An annual women in STEAM careers open day, held at the construction site of Belfast Grand Central Station, has brought together 60 female students from three schools in the city for an interactive experience event designed to inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) talent. Farrans Sacyr, the main works contractor for Belfast Grand Central Station, hosted the day in collaboration with Translink, Babcock, W5, CITB, Engineers Ireland and their sponsors McAdam Design and Design ID to mark International Women in Engineering Day (Today – 23rd June 2023). Students aged 11-13 from St Louise’s Comprehensive College, Hunterhouse College and Victoria College engaged in a range of engineering challenges, gained hands on experience of using equipment and took part in interactive workshops on the commercial aspects of building, Minecraft and a virtual reality experience. Belfast Grand Central Station will deliver a modern, world-class integrated transport hub to enhance local and international connectivity with bus, coach and rail links across Northern Ireland and beyond. It will offer greater capacity with an increase to 26 bus stands, 8 railway platforms, enhanced walking and cycling connectivity, greater comfort and accessibility encouraging greener, active travel for a healthier, smarter city. The Weavers Cross development delivered as part of the project will regenerate the lands around Belfast Grand Central Station and facilitate economic growth and urban regeneration. Gemma Thompson, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Manager for Translink commented: “This exciting new fully integrated transport hub will represent a step change for public transport. As a fully multi-modal transport facility it will improve connectivity for everyone in Northern Ireland and beyond and act as a highly impressive gateway. It is the largest construction project undertaken by Translink to date and has required significant engineering works from building and bridge construction, road upgrade works through to extensive railway and signalling works and we have been delighted to showcase this important project to these female students today.  “As an organisation we are committed to actively encouraging more females to apply for public transport jobs. Being part of this event is a great opportunity to demonstrate the many opportunities open to females within the engineering and construction side of our business and show how a career in public transport can help play amajor part in tackling the climate crisis and enhance air quality, for a healthier, smarter and more sustainable city for everyone.” Sarah Fearon, Community Engagement and PR Manager for Farrans Sacyr, said: “One of our key priorities while delivering this important project is to have a positive and long-lasting societal impact by bringing economic, social and environmental benefits to the communities in which we operate. This event has brought the students on a tour through the skills that are needed on construction sites and demonstrated the array of opportunities that this industry has for their future. We thank all of our partner organisations on their support in bringing this event to fruition and to each of the schools for participating.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals 

As over a billion pounds in funding has become available for large-scale, high-quality retrofit projects, housing associations, social housing providers, local authorities and contractors can now access the best in retrofitting talent following the launch of a new careers platform. As the organisation announced its milestone of 5,000 people being enrolled on its courses, The Retrofit Academy has launched its Careers Hub to help prospective employers of retrofit advisors, coordinators and assessors find emerging talent. This comes as the Government recently announced £1.8bn in funding for the large-scale retrofitting of homes in the form of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and Home Upgrade Grant (HUG). As housing associations, social housing providers, local authorities and their appointed contractors now have the financial support to deliver large scale retrofit, the UK requires a sizable, qualified workforce. Companies searching for skilled retrofit talent can now become an organisational member of The Retrofit Academy, joining the multiple organisations already active on the platform. Here, they can set up a virtual stand from which they can host information about their company, interact with prospective talent and, crucially, advertise open retrofit employment opportunities direct to those considering a career in retrofit, in training or already qualified. Being the driving force behind large-scale, high-quality retrofitting and creating the workforce to deliver it is central to The Retrofit Academy’s strategy, as the organisation’s CEO, David Pierpoint, explains. David said: “Retrofitting 27 million homes in less than 30 years is going to require hundreds of thousands of new, skilled people. The Retrofit Careers Hub will provide those people with a front door to the industry, providing information, advice and guidance. We are now able to offer our partner companies a platform to access the best fresh talent entering the sector.” The hub provides useful tools for individuals looking to develop or start their career in retrofit, not only by connecting them with employers and job opportunities, but also by presenting them with networking, knowledge resources and training opportunities. A programme of regular virtual events and online forums meanwhile, will ensure this community of affiliated employers and retrofit professionals can benefit from the expertise offered through The Retrofit Academy’s extended network of specialist partners. David adds: “With more than 400,000 competent retrofitters needed to achieve our 2050 carbon-saving targets, The Retrofit Academy is driving the development of the workforce by delivering 200,000 of them. Having already enrolled 5,000 people to our courses, this new Hub is a key enabler for everyone involved in the whole house retrofitting challenge to develop and access a qualified workforce to achieve this goal.” For more information about the new Retrofit Careers Hub, link to enquire and to sign up, click here

GMI Construction Group has become a signatory of the Care Leaver Covenant after launching its unique Construction Cares Programme, which delivers employment opportunities and employability support. As part of its initiative, the independent construction firm launched a three-day DIY programme providing care leavers with hands-on experience and training in construction-related jobs. It was piloted in Birmingham in partnership with Birmingham Children’s Trust, the BFriends charity and South & City College, Birmingham, before being rolled out in Manchester in August, followed by the North East and Leeds. The workshops teach valuable DIY skills, including painting and decorating, plumbing, carpentry, tiling, and plastering, and is aimed at those preparing to leave the care system or who have recently transitioned to independent living. Participants were provided with travel and food during the three days as well as a toolkit and an award for completing the course, while all those expressing an interest in one of the trades will be given the opportunity of work experience at a later date. GMI, which operates across the North of England and the Midlands, first became a partner of the Care Leaver Covenant last April and has since created practical ways of supporting care leavers. As part of its bespoke Construction Cares Programme, GMI is committed to advertising job roles to care leavers first and has established a guaranteed interview scheme. It will also offer work experience, work trials, employability sessions, and one-to-one mentoring to help participants develop their skills and gain valuable experience in the sector. The Care Leaver Covenant, the second Government Covenant, is a national inclusion programme launched in 2018 that supports care leavers aged 16-25 to live independently by creating meaningful opportunities.   GMI’s Head of Responsible Business, Claire Preston, who was made Sector Based Champion in 2018 by the Government for her work with care leavers, said: “As a business with strong community links, we are extremely proud to become a Covenant signatory, something that reflects our commitment to offering additional and practical support for those transitioning from care to leading an independent life. “Our Construction Cares Programme is designed to help care leavers achieve social and economic experience by providing them with valuable life skills and opportunities for a rewarding career in construction.” Gareth Evans, Head of Delivery at Care Leaver Covenant, said: “We were delighted when GMI Construction signed up to the Care Leaver Covenant and we’ve enjoyed working with Claire and the team on their care leaver programme. We continue to collaborate closely to ensure as many of our young people as possible can put themselves forward for roles at, and receive support from, the company.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals