A special award has been handed to a north-east housebuilder based in Banchory for its exceptional customer service. Bancon Homes has been presented with the Outstanding Customer Service award by In House Research, which carries out customer surveys. “It’s a fantastic achievement to have been awarded the Outstanding Customer Service Award.
Last year, the number of people employed in the British Armed Forces numbered nearly 150,000. Of those, over 80,000 employed in the British Army and over 30,000 in the Royal Navy. However, over 14,000 people leave the military every year. This has become somewhat of a blessing for the construction
GRAHAM has completed the first phase of a multi-million-pound upgrade to the Port of Southampton’s Ocean Cruise Terminal. Regarded as Europe’s leading cruise turnaround port, the reopening of its largest terminal marks the commencement of the busy cruise season. Beginning in October 2018, the GRAHAM phase one programme of works
Scotland’s Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse has officially opened Glenrothes’ new district heating network. Supported by £8.559 million investment from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, the £24 million collaborative project between Fife Council and RWE has been delivered on time and on budget. The new network, constructed in
Leading supplier AEI Cables is highlighting the need for the highest quality of cabling for use in sprinkler systems increasingly being specified for use in new modern buildings. This follows a call from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered
A special award has been handed to a north-east housebuilder based in Banchory for its exceptional customer service. Bancon Homes has been presented with the Outstanding Customer Service award by In House Research, which carries out customer surveys. “It’s a fantastic achievement to have been awarded the Outstanding Customer Service Award. To be one of only five housebuilders in the UK to achieve this level of customer service is testament to the hard work of everyone at Bancon Homes and I would like to thank all our colleagues for their continued efforts in delivering the best possible customer service. We pride ourselves on the level of individual customer care we provide. It really matters to us that each and every customer is happy with their home, we know how important it is,” said Allan Clow, the managing director of Bancon Homes. Tom Weston, the chief operating officer of In House Research, said the award was down to the “exceptional quality, regular communications and personal service” given to customers. In addition to its exceptional customer service, the construction firm has also retained its Gold Award accreditation, which is based on 90% of its customers saying they would recommend the firm to another person.
Last year, the number of people employed in the British Armed Forces numbered nearly 150,000. Of those, over 80,000 employed in the British Army and over 30,000 in the Royal Navy. However, over 14,000 people leave the military every year. This has become somewhat of a blessing for the construction industry, as it has created a sea of potential employees. Over 200,000 extra workers are needed before 2020 and ex-military personnel have highly transferrable skillsets and the potential to reach the top of the industry. Ryan Latham, Senior Marketing Executive for 3B Training, has experienced firsthand how businesses can benefit from hiring ex-military personnel. “Construction as an industry is growing, but it’s also is experiencing a gap in skills. An excellent way to fill in the hole for personnel with leadership, project management and teamwork skills is to investigate the pool of military leavers available. These transferable attributes are a valuable resource for the construction industry to help bring in skilled young workers. Other industries appear to ignore Armed Forces leavers as potential employees, so much so that some leave their service history from their CV. Little do they know that they are missing out on a range of positive personality traits such as courage, discipline, selflessness and respect for others”. Below, we take a closer look at what it’s like working in the military, what motivates members of the Armed Forces and why transitioning to a career in construction is the ideal next step for a leaver. Why do people leave the military? To understand why many people choose to leave the service, we’ve examined data from the 2018 UK Regular Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey Results which look at the impact of decisions affecting personnel. Life in the Armed Forces requires specific demands that aren’t found in civilian jobs. When deployed, military personnel can find themselves away from their families for long periods of time, often in dangerous situations. Yet despite this, we found that the most common reasons for military personnel to seek a new career path are down to more familiar concerns: Job satisfaction — Only 55% of military personnel claimed they were generally satisfied with their job. Pay satisfaction — There has been a consistent drop in pay satisfaction since 2010, with only 31% currently admitting to being happy with their salary. Life satisfaction — When questioning their happiness and how worthwhile they feel the things they do in life are, at least one in five members of the military rate them as low. Since 2005, the Royal Marines have also seen a large decrease in the levels of satisfaction with opportunities for professional and personal development. It seems then, that much like civilian jobs, careers in the military are more motivated by personal growth and satisfaction. This has led to a staggering 42% of military personnel actively searching for a new career outside of the Armed Forces over the past 12 months. Why choose construction? The construction industry is currently suffering from a skills shortage, resulting in a need for over 200,000 more workers by 2020. According to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the lack of skilled workers in the UK is the highest level since 2007, meaning the government’s initiative to build 300,000 new homes each year looks optimistic at best. Former military personnel have a great opportunity to fill the construction skills gap. There are many sectors in the Armed Forces which provide their personnel with a number of highly transferrable skills, whether that’s engineering, mechanics or electronic. A number of companies recognise the potential of military leavers and provide specialist training programmes to help them adjust to civilian life and a new career in construction. There are specialist courses available that provide Enhanced Learning Credits to enable lifelong learning to ex-members of the military or those looking to leave. These credits cover 80% of course fees and are available to anyone who has served a minimum of 6 years. Working in construction allows leavers to put their experience to good use in a number of potential opportunities. The industry is not only in desperate need of construction workers but also manager positions, which is perfect for ex-officers who have experience leading teams and getting results in difficult situations. What makes ex-military personnel a desirable workforce? When working in the armed forces, you receive a level of training that simply isn’t available in other career paths. Regardless of their previous role, leavers are all highly disciplined and have fantastic teamwork skills. According to the Armed Forces survey results, 82% agree that they have confidence in themselves as a team, plus, 78% believe their team know exactly what their responsibilities are and that their team can be relied upon to help when their job gets difficult. A strong team that can work well together and keep their cool under pressure is exactly what the construction industry needs. Many working in the military are proud of the work they do, with 50% of the Royal Marines claiming that their service inspires them to do the best in their job. With the construction industry looking for a dedicated new workforce, finding employees who take pride in their work is crucial. Leavers are not just job applicants to the construction industry, they’re assets. Due to their experiences in the Armed Forces, they can pick up skills much faster than most people in civilian professions and can help quickly fill the large skills gap. A team of highly trained, dedicated workers and authoritative, respected managers is the solution the industry has been looking for. Samantha Gregory, Training Coordinator at 3B Training and former Vehicle Mechanic in the REME, knows firsthand what ex-military can offer the construction industry. “The work ethic for military leavers is completely different from civilians. It is embedded in us to turn up on time (5 minutes before 5 minutes early) and to just get the job done. Leavers are great at working under pressure and are taught to work through
GRAHAM has completed the first phase of a multi-million-pound upgrade to the Port of Southampton’s Ocean Cruise Terminal. Regarded as Europe’s leading cruise turnaround port, the reopening of its largest terminal marks the commencement of the busy cruise season. Beginning in October 2018, the GRAHAM phase one programme of works involved infrastructure upgrades on the quayside with 18 new 150 tonne bollards replacing the existing 50 tonne bollards. Key elements of the scheme also included the addition of a new entrance lobby, the alteration of the terminal building to provide improved, and additional, vertical transition, the expansion of the security X-Ray area and the provision of access to the second Seaport Passenger Boarding Bridge (SPBB). The alteration of the store’s building roof, provision of a roof structure over the ‘fourth’ inward cabin baggage portal, the completion of a canopied vehicle set down area and the paving of the HGV marshalling zone, accommodating the realignment of the fencing and gates, plus new drainage, were additional features of the programme. Commenting on the successful project completion Leo Martin, GRAHAM Managing Director – Civil Engineering, said: “The first phase upgrade at the Port of Southampton is an important infrastructure project that will help to support continued growth in the cruise sector. “The technical competency and engineering excellence of our team facilitated a smooth process throughout the project. Indeed, our alternative solution for the construction of the new 150 tonne bollards on reinforced concrete foundations, with the removal of the existing bollards, was specifically chosen for use by ABP (Associated British Ports). “We have consistently demonstrated our capacity to deliver high-quality projects on time and to budget in the face of the unique challenges presented by port and marine environments.” Partnership project The overall Port of Southampton upgrade is a £12m partnership project between ABP and P&O Cruises. It has been commissioned in readiness for May 2020 when the cruise line’s newest flagship, Iona, will arrive in Southampton from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg. The entire project will be completed in early 2020 with the installation of two new airbridges and a further 2,000 roof-mounted solar panels. Iona, which will homeport in Southampton, is the first of two new ships of the XL class for P&O Cruises, with the next ship on order to be delivered in 2022. She is the first British cruise ship to be powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas). Alastair Welch, Director at the Port of Southampton, said: “Cruise is a growing industry and we continue to make these significant investments which are crucial to ensuring we are in a good position to welcome the larger ships and the increase in passenger numbers.” ABP, the UK’s leading port operator/owner, has previously selected GRAHAM to complete a range of challenging programmes of work including the design and construction of the world’s largest dedicated biomass handling facility, the £120m Immingham Renewable Fuels Terminal, the £114m redevelopment of Alexandra Dock at Green Port Hull, and the £26m transformation of Grimsby River Terminal.
Scotland’s Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse has officially opened Glenrothes’ new district heating network. Supported by £8.559 million investment from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, the £24 million collaborative project between Fife Council and RWE has been delivered on time and on budget. The new network, constructed in central Glenrothes, provides low carbon heating to Fife House complex, Rothes Halls and the sheltered housing complex at Jubilee Grove by using the steam from the RWE biomass CHP plant at Markinch. Scotland’s Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “I am delighted to officially open the Glenrothes Energy Network today. This ambitious project, which has received £8.6 million support from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, is already providing reliable low carbon heat to a number of buildings and has potential for expansion in the future. “I would like to congratulate both Fife Council and RWE on the way in which they have worked in partnership and their success in constructing the new energy centre and network within the town centre which will make a valuable contribution towards reducing carbon emissions and our renewable heat targets.” Vital Energi’s Operations Manager, Scott Lutton explained, “We have been delighted to support Fife Council and RWE in their ambition to provide lower-carbon heat to this local community. The Energy Centre and Heat Network have been constructed through diligent planning and collaboration which has under pinned the success of the project. This is a significant addition to Scotland’s low-carbon energy infrastructure as it continues to prove itself as a leader in renewable energy generation. Cllr Ross Vettraino, Fife Council’s spokesperson for the environment said: “Fife continues leading the way in tackling climate change. Bringing this district heating scheme to Glenrothes helps Fife Council reach its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 42% by 2020. The scheme demonstrates how to tackle the Government’s long-term climate change targets at a local level and helps build confidence in modern, low carbon heat technology.” Along with the three partners, several organisations have provided invaluable support delivering Glenrothes Energy Network: WSP – design and specification Scottish Futures Trust – project assurance and expert advice Brodies – specialist legal advice Balfour Beatty – main network contractor Vital Energi – district heating installation and energy centre contractor. Cllr Vettraino concluded: “This project is an exemplar of partnership working and what it can achieve. Thanks go to everyone involved in bringing this stage of the network to successful completion.” Steve Glover, Director of Hard Coal & Gas Power Plant UK, RWE Generation: “RWE is proud to be part of this innovative partnership; the Energy Centre is one of the quickest built projects of its kind in the UK and represents a significant investment in our Fife operation. This scheme offers the opportunity to provide affordable heat and lower carbon emissions and RWE are delighted to be part of its success.” The official opening marks the completion of the core network construction. Work is currently underway looking at connecting local businesses. The network is ready for the future with the potential to connect more domestic customers when additional funding is sourced. For more information on the project please go to www.glenrothesenergynetwork.co.uk
Leading supplier AEI Cables is highlighting the need for the highest quality of cabling for use in sprinkler systems increasingly being specified for use in new modern buildings. This follows a call from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to make the installation of sprinklers mandatory in all residential buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools and care homes taller than 11 metres. The same organisations have also called for sprinklers to be retrofitted where possible. Graham Turner, of AEI Cables, said the issue of providing continuous power to sprinkler systems is a key component of improving fire safety in buildings nationwide. He added: “Buildings such as tower blocks, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, airports and those areas with large numbers of people moving about need cabling which will continue to operate in a fire and provide power for the highest fire protection of 120 minutes. “This ensure fire and rescue services can safely evacuate people and that sprinklers will continue to operate in the event of a fire.” The Hackitt Review into the Grenfell disaster sets out a series of proposals to make tower blocks safer to live in but stops short of recommending a mandatory requirement for sprinklers to be fitted. The new generation AEI Cables’ fire performance cabling ensures critical fire-safety circuits can continue to operate in the event of a fire from 30 minutes up to 120 minutes. Using the very latest in technology and science, the Firetec Total Fire Solutions range from AEI Cables offers enhanced fire performance cabling, accessories and technical support from one source. All AEI Cables’ products are supplied with approvals from independent bodies including BASEC and LPCB covering design, manufacture and supply. It also holds approvals from organisations including Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL and works to international standards around the world.
