommodation, Mister Struan Robertson is clearly very pleased to take on the challenge of becoming GSA’s new chief of investment strategy in the years to come.
With the recent declarations of the Bank of England to freeze the amounts of interest rates that it normally gives out, it is always useful to seek out advice from someone who knows what they are talking about when referring to how this will affect the different property and construction industries around the country. Indeed, it seems clear that Mister Russell Quirk sees the bank’s decision to freeze these rates as an encouraging sign to the property and construction industries that this sector of the British economy will prosper as the year goes on. Indeed, Mister Quirk has explained that the housing market itself is in a strong position for the year ahead and the steadiness of interest rates remaining the same is a sign that the economy will be able to put itself back on its feet in terms of allowing more people to buy more homes and allowing the building and construction industries to invest in more projects and initiatives for land and housing development. The Bank of England’s decision, he intimates, will also have a positive effect on those wishing to buy a home for the very first time, but he has explained that people in this position will be more than ever advised to buy within their own affordable means and budget. This is due to the fact that the current interest rates will increase at some point rather than remain in their current static position: Mister Quirk therefore advises first-time buyers to be wary of the fluctuations in the housing market and encourages them to not be foolhardy in their buying enterprises. The same caution ought to be the case with members of the building, design and construction industries. Whilst investment in land capital and various project initiatives is undoubtedly a good thing, the amount of fluctuations within the British economy at this present time means that caution ought to be taken now more than ever before.