Guildford-based housebuilder Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties is helping to tackle the construction industry skills shortage, having recently recruited its latest graduate trainee. Chloe Lopez (age 22), a Business Management graduate from the University of Surrey, was accepted onto Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties’ ASPIRE Programme this Autumn, based at
The West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges has appointed Nikki Davis, CEO and Principal of Leeds College of Building, as its new Chair. In 2022, Nikki was appointed the first ever female CEO and Principal in Leeds College of Building’s 60-year history. Nikki, who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects has given 16 Design, Surveying and Planning T-Level students from Walsall College hands on experience at three sites as part of the Winvic Enrichment Programme. Over
A Wakefield based joinery firm’s team is feeling chipper, after scooping an award for its commitment to skills, training and local employment. Joinery Direct, established in 2005, has been awarded sub-contractor of the quarter, by Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) for the work at the Pennine Village development, which has been
The North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP), a £1.5 billion nationally significant infrastructure project under construction in Edmonton commissioned by North London Waste Authority (NLWA), has been named the Most Innovative Project of the Year at the Institute of Economic Development (IED) Annual Awards 2023. The awards, which were
Kier recently hosted an exclusive preview of ‘Open Doors 2024’, a Build UK initiative which takes young people and those looking for a change of career behind the site hoardings to experience construction first-hand. A group of students from Fulham Cross Academy were given an exclusive insight into what a
A month-long campaign to highlight the value of choosing construction as a profession has culminated in a new recruitment drive by a Northampton-based construction company. To celebrate Careers in Construction month during October, Bhangals Construction Consultants launched the Build A Career at Bhangals campaign, which showcased the variety of roles
West Yorkshire Colleges, including Leeds College of Building, have been successful in securing £6.9 million from the Department for Education to digitise teaching and learning in key sectors. The funding is part of the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) and will launch a West Yorkshire digital innovation project led by colleges.
Cavanna Homes is investing in training the next generation of homebuilders in the construction industry, teaching vital skills to on-site and office staff as part of the homebuilder’s commitment to nurturing talent. Under the leadership of People & Culture Manager, Sophie Aylott, who joined Cavanna Homes earlier this year, the
AG has reinforced the importance of health and safety to its 230-strong workforce with its annual safety campaign and ‘Safe Day’ last month. The specialist building products business which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Toome , Carryduff and Pomeroy chose Health and Safety as its core employee engagement theme for
Guildford-based housebuilder Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties is helping to tackle the construction industry skills shortage, having recently recruited its latest graduate trainee. Chloe Lopez (age 22), a Business Management graduate from the University of Surrey, was accepted onto Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties’ ASPIRE Programme this Autumn, based at its head office on Old Portsmouth Road. The two-year scheme provides hands-on career education and training, and will see Chloe deployed within each department of the business to learn first-hand about Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties’ operations. Chloe will then undertake a final placement within the Commercial department, where she will train to become an Assistant Quantity Surveyor. During the programme, Chloe will meet regularly with other graduates from across the business and undertake entrepreneurial fundraising with the Princes Trust’s Million Makers challenge. Chloe comments: “It’s an exciting time to be entering the construction industry – the market is changing at a rapid pace and Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties offers an incredibly dynamic working environment. The ASPIRE Programme was the very first scheme that I applied to after my degree, and after a few short weeks I have already gained so much knowledge and experience. Alongside my placements, I am also being mentored by the Managing Director, which has given me valuable insight and training to take forward in the role.” Chloe’s time is split between the office and working onsite at Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties’ developments in Berkshire and Sussex, where she is currently shadowing the surveying team. “You have the opportunity to get stuck in from day one!” Chloe adds. “It’s hard work but when you’re on the job you can see the real-life impact of the work that we’re doing. Each day brings a new challenge, and I’m learning everything from procurement to budget valuations to overseeing the contractors. Each day is different and varied and there’s no better way to learn.” Chloe recently supported with the launch of David Wilson Homes’ newest development in Finchampstead, Finchwood Park, and worked closely on the creation of the customer sales arena. “Seeing the final product brought to life demonstrates how each person plays a vital role in constructing new homes and ensuring its success,” Chloe adds. Julian Hodder, Managing Director at Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties, adds: “What is fundamentally clear is the fact that the construction skills shortage reaches far beyond traditional trade careers such as carpentry and bricklaying. There is an impetus now for us to invest and train across all roles, and the ASPIRE graduate programme is just one way that we are attracting some of the best talent from the next generation. Chloe’s drive, dedication and work ethic has impressed her colleagues, and she has a very bright future ahead in construction.” Chloe is hoping to continue her career with Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties after completing the Aspire Programme, with ambitions to progress to a manager within the next five years. Chloe and the team at Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties are helping to create new homes across the South East, including at The Poppies in Aylesford, Brookwood Meadows in Westham and Finchwood Park in Finchampstead. For further details about Barratt David Wilson Southern Counties or the ASPIRE Programme, visit www.barratthomes.co.uk / www.dwh.co.uk or call 0333 355 8498. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges has appointed Nikki Davis, CEO and Principal of Leeds College of Building, as its new Chair. In 2022, Nikki was appointed the first ever female CEO and Principal in Leeds College of Building’s 60-year history. Nikki, who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role, is committed to leading this unique collaboration of colleges to transform lives through learning, and strive for continuous improvement for FE in West Yorkshire. Under Nikki’s leadership, Leeds College of Building is focused on diversity, inclusivity, and access for all to the opportunities offered by the construction sector. The College is also engaged in green and sustainable skills training to help contribute to critical national net-zero targets. Nikki will chair the consortium which consists of the seven principals of the FE Colleges in West Yorkshire. The board meets regularly to agree collaborative opportunities that will increase the skills of the people and businesses of the region. The consortium strives to build capacity, increase accessibility and drive up the quality of learning in West Yorkshire’s colleges and partner organisations. As Chair, Nikki will work closely with the principals and WYCC Director, Joanne Patrickson to influence and support the skills agenda in the region, and work with key partners such as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, chambers of commerce and other partners working to meet the skills needs. Nikki Davis, CEO and Principal of Leeds College of Building, said,“I am delighted to take up the role of West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges Chair. This is an exciting time for WYCC, and I look forward to supporting its important work with education providers and businesses to boost crucial skill levels across the region. “Collaborating on WYCC projects is essential to tackle regional skills gaps and contribute to economic growth. As Chair, I hope to support even more initiatives promoting training in digital technologies and green skills alongside furthering social mobility and diversity across our regional workforce.” Joanne Patrickson, Project Director for WYCC said,“We are really pleased that Nikki is chairing the consortium. Nikki brings so much to the role and has a great insight into FE and the regional skills agenda, we will value and welcome her support.” Under the collaboration of the consortium, the colleges have just secured nearly £7million in funding from the Department for Education, the Local Skills Improvement Fund. This funding will be managed by the WYCC across the seven college partners to digitise teaching and learning across a number of key sectors. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of private and public sector construction and civil engineering projects has given 16 Design, Surveying and Planning T-Level students from Walsall College hands on experience at three sites as part of the Winvic Enrichment Programme. Over a three-week period, the students spent a total of six days across three projects. Kent St Baths is a 406 apartment build-to-rent scheme in the centre of Birmingham being delivered for Edmond De Rothchild and Stoford’s Redditch Gateway is an industrial project where two facilities are being constructed. West Midlands Interchange is a 734-acre site where civils and infrastructure works have recently commenced for Oxford Properties Group and Logistics Capital Partners. The six days of on-site education not only upskilled and improved the confidence of students in further education, but it also contributes to the three projects’ social value commitments and Walsall College’s 35-hour enrichment activity aims. In total the sessions have provided 465 enrichment activity hours. Sessions in the Winvic Enrichment Programme have been designed to showcase several elements of a construction project, but they can also be tailored to meet the needs of each cohort and their course subject. Sessions enjoyed by Walsall College students included digital engineering, earthworks, planning, quantity surveying, CV writing, mental health and fairness, inclusion and respect (FIR); they were given activities to complete, site tours, got hands on and up close with various construction processes and were encouraged to ask questions at any time. The feedback received from the students and tutors was outstanding and a number of students contacted Winvic after the programme to express their thanks. One said: “I enjoyed meeting the QS and doing the task he provided us. I also enjoyed seeing how tasks are done and how knowledgeable the site team are and how they treat the site with respect and care.” Another student emailed: “I feel like I have learnt a lot in the past 6 days we’ve had on the different sites. I liked being able to meet new people and get their advice and opinions on the different sectors of the industry. I’ve definitely taken in a lot of information from everyone there and I think the thing that will stick the most is how you can always work your way up in the industry as long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort in.” “These 6 days gave me real experience and understanding of different processes in construction,” said another T-Level student. “Thank you to all the professionals who allocated time for us during their working day and showed us and told us about their tasks at construction sites, the work process, what difficulties they encountered, and what experience they had. It was very informative to listen to and ask each of the professionals questions.” The Programme has led to more engagement in the coming weeks including the provision of on-site block placements for four students; the new HTQ Level 4 in Construction Management for England students will also be visiting Crown Place Birmingham – Crown Student Living’s Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) project comprising 814 beds – for a bespoke one day site visit. Furthermore, Winvic collaborated with Walsall College over the summer to provide Continued Professional Development (CPD) training to two tutors, on site at IM Properties’ Peddimore industrial project, supporting them to gain knowledge about the very latest construction technologies, materials and methods of construction. Kayleigh Merritt, Winvic’s Talent Development Manager, commented: “This is the fourth time we have delivered an Enrichment Programme to students, and it has been wonderful to hear how much the students enjoyed each session and how the experience opened their eyes to different roles. Because we have a large number of projects in and around Birmingham, the students were able to visit projects in our three key sectors – multi-room, industrial and civils and infrastructure – and that was an added bonus to be able to show them even more than one site could offer. It’s no small task to organise a six-day programme so I’d like to thank our site teams and the numerous subcontract partners who contributed to providing this engaging learning experience.” Martin Lake, Lecturer in Advanced Construction at Walsall College, said: “We would like to thank Winvic’s talent and site teams for providing an excellent experience for our students and ourselves. A number of students have expressed that the induction placements provided an excellent insight into different sectors within the industry and have helped shape their future career choices.” For more details on the Winvic Enrichment Programme, please contact traning@winvic.co.uk. For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit X (formerly Twitter) @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A Wakefield based joinery firm’s team is feeling chipper, after scooping an award for its commitment to skills, training and local employment. Joinery Direct, established in 2005, has been awarded sub-contractor of the quarter, by Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) for the work at the Pennine Village development, which has been built by delivery partner Keepmoat. SHC is Sheffield City Council’s joint venture development company with private developer and top 10 housebuilder Keepmoat and Great Places Housing. Established in 2011 it has an ambitious target of building 2,300 properties on a total of 23 sites by the end of 2026. Every three months, the council monitors the performance of SHC’s subcontractors – with a focus on the employment and training opportunities they provide. These could be work placements, apprenticeships, training and educational programmes and the number of jobs created. Joinery Direct has provided more than 15 training and employment opportunities for people in Sheffield. This includes the recruitment of apprentice Thomas Hewitt, 19, who has achieved an NVQ level 2 in carpentry and joinery and is now working towards his level 3 qualification. He said: “I’ve really enjoyed the experience and teaching I’ve received during the first years of my apprenticeship and look forward to continuing to work towards my level 3 qualification.” Joinery Direct has over 45 employees and works with a large variety of clients throughout Yorkshire, providing joinery services for new build, residential and social housing projects. The business prides itself on the quality of its work and in training the next generation of joiners to the very highest of standards. The award was presented to the business’ Joinery Supervisor, John Howarth, at SHC’s Eclipse development, by SHC Development Manager, Howard Young. He said: “This is a really rewarding part of my role, recognising businesses that support SHC’s objectives and help us to deliver our projects. As an organisation our ethos is about improving housing choice in the city, whilst also investing in the region by supporting local supply chains and businesses. This in turn creates opportunities for individuals like Thomas, to acquire new skills and employment.” Councillor Douglas Johnson, Chair of the Housing Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, added: “SHC thrives when working in partnership with great organisations and we’re pleased to add Joinery Direct to the list of subcontractor award winners – in recognition of their excellent performance. Well done to all involved.” SHC is committed to supporting organisations, communities and individuals within the city. To date, working with its partnering organisations, it has delivered 75 apprenticeships and contributed over £50,000 to local community groups, schools and good causes. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP), a £1.5 billion nationally significant infrastructure project under construction in Edmonton commissioned by North London Waste Authority (NLWA), has been named the Most Innovative Project of the Year at the Institute of Economic Development (IED) Annual Awards 2023. The awards, which were hosted in Birmingham last week following the IED Annual Conference ‘Grow for Good? Reappraising the UK’s Growth Objectives’, recognise achievers in the public and private sector through a series of individual, team and organisational categories. The Most Innovative Project of the Year award is for innovative economic development projects which have pushed the boundaries beyond traditional approaches and delivered additional beneficial outcomes as a result of the innovation. The nomination for the Schools Engagement Programme, which is managed by NLWA contractor AECOM’s Economic Development team, detailed awareness-raising of the NLHPP and its offering with local schools throughout north London. With the aim to stimulate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, as well as construction, engineering and waste infrastructure related careers, sessions involve staff from across the project volunteering to run workshops and interactive forums for local students. The programme covers four main topics related to recycling, energy from waste, construction and career pathways, which are adapted to the needs of the students. Student site tours of the NLHPP and an onsite activity session are also offered. Since March 2021, the project team has run over 70 sessions at more than 50 local schools, engaging over 2,300 students. Over the course of the last year, the programme has expanded to primary schools and to those outside of mainstream education, including Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRU), with further expansion of the primary, SEN and youth group offering planned. NLHPP contractor ACCIONA has also developed a specific programme to encourage female students to consider a career in the industry, ‘She can Construct’, which showcases examples of women in a range of roles on the NLHPP and therefore the diversity of career paths. Commenting on the significance of the IED award, NLWA Chair Cllr Clyde Loakes said: “From the outset of NLHPP, one of our main priorities has been to ensure that the project creates new opportunities for young people. The fact that students who have attended our school sessions say they are more likely to pursue STEM subjects and careers after hearing from professionals working on NLHPP, is testament to the value of incorporating extensive social value into the framework of infrastructure projects. Thank you to the Institute of Economic Development for recognising our work with this prestigious award.” After the ceremony, AECOM’s Senior Economic Development Consultant Beth Parsons said: “We are honoured to win the Most Innovative Project of the Year award for our work on the NLHPP Schools Engagement Programme. This is a key part of our social value workstream which we are delivering on behalf of NLWA. The programme is inspiring students to consider STEM and construction careers, with involvement from over 140 professionals across the project at multiple organisations. I am very proud of our team for their efforts in continuing to deliver such a successful initiative.” Separately, Beth was shortlisted in the IED’s Social Value Champion of the Year award category, which recognises individuals who have championed and made a significant contribution to social value creation, developing best practice in their field and making positive impacts in their communities. IED Director Bev Hurley CBE, who hosted the IED’s 40th anniversary awards evening sponsored by Key Cities, said: “Many congratulations to NLHPP as the winner of our Most Innovative Project of the Year award. Our judges determined that the scale of activity in this project was high. It was described as future facing, collaborative in nature, with strong supporting feedback from young people involved.” IED Executive Director Nigel Wilcock added: “The awards dinner was a wonderful evening, following on from a highly successful conference in the day, and both were a fitting celebration of our 40th anniversary as a professional body. Congratulations to all our winners, those who our judging panel determined should be Highly Commended for their nomination, and indeed everyone who was shortlisted and took the opportunity to enter the awards. Thanks to Key Cities for sponsoring the awards evening, and our individual award sponsors for their support.” The IED is the UK’s leading independent professional body for economic development and regeneration practitioners, supporting them to create stronger communities and sustainable economies. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kier recently hosted an exclusive preview of ‘Open Doors 2024’, a Build UK initiative which takes young people and those looking for a change of career behind the site hoardings to experience construction first-hand. A group of students from Fulham Cross Academy were given an exclusive insight into what a career in construction might look like as they toured Kier’s Refinery development at ARC West London, in Hammersmith and put their questions to the team. Refinery is the landmark high spec lab development which will provide a new home for UK life science organisations. The Considerate Constructors Scheme-registered site located on the Northern Embankment of the River Thames will create flexible laboratories and will create job opportunities within science and research-based specialisms, together with many facilities including cycle facilities for 200 bicycles and a new communal park integrating with the Thames Path. Kier has partnered with Build UK to open up a number of construction sites for next year’s Open Doors event, which will run across the country from Monday 13 – Saturday 18 March 2024. A wide range of organisations will be taking part, offering site visits across the UK, with projects ranging from tunnels to skyscrapers, as well as offices, factories, and other facilities to demonstrate the off-site roles across the sector. At the event on 9 November, the students studying construction and DT at the STEM specialist school in Fulham heard from six apprentices currently on emerging talent programmes within Kier. Programmes include Level 2 – 3 apprenticeships, Degree apprenticeships and Graduate schemes. Lina Othman – graduate design manager, Morgan Ford – CSR graduate, Daniel O’Connor – apprentice quantity surveyor, Teopista Nakitende – construction management degree apprentice, Vinoth Krishnasamy, graduate site manager and Alexis Ezekiel-Hart – apprentice site manager, all talked through their career experiences, showcasing the vast variety of roles and skills needed to contribute to the successful delivery of construction projects. Louisa Finlay, Kier Group’s chief people officer said: “The construction industry is vital to the UK economy and provides so many different roles and opportunities for people from all walks of life. Open Doors is a great initiative and Kier is proud to partner with Build UK to showcase the different careers on offer. It was great to share my own experiences of working in the sector for 35 years and listen to students who attended today’s event about their career aspirations, some of whom are already starting their training on construction-related courses.” Julie White, Build UK chair and managing director of D-Drill (Master Drillers) Ltd added: “Having grown up visiting construction sites with my father, I know what a difference seeing our industry in action makes. Open Doors is a unique opportunity for young people and those looking for a change of career to go behind the scenes of sites and other workplaces up and down the country and see what a career in construction looks like. Sites like Kier’s Refinery are a great example of how a diverse and talented team of people come together to deliver something special, and I would encourage the whole construction supply chain to follow their lead and open their doors next March to inspire the next generation to choose a career in our fantastic industry!” During the week-long programme of events for Open Doors 2024, visitors will get a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes and see the fantastic range of careers available in construction, including thousands of apprenticeship places. In addition to familiar site-based roles, many of the positions available are based externally, with companies able to showcase their back-office support network, front-of-house sales teams, and cutting-edge technical roles. Almost 100 events are already registered for visitors to explore throughout Open Doors Week and booking will open on the Open Doors website on 8 January 2024. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A month-long campaign to highlight the value of choosing construction as a profession has culminated in a new recruitment drive by a Northampton-based construction company. To celebrate Careers in Construction month during October, Bhangals Construction Consultants launched the Build A Career at Bhangals campaign, which showcased the variety of roles available in the sector and at the company itself. As part of the campaign, four Bhangals employees told their stories, which were covered in local and national press, via videos and on social media. Now the company is embarking on a recruitment drive to offer others the opportunity to progress a career in the construction industry. The job vacancies will see the company expand its workforce from 25 to 40 – a headcount growth of 60% by the end of next year. Available roles include Junior Estimator, Intermediate Estimator, Senior Estimator and Client Service positions. Operations Manager Katie Newman is one of the individuals who shared her story as part of the Build A Career at Bhangals campaign, said: “The campaign shone a spotlight on some of the opportunities available in the construction industry and gave a flavour of what you can expect working in this sector. “We hope this will now inspire more people to apply for the roles that we currently have available at Bhangals and encourage those who haven’t previously considered construction as an option to wider their horizons and maybe take that leap in to something new.” Managing Director Parm Bhangal added: “We are proud of the business we have built and have real ambitions to grow even more as we move into 2024. It is an exciting time to join Bhangals Construction Consultants and enter or continue a career in construction with us. We look forward to receiving the applications and growing our team further.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
West Yorkshire Colleges, including Leeds College of Building, have been successful in securing £6.9 million from the Department for Education to digitise teaching and learning in key sectors. The funding is part of the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) and will launch a West Yorkshire digital innovation project led by colleges. The project will support colleges and partners to build capacity to meet local skills priorities that were identified in the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), launched by the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce in August. Working through the consortium, colleges and partners will collaborate for maximum impact. They will develop current and new digitised training provision and curriculum for key industries. The colleges will open specialist hubs and academies offering high level curriculum using immersive and digital technology and Artificial Intelligence. The capital investment will include equipment and resources needed to use virtual reality, augmented reality, Artificial Intelligence and robotics to equip colleges with the means to develop relevant and in-demand skills. The funding has been split into six key areas with investment for digital innovation in: · construction, · creative industries, · health and social care, · advanced manufacturing, · Financial technology (Fintech), · the wider digital development of teaching and learning. Each area will be led by a West Yorkshire college that will lead the innovation, host the digital hub and share experience and knowledge and develop teaching and learning across all colleges. Project Director of the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, Joanne Patrickson said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for the region to advance the skills needed in technology to keep up with industry changes. Not only will the funding of new equipment help to improve the learning experience in colleges, the collaboration between our partners will grow the skills and knowledge of the teaching staff who can deliver relevant training to the current and future workforce.” The West Yorkshire colleges benefiting from the funding include Leeds College of Building, Bradford College, Calderdale College, Kirklees College, Luminate Education Group (Leeds City College and Keighley College), Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, and Shipley College. Leeds College of Building has been awarded funding for the development of new specialist hubs for digital skills within the construction industry to meet the demands in the area for diverse skilled workers. This will also include funding for mobile digital hubs across the region with AI technology and VR/AR equipment. Nikki Davis, Principal and CEO of Leeds College of Building said: “We are delighted to be awarded this funding to help support local people to access high quality provision, with industry leading facilities. The focus on digital construction will provide opportunities for employers and future employees to develop vital skills.” Over the course of the project approximately 5,000 learners will benefit from around 100 new courses, with over 7,000 learners using the new equipment purchased with LSIF capital funds. Over 700 college staff will benefit from CPD activities. The project runs until March 2025 and is part of the Government’s drive to transform skills training so that more people can secure good jobs close to home. Read the Department for Education’s announcement press release. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cavanna Homes is investing in training the next generation of homebuilders in the construction industry, teaching vital skills to on-site and office staff as part of the homebuilder’s commitment to nurturing talent. Under the leadership of People & Culture Manager, Sophie Aylott, who joined Cavanna Homes earlier this year, the firm is recruiting new apprentices to join its latest qualifiers. Richard Penhaligon started his IT apprenticeship in 2022 and has now qualified and is working as an IT Assistant at the homebuilder’s Torquay head office. Katie Moore and Matt Churchill are due to complete their apprenticeships in HR and Quantity Surveying later this year and both have been offered full-time positions to continue building their careers with Cavanna Homes. Sophie said: “Encouraging the next generation to consider a career in construction and nurturing talent is vital to ensuring we have the skills and people in place to ensure we can continue building high-quality, new homes into our next century. “As a regional recruiter, we’re proud to offer and support alternative routes into homebuilding to create equal opportunities for all our staff and encourage young adults to explore the opportunities available to them.” Rebecca Carruthers, who joined Cavanna Homes as a Site Operative before being promoted to Trainee Assistant Site Manager, has now completed her NHBC Level 4 Management course. She is now working at the firm’s Equinox III development in Exeter as an Assistant Site Manager. Rebecca is now using her experience to encourage other women to consider construction as a career. She said: “From the building site to the boardroom – there are so many different and exciting roles available to women within the construction and homebuilding industry. I want to help highlight these to change the common misconception that working in construction is only about being on-site. “There are so many training schemes and entry-level roles available now, so women should feel empowered and confident to apply and try their hand at a new skill. That’s exactly what I did and I haven’t looked back since.” This year’s apprentices will gain first-hand work experience and mentoring from Cavanna Homes’ skilled teams while also attending college to gain an NVQ. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
AG has reinforced the importance of health and safety to its 230-strong workforce with its annual safety campaign and ‘Safe Day’ last month. The specialist building products business which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Toome , Carryduff and Pomeroy chose Health and Safety as its core employee engagement theme for October. During the campaign, the firm held its annual ‘Safe Day’, where production across each of AG’s sites was temporarily suspended to enable employees to concentrate on this serious subject. The initiative, led by CEO, Stephen Acheson and the Health, Safety and Environment team at AG, encourages staff to ‘make safety personal’ by focusing on the health and safety risks across all AG sites. The session centred around the promotion of physical safety on sites as well as mental wellbeing. A host of excellent speakers covered everything from emergency first aid, mental resilience, unlocking potential, nutrition and even some yoga! The company were also joined by a number of exhibitors where employees were offered health checks, hearing checks and advice on issues such as physical fitness, skin care and cancer prevention, The event also raised money for the Air Ambulance Northern Ireland charity. AG has a longstanding commitment to its people and to providing a safe and healthy working environment, which is core to the firm’s better, faster, safer vision. As a third-generation family-owned business AG wanted to promote the company’s strong family values within this intensive programme which included sessions on Personal Responsibility, Mental Health, Transport, Traffic Management and Pedestrian Segregation, and Isolation and Lockout of machinery and equipment. HSEQ Manager, Cathy Maguire said: “This campaign aimed to focus on the prevention of fatal accidents that are responsible for 94% of deaths in our industry. We need to ensure that all employees, contractors and visitors always leave our premises in the same healthy and safe way in which they arrived. We can only achieve this aim if we each take personal responsibility for safety. “Whilst SafeDay was a tremendous success that has attracted a lot of very positive feedback across all our sites, our emphasis on health and safety continues all year round. Our staff are encouraged to report any hazards immediately through our ‘good catch’ programme via our Engage app. We want everyone at AG to always go home safe to their loved ones each day.” CEO, Stephen Acheson added: “Our employee’s wellbeing is one of our core values at AG. Safety is essential and must be managed to avoid, reduce or (at the very least) control risk. It is the most crucial investment we can make. “The objective for AG’s SafeDay campaign is to help make safety personal. We want to encourage ‘good catches’ and hazard spotting as part of everyday work practice and run a range of initiatives throughout the year. We have made great progress in improving health and safety practices across the business and will continue to develop this positive culture into the future.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
