Coventry University has been ranked as a Gold Tier University thanks to its green credentials which include renewable installations on campus, such as solar panels, solar thermal, and a ground source heat pump. The Uswitch Green University Report 2023 considers Coventry University to be a leader in sustainability, with the
Two major international real estate firms have joined forces to develop and sell 259 new apartments across two new buildings at Elephant Park in Zone One of central London. Lendlease and Daiwa House announced the new joint venture yesterday (26 October) at an on-site ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of
Scheme Will Complete Conversion of Office Park to 100% Residential Under PDR Addington Capital, the property investment and asset management specialist and its investor partner ICG have started work on the final phase of their Headingley Park residential scheme. An additional 70 new residential units will be created at Stockdale
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dandara is donating £50 for every home reserved in October in its divisions across the UK to Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign. The independent housebuilder is taking part in the annual fundraising campaign which has raised over £39m since it began in 2001
PRESSURE on public sector buildings has been dominating the news over the past six months, with a report analysing whether modern methods of construction (MMC) are helping or hindering projects reach successful outcomes. In a survey conducted by leading independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard, key questions were
We are delighted to announce that Rachel Maclean, housing and planning minister is set to join us at HOMES UK and Unlock Net Zero Live this November at ExCeL, London. This year, housing providers face increased obligations to simultaneously: improve housing standards and tackle disrepair, empower tenants, meet net zero
Searchland, the development site sourcing specialists, has partnered with Rightmove, the UK’s largest property portal, to help tackle the housing crisis by further streamlining the ability for housebuilders to deliver much needed stock. Rightmove has been the driving force behind the evolution of how we buy and sell homes across
Teagan Hudson has been promoted to Improvement and Compliance Manager, which is a newly created role at award-winning Leeds based contractor Priestley Construction. Teagan will be responsible for updating and revising the company’s processes and systems to ensure they are as efficient and effective as possible. She will also oversee
Dorset Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee members have voted strongly to support plans by Dorset-based Wyatt Homes on land northeast of Blandford Forum. This comes after extensive consultation and engagement with the community. The new plans sought full planning consent for 150 new family homes and outline planning permission for
Caddick Construction Group is ramping up its investment in the future workforce with the recruitment of seven new apprentices and two new trainees, boosting the Group’s provision of work-based learning across the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Midlands. The new recruits include Apprentice Quantity Surveyor (QS), Isabelle Roberts, who
Coventry University has been ranked as a Gold Tier University thanks to its green credentials which include renewable installations on campus, such as solar panels, solar thermal, and a ground source heat pump. The Uswitch Green University Report 2023 considers Coventry University to be a leader in sustainability, with the Gold Tier standard reserved for excellent performing universities. Coventry University boasts 14 electric vehicles as part of its fleet, including 13 electric vans and one car and is also on a renewable energy tariff for its electricity. Ian Marshall, Coventry University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, said: “It is very pleasing to be ranked as a Gold Tier University as it reflects the sustained and ongoing effort of our staff and students. “While it can be challenging given the age of some of the campus and the distribution of university buildings in mainly city centre locations, being a sustainable campus is something we are passionate about and we have recently completed a substantial planning exercise to look at what would be required to move to a net carbon zero institution by the end of the current planning period of 2030. “As part of this plan we have identified the key elements required to achieve net carbon zero and to improve sustainability while making a greener environment for staff, students and stakeholders.” The university also employs a team who are responsible for managing and coordinating sustainable development across the campuses and someone to oversee the implementation of green practices. The university offers sustainability workshops to both students and staff and runs eco-friendly initiatives such as biodiversity. Ben Gallizzi, Uswitch.com energy expert, said: “From simple measures, such as choosing to receive their energy through renewable energy tariffs and offering recycling facilities, to implementing their own electric car fleets and installing renewable energy sources on campus. UK universities are approaching a greener way of being in a multifaceted way, understanding that every little helps when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.” This is not the first time Coventry University has been recognised for its positive steps towards reducing carbon emissions as it recently won the prestigious Bees’ Needs Champions Award for its dedication to creating a biodiverse campus which consists of “bug hotels”, and bird, and bat boxes, among other measures. About Coventry University Coventry University is a global, modern university with a mission of creating better futures. We were founded by entrepreneurs and industrialists in 1843 as the Coventry School of Design and we continue to work with businesses to ensure we provide job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking to improve their communities. With a proud tradition of innovative teaching and learning, Coventry University is now one of the largest in the UK and has world-class campus facilities, the UK’s first standalone 5G network and a digital community of learning. Our students are part of a global network that has 50,000 learners studying Coventry University degrees in more than 40 different countries and partnerships with 150 higher education providers worldwide. Over two centuries, we have flourished in our home city and Coventry University Group now also delivers access to our range of high-quality services and partnerships through bases in London, Scarborough, Belgium, Poland, Egypt, Dubai, Singapore and Africa. From September 2023, we will be teaching students at a new campus in China in a joint institution with Communication University of China. We have greatly increased our research capacity and capability with a focus on impactful research, delivered for and with partners to address real-world challenges and support the sustainable growth of business and communities. The depth and breadth of our rapidly growing research portfolio was validated by the latest UK research assessment, which saw us jump 22 places in the research power rankings. We were awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, proving we deliver excellence in what students care most about – teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. In 2022, we were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade, the UK’s most prestigious business award. In recent years, we have won many awards and vastly improved our rankings in the league tables that matter to students – but what matters to us is delivering transformational change for our students, partners and communities around the world as we continue to evolve into a global education group. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Two major international real estate firms have joined forces to develop and sell 259 new apartments across two new buildings at Elephant Park in Zone One of central London. Lendlease and Daiwa House announced the new joint venture yesterday (26 October) at an on-site ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of construction. Daiwa House is one of Japan’s largest home builders and property developers, with over sixty years of experience and is renowned for a focus on sustainability. This joint venture with Lendlease is the first time that Daiwa House has been involved in the development and sale of new homes in the United Kingdom. Lendlease is a global real estate group, headquartered in Sydney. The Australian firm will develop and construct the new homes, which have an end value of circa £250m and retain a 25 per cent interest in the project, which will be the final stage of residential development at Elephant Park. The announcement builds on a strong working relationship between the two organisations. They have already partnered on the delivery of a 41-storey mixed use building in Manhattan; and recently began work on a build-to-rent apartment development in Melbourne. Lendlease’s European Chief Executive, Andrea Ruckstuhl, said: “This deal is a significant vote of confidence in the property market in the United Kingdom. We’re very pleased to be able to bring Japanese investment here and it’s another illustration of the desire that international investors have for high quality opportunities across our global pipeline of projects.” At Elephant Park Lendlease is creating thousands of high-quality new homes in a vibrant part of central London alongside new jobs, restaurants, cafes, business opportunities and a new park. It is just a short walk from London Underground and Thameslink stations, allowing residents to head to the West End, City or Canary Wharf within 15 minutes. Residents of the new buildings will be able to enjoy a communal gym, elevated garden, SkyLounge, 24-hour concierge service and cycle storage. Residents are expected to be able to move in from mid-2026. The British Government’s Minister for Investment, Lord Johnson, said: “Real estate is hugely important for UK inward investment, supporting thousands of British jobs in our construction and property services industries as well as their huge supply chains. “Having just visited Japan to meet with investors, I know how excited they are to invest in more UK projects because of the huge potential for growth that we offer. The partnership between Lendlease and Daiwa House is yet further proof of this, and I wish them every success.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Scheme Will Complete Conversion of Office Park to 100% Residential Under PDR Addington Capital, the property investment and asset management specialist and its investor partner ICG have started work on the final phase of their Headingley Park residential scheme. An additional 70 new residential units will be created at Stockdale House; the fifth and largest building on the site. Headingley Park is an office to residential conversion scheme in which four office buildings have already been converted to create 152 residential units. This final phase of 70 units at the fifth building, Stockdale House, will take the overall development to 222 units. Work has started following the NHS vacating the offices in the building. Stockdale House is being converted under the last major PD Prior Approval issued in Leeds and the new units will be provided over ground and five upper floors. The scheme is designed to meet current space standards and will be completed in Q3 2024. The Headingley Park development has proved attractive to young professionals and post graduate students in Leeds, due to being close to the City Centre and the University, in a large 6.5-acre parkland setting. Individual buildings provide 30 to 40 units which are predominantly studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. The conversion has been well received by renters to date, with the completed phases being 100% let and achieving rents of £900 and £1,275 pcm for one- and two-bedroom apartments. Headingley Park is currently ranked, “The best place to live in Leeds” by HomeViews. The scheme has a residents’ lounge, co working area and large landscaped gardens. Martin Roberts Principal of Addington Capital said, “We are delighted to be underway with the conversion of Stockdale House. The 70 high quality apartments will have spectacular views across the City and meet the growing need of today’s renters in Leeds.” “The Stockdale House development completes the conversion of Headingley Park from an in-town office park to a 100% residential development. We believe that this is an exemplar for Permitted Development conversion of offices to residential and a road map for future schemes.” He continued, “Given the falling demand for offices and the increased costs of making those properties energy efficient, we believe a relaxation of the size limit of new PD conversion, (currently up to 1,500 sq. m), would be a fast way to increase the supply of much needed residential from brownfield sites, with a low embedded carbon solution.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dandara is donating £50 for every home reserved in October in its divisions across the UK to Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink campaign. The independent housebuilder is taking part in the annual fundraising campaign which has raised over £39m since it began in 2001 and helps fund Breast Cancer Now’s world-class research and life-changing services. It is organised by Breast Cancer Now, whose mission is to make sure that by 2050 everyone diagnosed with breast cancer lives, and is supported to live well. Dandara staff took part in a range of activities to mark wear it pink day on 20th of October 2023. Kinie Kaur, wear it pink Manager from Breast Cancer Now, commented: “We want to say a huge thank you to Dandara for supporting wear it pink this October. Every year around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer. But by wearing pink and raising money on 20 October, supporters like Dandara are helping to drive forward research and give life-changing support to those affected by this relentless disease.” Trevor Dempsey, Dandara CEO, said: “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with one woman diagnosed every ten minutes and helping find better ways of treating the illness and improving the quality of life for those who are living with it is vitally important. It would be wonderful if it becomes an illness that it is treatable within our lifetimes, so no-one else has to lose a partner, a mother, a friend, brother or a sister to this horrible disease.” Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink day is one of the biggest and brightest fundraising events in the UK. To find out more go to: www.wearitpink.org or https://breastcancernow.org/about-us/blogs/wear-it-pink-back/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
PRESSURE on public sector buildings has been dominating the news over the past six months, with a report analysing whether modern methods of construction (MMC) are helping or hindering projects reach successful outcomes. In a survey conducted by leading independent property, construction, and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard, key questions were put to its multi-disciplinary connections including clients, consultants and contractors around their experiences with MMC. The uptake of such practices is clear, with 85% of those surveyed having actively used a modern method as part of a project, and 80% also expecting to see utilisation to increase over the next five years. Highlights of the Q4 Market Intelligence Report also revealed the potential impact of the new Building Safety Act Gateway 2, which came into effect in October 2023. 80% of contractors have reported they see it as either ‘affecting’ or ‘maybe affecting’ programmes and procurement for MMC builds. Kieran Bradley, director at Pick Everard, said: “By giving a voice to the construction industry through this survey, we have been able to supply insight around how MMC is viewed directly from those actually utilising such methods. It’s clear there are huge benefits particularly when addressing the challenges of the public sector, such as overcrowded prisons and aging schools and other public buildings that have become structurally unsafe due to RAAC – but is it always the right option? “An interesting breakdown in the results relates to improvement in the quality of buildings using MMC. There is a marked different between the views of contractors, with 92% citing an overall improvement, compared with a lower figure for consultants (72%) and clients (67%).” “This may be attributable to these parties’ specific roles in delivering projects. In some instances, MMC can prove to be too complicated, or the site might just be too small to use cranes. In other cases, it can be down to the actual scheme. Add to this the need to pay an upfront fee and immediate design approvals puts many at a significant disadvantage if changes need to be made later on.” In addition, the report also explores the ongoing inflation and interest rate situation and the impact on the construction sector regarding demand for work, wages and skills shortages. Gavin Mason, director at Pick Everard, said: “Despite the figures falling, we are also still facing high inflation rates, which is only adding to the pressure for our public sector clients and how we respond to that from our industry. The government has pledged to halve inflation by the end of the year, from when it peaked at more than 11% at the end of 2022. While there is promising movement in some regions, nationally demand is still in decline. “From our construction survey, we predict construction inflation will slow to a rate of 2.5% per annum, based on current demand in the property sector for new work and an assessment of capacity within the industry. When asked about what the biggest contribution to inflation has been, we found the majority (45%) of participants believe wage inflation has been the main factor. We can therefore see where part of the challenge lies when looking at the labour gap, with a shortage of around 45,000 skilled workers according to the, which we believe vocational training is essential in combatting.” Factoring this in when looking at the potential for MMC is potentially where some of the results came from regarding the downsides to its utilisation. In addition to the increased upfront costs (32%), and programming issues (24%), the market research has found that future flexibility and design change (31%) to be the biggest challenges of using MMC. Interestingly, design compliance (13%) and quality of the finished article (0%) weren’t seen as so challenging (graph 3). However, the report also aims to look ahead to how MMC could be improved, and more opportunities revealed for the sector to make the most of its advantages. Kieran added: “When we asked people what one change to MMC would improve its uptake, three key themes were returned; education, early integration and flexibility. Enhancing a more rounded understanding of the process and the appropriate use for MMC was a view held by the majority of respondents and one that we echo. “Supporting the sector through knowledge sharing, such as this report, is integral to our goals of a collaborated approach and supporting the sector through the next quarter and throughout 2024. We feel positive inflation rates will level out over the course of the next year, and hopefully bring back more investment and opportunity for our industry.” Pick Everard employs more than 650 staff across its 15 offices, providing a range of project, cost, and design consultancy services. To read the Q4 2023 Market Intelligence Report in full, visit https://landing.pickeverard.co.uk/Downloads/Pick-Everard-Q4-2023-Market-Intelligence.pdf Further details on Pick Everard can be found at: http://www.pickeverard.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
We are delighted to announce that Rachel Maclean, housing and planning minister is set to join us at HOMES UK and Unlock Net Zero Live this November at ExCeL, London. This year, housing providers face increased obligations to simultaneously: improve housing standards and tackle disrepair, empower tenants, meet net zero targets, address building safety and increase housing supply. HOMES UK and Unlock Net Zero Live may be the last largescale and free* to attend housing event in which you will be able to hear from government before the next general election. Take your opportunity to be part of this incredibly important conversation and ensure you have your questions at the ready. Register for your free* ticket today >> https://eventdata.uk/Forms/Form.aspx?FormRef=HUKB3Visitor&PageNo=39&TrackingCode=BDC In the face of limited resources it is now more important than ever to collaborate and find complementary strategic goals to achieve more together. 2 days | 4500+ attendees | 150+ exhibitors and sponsors | 275+ speakers | 70+ hours of CPD | 6 theatres | 15 networking events We look forward to seeing you there. HOMES UK and Unlock Net Zero Live team *Free to housing associations, local authorities, public sector, housebuilders, master developers, funders, architects, planners and BTR landlords, student accommodation, retirement living and extra-care providers. Fees will apply to other commercial organisations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Searchland, the development site sourcing specialists, has partnered with Rightmove, the UK’s largest property portal, to help tackle the housing crisis by further streamlining the ability for housebuilders to deliver much needed stock. Rightmove has been the driving force behind the evolution of how we buy and sell homes across the UK and today, boasts the highest level of traffic of all UK portals, making it the go to platform for property buyers of all shapes and sizes – including those looking for land sites, commercial plots and homes abroad. The portal is built on a wealth of data, allowing users to search by property type, size, room number and proximity, as well as providing information on mortgages, estate agents and most importantly, current market values. Searchland is also no stranger to driving innovation within the UK property sector, having already changed the way the development industry operates, providing automated results covering everything from DTV letter sending, site sourcing workflow, strategic land data, DNO and HMO data, planning applications, ownership records, sold price comparables and planning constraints. In May, the company launched in Scotland, making it the first site sourcing platform to offer data for the whole of Britain. Just a month later, Searchland also launched its integrated AI powered interface, dramatically reducing the time it takes for developers to ask questions of a given council’s local planning documents, both adopted and emerging. Searchland and Rightmove Data Services team up to help tackle the housing crisis Both platforms are the powerhouses of their respective sectors and their partnership is set to further streamline the property development process. While Searchland already utilises a huge amount of market data, the problem they and many developers face is the lagged nature of property data reporting. While the Land Registry provides a great deal of data on areas such as sales volumes and sold prices , these figures are reported on a considerable lag of up to six months. This means the information being reported isn’t always representative of market conditions today. This unique partnership will see Rightmove Data Services provide market comparable data to the Searchland platform from their own listings, allowing developers a real time look at how the market is performing. But it’s not just the current value of potential land sites that developers will be able to benefit from. Searchland will also be utilising data from Rightmove Data Services to deliver insight on all properties available, both new-build and existing, as well as rental properties, not just those up for sale. With this immense amount of data feeding into Searchland’s search algorithms, developers will be able to access a vast array of information from property build dates, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, parking availability and more. And it’s not just the residential development sector that is due to benefit, the addition of live and historic rental data provides huge benefit for those working within both the social housing and build to rent sectors. Not to mention the addition of dedicated retirement home stock data, as well as information on auction trends and the sale price achieved. In partnering with Rightmove Data Services, Searchland is set to become the most comprehensive source of information available to developers across all sectors of the market, providing an unrivalled level of data and insight, not just historically, but on the present day landscape as well. Co-founder and CEO of Searchland, Mitchell Fasanya, commented: “Technology has played a key role in the evolution of the property market and it continues to do so today. Whether you’re a developer looking to source a land site or a residential buyer looking for your next home, the speed, convenience and ease of the process has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. While this is partly down to the ‘usability’ of platforms such as Rightmove and Searchland, the secret sauce to success is the abundance and availability of robust data and being able to provide such data in a quickly digestible format. In this respect, the partnership between Searchland and Rightmove Data Services is a match made in heaven and the wealth of data they will be able to provide us will not only supercharge the Searchland offering even further, but add further value to additional sectors such as the social housing and build to rent sectors. For the nation’s developers, this means even more power at their fingertips when it comes to site sourcing, allowing them to swiftly form a complete view of any given area of the property market, enabling them to increase the level of stock they are able to deliver in the process.” Simon Dawson, Director of Rightmove Data Services and Insights commented: “As part of the UKs leading property portal, Rightmove Data Services understands how important it is for developers to have accurate and contemporary information when appraising development sites. By working with Searchland, we are able to provide some of the biggest developers in the country access to our unique property and pricing data. This relationship highlights our dedication to enhancing the property development landscape and providing superior data in the easiest to use format” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Teagan Hudson has been promoted to Improvement and Compliance Manager, which is a newly created role at award-winning Leeds based contractor Priestley Construction. Teagan will be responsible for updating and revising the company’s processes and systems to ensure they are as efficient and effective as possible. She will also oversee staff training and provide inductions to new recruits spanning Priestley’s procedures and policies. In addition, she will manage the implementation of new IT solutions and software, as well as providing relevant training, to streamline how the company stores, accesses, monitors and distributes information internally and externally. She will also explore and implement new standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that could benefit the company. Teagan joined Priestley Construction almost 18 months ago as a buyer and estimator. Teagan said: “The construction industry is evolving fast, and companies must be as proficient and capable as possible in today’s market in order to be successful and genuinely add value to their clients and projects. This role is all about identifying and implementing potential improvements in a wide range of areas to make Preistley Construction even better at what it does. “It feels very rewarding that the directors have created this new role and given me this opportunity to drive so many positive changes forward.” Nathan Priestley, founder and CEO of the Priestley Group, said: “Teagan boasts a wealth of analytical skills and when this is combined with her superb attention to detail and overall knowledge of the construction industry, there’s no doubt this is a role that she’ll thrive in. “We’ve shaped the job around her specific skillsets, and she will now be responsible for promoting, improving, updating, revising and monitoring all of our operational and commercial processes, with the overall aim of driving continuous improvement across our business. This makes it an exciting opportunity for both Teagan and Priestley Construction alike.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Dorset Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee members have voted strongly to support plans by Dorset-based Wyatt Homes on land northeast of Blandford Forum. This comes after extensive consultation and engagement with the community. The new plans sought full planning consent for 150 new family homes and outline planning permission for a further 340 on a site adjoining the A354 and A350. The project will also provide new pedestrian and cycle connections and 30% of the homes will be affordable. The housebuilder also plans to plant over 2,000 new trees throughout the site and more than 40 acres of public open space will make up nearly 50% of the development. The new homes will prioritise energy efficiency and use advanced technologies to minimise CO2 emissions. This includes high levels of insulation, top-tier glazing, solar PV panels, wastewater heat recovery and heat pumps. Furthermore, this development will set aside land for a potential future school, allotments, a community hall, shops, and play facilities. It will also establish new cycling and pedestrian pathways and improve bus infrastructure, with upgraded stops and the possibility of extending existing routes. Speaking at the Dorset Council’s Northern Planning Committee, David Wyatt, CEO of Wyatt Homes said, “We are proud of the places we create and committed to building well-designed, high-quality homes using local materials and locally based contractors. “We will do our utmost to make this an exceptional development that not only Wyatt Homes is proud of, but the local community is proud of too.” Tim Hoskinson, Planning Director for Wyatt Homes said, “We are delighted with this strong positive endorsement by the planning committee, these plans are the largest zero carbon ready application that has come before the planning committee, will deliver much needed new homes including vital affordable homes in Dorset. “We would like to thank those who commented on the plans during the extensive public consultation over several years, as well as Dorset councillors, those on the Planning Committee and Council Officers. This is a complex application and the comprehensive level of scrutiny by officers and detailed consideration by members shows the planning system working at its best.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Caddick Construction Group is ramping up its investment in the future workforce with the recruitment of seven new apprentices and two new trainees, boosting the Group’s provision of work-based learning across the North West, North East, Yorkshire and Midlands. The new recruits include Apprentice Quantity Surveyor (QS), Isabelle Roberts, who first gained hands-on work experience at Caddick Construction Group’s Farrington Park project in Lancashire. Isabelle has now embarked on a 5-year Quantity Surveying degree with the University of Central Lancashire, attending university one day a week and spending the remaining four days with the site team at Progress Housing Group’s £23m extra care development in Lancaster. Orlando Wilson, one of Caddick’s new Construction Trainees, recently joined the business on a five-year Construction Management degree. Working across a number of Yorkshire developments, including a new £28m scheme for YARA Fertiliser, Orlando is now gaining valuable skills in various different departments at Caddick, whilst also studying for his degree at Leeds Beckett University one day a week. Working in the Caddick Construction team alongside Isabelle and Orlando is Brandon Crowther as Apprentice Engineer, Rob Knowles as Apprentice Quantity Surveyor, George Reynolds Winstanley as Trainee Site Manager, Evie Belwood as Apprentice Quantity Surveyor and Oliver Fauguel as Apprentice Engineer. Caddick Civil Engineering has also been joined by Apprentice Site Manager, Harvey Fenton, and Trainee Quantity Surveyor, Harry Webster, who will support the business’ growing pipeline of residential and public sector contracts. The nine join Caddick Construction Group’s expanding team of work-based learners, bringing the business’ total number of apprentices and trainees to 23. Working across the Caddick Construction Group’s key regions, the new recruits will gain first-hand experience of live construction projects in a variety of sectors, including residential, offices, manufacturing, healthcare and retail. Of her apprenticeship, Isabelle commented: “I am a very hands-on learner so an apprenticeship is perfect for me. Studying for my degree in this way means that I can earn while I’m training and not rack up huge debt as I start my career. I’ve worked with the Caddick team before at Farington Park so I already feel part of the team. Anyone considering an apprenticeship should go for it. It’s a great route into the industry.” Orlando, who works on a number of Caddick Construction sites, added: “Becoming a trainee whilst also studying for my degree has been the perfect route into the industry for me. I’d always known I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps in construction, and initially had my eye on the planning department. This training opportunity will be great for understanding which sector best suits me because it gives me a taste for each, while I study for my Construction Management degree at Leeds Beckett University.” Recruitment of the new wave of apprentices and trainees has been spearheaded by Caddick Construction Group Managing Director, Paul Dodsworth, who himself began his career as an apprentice bricklayer. Paul Dodsworth, Managing Director of Caddick Construction Group, commented: “I’ve always championed apprenticeships; learning on-the-job is the quickest way to master a skill or trade whilst getting paid. This is especially true for construction. I’ve had a very rewarding career since my apprenticeship and I’m eager to ensure we give young people a good start and add to the industry’s skill set for the future. “This is much more than a personal passion. Investing in skills is about the long-term strength of the Caddick business, succession planning and also our wider industry. Providing real opportunities, passing on our experience and knowledge to the next generation is the only way to future-proof the construction industry. It’s also an incredible way of bringing in fresh ideas; embracing new ways of thinking and increasing diversity, and I’m really excited to see what our new apprentices bring to the team.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
