The infrastructure business will continue to leverage data to build new opportunities for both their employees and business, with training provided by Multiverse Infrastructure today announces that it will build out its data academy with Multiverse, following the success of its graduating apprenticeship cohort.  In a move that will continue to boost business potential through data-driven decision making, the upskilling initiative marks Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s continued commitment to investing in its people. The forthcoming launch will bring the total number of employees who have enrolled on digital and data programmes with Multiverse to 80.   Impact across the business has been substantial since the inception of the academy. The most recent cohort saw a 14% increase in individual efficiency during the programme – equating to more than 7,200 hours saved per year. Apprentices have used improved data skills to drive tangible business outcomes, from mitigating weather-related project delays, to reducing workplace safety incidents, to increasing visibility of potential quality issues. Following their completion of the programme, 86% of the graduating cohort achieved a distinction.  One apprentice who drove significant impact on programme is James Macdonald, who developed skills in Python, SQL and PowerBI. He said: “I’ve already benefited from learning how to conduct hypothesis tests and build regression models in Python. I’ve been able to apply this in my work on our carbon calculation tool, to predict the carbon footprint of forthcoming projects, which will be really valuable. And elsewhere I’ve already seen value in data skills reducing time spent gathering information for reporting dashboards.”  Multiverse’s 2024 Skills Intelligence Report revealed that in construction, 29% of employees’ time working with data is spent unproductively. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s continued commitment to upskilling, however, will enable its teams to automate processes and tasks, leading to a significant boost in efficiency and output.     Sarah Reid, Managing Director –for Water & Highways at Morgan Sindall Infrastructure said: “The Digital and Data Academy is part of our ongoing commitment to developing and protecting our people, ensuring they have the right tools and knowledge to thrive in a fast-paced industry. Having the skills to harness data effectively will not only improve efficiency across the business but also create opportunities for personal and professional growth.”  Multiverse combines work and learning to unlock economic opportunity for everyone. It works with more than 1,500 organisations to close critical skill gaps in the workforce in AI, data and technology.  Gary Eimerman, Chief Learning officer at Multiverse said: “Data is transforming the future of the construction industry. By taking a forward-thinking approach to close the data skills gap, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure will deliver measurable benefits for both its business and its people.”  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with Women in Construction Anglia to help bridge the gap between the industry and education, and encourage more women into construction roles. The new partnership comes as the government commits £600 million to address the construction sector’s skills shortage, with the aim of ensuring Suffolk leads the way on collaboration and tackling the skills gap within the industry. At its core, the partnership looks to enhance skills development by collaborating with local education institutions and local businesses, address barriers to work, promote diversity and inclusion and facilitate engagement between the industry and education.  John Dugmore, CEO of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, said: “This partnership represents a significant step forward in our commitment to bridging the gap between industry and education. “We have been working behind the scenes on this partnership for some time, so the Chancellor’s announcement on investing in skills in construction has come at the perfect time. “With this new partnership, we can ensure that Suffolk remains at the forefront of the construction sector, continuing to work with our partners in our Suffolk colleges and higher education institutions, with skills leads in our local authorities and, most importantly, with industry so the county is equipped with a diverse and skilled workforce ready to meet future challenges.” The government’s investment seeks to train up to 60,000 skilled construction workers by 2029, supporting the plan to build 1.5 million homes and stimulate economic growth. With women currently making up only 15% of the workforce in the construction industry, it is hoped that through the work of organisations like Women in Construction Anglia and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce that more women will be involved in plans to get Britain building again. Clare Friel, Founder of Women in Construction Anglia, said: “Our collaboration with the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce amplifies our efforts to inspire and support women in the construction industry. “Since its inception we have been proud to collaborate with colleges across Suffolk but have aspirations to take our work across the region. “Together, we can create more opportunities and drive meaningful change” Since its launch in October 2024, Women in Construction Anglia has made a big impact in the sector, engaging more than 600 individuals through events and initiatives aimed at inspiring the next generation of women to pursue careers in construction.  More information on Women on Construction Anglia can be found here and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce here. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Ahead of tomorrow’s Spring Statement the chancellor has announced she is injecting £600m into construction training.  In response to this news, Andy Rayner, Director of Learning and Development at Travis Perkins Plc says: “It’s encouraging to see the Government recognising the importance of skilled trades in delivering the UK’s housing ambitions. The construction industry has been facing significant challenges due to ongoing skills shortages, which have impacted the speed and scale at which projects can be delivered. “An investment of this scale into construction training and recruitment is not just a step in the right direction, but also a long-term commitment to the future of the industry.  “Equipping the next generation with the right tools, training, and opportunities will help address critical gaps in the workforce, strengthen the supply chain, and support the industry in meeting ambitious build targets with greater confidence and resilience.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

We welcome today’s construction skills announcement from the Chancellor, which aligns closely with the key objectives we’ve been championing through PfP Thrive. Rachel Reeves is absolutely right: we cannot meet the urgent need for 1.5 million new homes without a skilled construction and trades workforce to build them. This means investing not only in the next generation of engineers, bricklayers, electricians, and carpenters, as the Chancellor highlights, but also in upskilling the existing workforce. We are keen to learn more about how the £600 million in skills funding will be distributed and hope it presents opportunities for partnerships with organisations like ours to help train the skilled workers we need. The focus on skills boot camps is promising, particularly as it aligns with our own goals of reskilling the workforce to adopt new construction techniques and materials. Additionally, the emphasis on foundation apprenticeships is encouraging, as we are already collaborating with organisations across the sector to help them utilise the apprenticeship levy to address the skills gap. However, challenges remain – particularly the upcoming National Insurance increase, which could dampen the appetite for apprenticeships. We hope this announcement signals a broader commitment to addressing such barriers, ensuring we are in a strong position by 2029.  Together, we can build a highly skilled workforce capable of delivering not only the 1.5 million homes needed in this Parliament, but also the crucial housing projects and upgrades that will follow. Tom Arey is director at PfP Thrive, an organisation delivering comprehensive bespoke training programmes for the UK housing and construction sectors, as well as compliance training, trade skills apprenticeships and leadership development to meet evolving workforce needs.   Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

With competency under the spotlight, it is important that all construction professionals have easy access to high quality educational opportunities. Siderise Academy is a new online learning platform designed to help the industry build its understanding of passive fire protection and acoustics in the built environment. Featuring RIBA-certified CPDs and ASFP-verified modules, it can support the creation of safe, comfortable and compliant buildings designed to last.  Created by learning and technical experts at the global manufacturer of high-performance passive fire protection, acoustic and insulation solutions, Siderise Academy offers a range of on-demand courses, webinars and CPD modules that are accessible on any device with an internet connection. These are supported with reading materials and interactive quizzes and assessments designed to test your knowledge and reinforce your learning.  With RIBA-certified CPDs and passive fire protection modules verified by the ASFP, the content aligns with high industry standards and can be used as part of the ASFP Competency Pathway. Once a course or webinar is completed, users can download a certificate of completion, enabling them to document their learning and provide evidence that they are taking steps to maintain their competence through continuous learning and development.  Elan Penn, Training Manager at Siderise, spoke of the significance of the new platform: “Launching the Siderise Academy marks a key milestone in our mission to ‘Go Beyond, contributing to safer buildings.’ Both passive fire protection and acoustics are incredibly complex areas of construction and it is important that industry professionals have the right background knowledge to ensure the approaches and solutions they are using are the best practice for their projects, supporting both safety and regulatory compliance. Through this platform, we hope to better share the knowledge and experience of our technical experts, with even more valuable courses and modules set to be released over the coming year.”  Siderise Academy has launched with three foundational courses and insightful webinars, enabling you to start your journey to a better understanding of passive fire protection and acoustics from today.  Sign up for your free account at https://sideriseacademy.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals