Ecofill, a brand new and sustainable alternative to the use of aggregates in traditional earthworks construction has appointed former UK Construction Minister and former Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Dr Nigel Griffiths, as Chairman. Dr Griffiths celebrates an esteemed and extensive portfolio of career highlights spanning five decades
HS2’s civils contractor Skanska Costain STRABAG (SCS) has formed a partnership with the University of East London (UEL) to support its MSc Civil Engineering graduates into employment on HS2. The partnership, which was cemented last summer, was initially put in place to provide students with an eight-month paid work placement supporting
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces the appointment of Lee Hewitt as UK Health, Safety and Environment Director. Lee will take up his new role on 5 September, following Heather Bryant retiring on 18 November, having spent eight years at Balfour Beatty. Lee will be responsible for driving
New Managing Director Appointed to lead VPS UK and Ireland: The property and people security specialists, VPS Group, have appointed Spencer Rock as their Managing Director for UK and Ireland. With 15 years’ experience at facilities management giant, Mitie, Spencer moved from being Commercial Director there in 2019 to become
Chubb, the UK’s leading provider of fire-safety and security solutions, is proud to launch an accelerated development programme designed to attract and train new industry-entrants in partnership with Zitko Talent, the world’s leading recruitment agency for the Fire and Security industry. The accelerated development programme will last approximately 18 weeks,
Highbourne Group, one of the UK’s leading plumbing and heating merchants and owner of brands such as City Plumbing, Plumbworld and PTS, has appointed a new Chief Marketing Officer. Liz Forte, an award-winning marketing director with over 20 years’ experience working for some of Europe’s best-loved brands such as Starbucks
Savills has continued its expansion of its Savills Earth division with the appointment of Joanna Conceicao, associate director in sustainable and zero carbon strategies based in the firm’s Finsbury Circus office in London. Joanna joins the sustainable design team, now 14 strong since launching in July 2021, working to facilitate
CITB has announced an investment of more than £800,000 for the launch of a new employer network pilot project, which could revolutionise the way the construction sector access and receive funding for training in the future. Over 3,800 levy-registered construction businesses will be eligible to benefit from the pilot, offered
The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) is on track to train a record number of apprentices this year. It would normally expect to enrol between 60 and 80 a year but the 2022 figure already stands at around 130. Demand from employers for skilled apprentices is being fuelled by an
Business improvement specialists, BBI Services strive to transform business performance across the built environment industry in partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School (the School). BBI Services has developed a series of exceptional training and coaching programmes, which build the skillsets, mindsets and toolsets of individuals and teams to achieve
Ecofill, a brand new and sustainable alternative to the use of aggregates in traditional earthworks construction has appointed former UK Construction Minister and former Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, Dr Nigel Griffiths, as Chairman. Dr Griffiths celebrates an esteemed and extensive portfolio of career highlights spanning five decades and was appointed Chairman of Ecofill Ltd in July of 2022. Based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, Ecofill is a ground-breaking technology for the construction sector that transforms all types of clays & subsoils into approved structural materials, on-site, which meet all National specifications for Highways and Earthworks. The Ecofill method of sustainable construction replaces the need to dispose of soils to landfill and the import of aggregates, and therefore drastically reduces lorry movements by 98% and carbon emissions by 96%. Not only is this a green-tech revolution, but it also reduces client costs by a staggering 40%. Trevor Gaughan, Founder of Ecofill, said “We are delighted with the appointment of Nigel Griffiths as our Chairman. Nigel brings vast experience from various government departments and equally in industry and will gratefully assist in the delivery of the National and International Growth strategy of Ecofill”. “Ecofill will revolutionise the way we approach construction & will significantly reduce the carbon footprint and costs of Earthworks & Infrastructure globally. It’s a privilege to chair this dynamic company and bring my focus to quality, performance and education in the next generation of construction engineers,” said Dr Griffiths. Griffiths, a native of Edinburgh, was a specialist advisor to the Cabinet Office and Climate Action.org during COP26 held in Glasgow last year and is also founder of the Low Carbon Forum. He was first elected as a Member of Parliament in 1987 and holds the title of longest serving Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South in history. Other UK Government positions held were Trade Minister and Minister for Corporate & Social Responsibility. He retired from politics in 2010 but has continued as an international political advisor and ambassador for various companies, organisations and executive boards and embraces Ecofill as the perfect fit to continue his efforts in sustainability and in making a real change towards the current climate crisis and the UK governments targets for a Carbon Net-Zero 2050. Ecofill’s Management Team have been invited to Geneva in September to attend the Annual conference hosted by FIDIC, The International Federation of Consulting Engineers, where it will be working to identify new opportunities to grow globally. More information on Ecofill can be found at www.ecofill.uk
HS2’s civils contractor Skanska Costain STRABAG (SCS) has formed a partnership with the University of East London (UEL) to support its MSc Civil Engineering graduates into employment on HS2. The partnership, which was cemented last summer, was initially put in place to provide students with an eight-month paid work placement supporting HS2’s construction. Placements allow students to develop vital hands on industry experience, in a real life setting, whilst progressing the theory element of their studies. Throughout the duration of their placements, the calibre of work delivered by the UEL postgrad students was so high that SCS has now offered permanent jobs to the participants. Ambrose Quashie, HS2’s Skills Manager for Greater London said: “With such a high calibre of talent studying at universities near to our major construction sites, it’s vital that we seize the opportunity to work in partnership and create opportunities for students and graduates to play their part in HS2’s construction. “Ensuring that HS2 leaves a lasting skills legacy is central to the overall success of the project. This initiative is one of many that we are forging across Greater London to ensure that people benefit from the career opportunities HS2 is creating into the next decade and beyond.” The success of the partnership in its first year means that SCS will continue to work with UEL and offer placement opportunities to students throughout 2022 and 2023. James Richardson, Managing Director of Skanska Costain STRABAG joint venture, said: “SCS JV offers unparalleled opportunities for people to develop a career in our industry. We are proud to engage with communities across our route, allowing them to gain practical experience working in complex programme delivery. The diversity of roles available means there are career opportunities for everyone, and we are proud of our relationship with the University of East London that will help shape the careers of our stars of the future.” Postgraduate students bring a wealth of knowledge and experience and forging partnerships with universities along the route of Britain’s new railway will play a vital role in helping HS2 to address the skills shortages the UK is facing. Attracting and harnessing new talent into the construction and rail engineering sectors is vital, not only to HS2’s delivery, but to the pipeline of major infrastructure projects across the UK in the future. Patricia Stevenson, Placements Manager at University of East London said: “Partnering with SCS has been a fantastic development for the University of East London’s Post Graduate Placements programme. Our MSc engineering students have benefited from being placed on leading industry projects such as HS2. That is a significant milestone in itself, but the really good news is that they have all gone on to be offered permanent jobs with SCS’s parent companies and we’ve developed an ongoing relationship that will see us working together to place future students from every cohort.” Basil Paul, who is now joining SCS as a site engineer said: “I’m thankful to everyone at SCS for their immense help and support. Before finishing my placement, I was offered a full-time job as a Site Engineer on HS2. I was so shocked and extremely happy. “I’ve now started my new job and I can’t wait to learn more, as I know this will really enhance my career” Aravind Chandanathil Narayanankutty has also secured a full-time job on HS2 and said: “I’d like to thank everyone at SCS for being so welcoming and supporting me on my placement. “I really enjoyed the work environment and the collaborative approach to working with stakeholders. I’m so happy to have secured a job working full-time on HS2 as a site engineer.” HS2’s construction is already supporting over 27,000 jobs, with over 2,550 business actively engaged in the supply chain. For information about career opportunities at HS2 visit hs2.org.uk/careers
Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, today announces the appointment of Lee Hewitt as UK Health, Safety and Environment Director. Lee will take up his new role on 5 September, following Heather Bryant retiring on 18 November, having spent eight years at Balfour Beatty. Lee will be responsible for driving the company’s Zero Harm, Health, Safety and Wellbeing strategy across the Group, working closely with Balfour Beatty’s leadership teams and the Board Safety and Sustainability Committee. An experienced construction and infrastructure leader, Lee has undertaken several strategic roles, most recently as Programme Director for Site Wide Delivery and Logistics for Balfour Beatty VINCI’s HS2 Area North contract, Britain’s new high-speed rail line and the largest infrastructure project in Europe. In addition, he has held roles at the SMB (Skanska MWH Balfour Beatty) joint venture delivering the Thames Water capital programme, as well as the Head of Capital Procurement for Gatwick Airport Limited, Director of Procurement and Contract Management at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Head of Infrastructure, Project Management and Construction EMEA for Lendlease, and the Head of UK Procurement for National Grid where he spent 25 years. Lee’s experience will drive further operational focus and insights as the Group continues to deliver against its Zero Harm strategy. Having joined Balfour Beatty to work on the HS2 project in 2020, Lee is further testament to the Group’s ongoing commitment to developing broad leadership careers through a strong commitment to internal mobility. Heather Bryant has been instrumental in progressing Balfour Beatty’s Health & Safety agenda, a core value of the Group’s Build to Last strategy, most notably, overseeing a 50% reduction in Lost Time Injury Rate since 2014, and the launch of the company’s Observation App which has seen over 750,000 health and safety observations. Heather has also been instrumental in many industry-wide initiatives including co-founding the Health in Construction Leadership Group to focus on treating health like safety and spearheading the industry conversation around mental health. Leo Quinn, Balfour Beatty Group Chief Executive, said: “Health and Safety is our License to Operate and it is imperative that our teams are empowered and supported to deliver our Zero Harm vision. With his extensive deep domain knowledge and understanding of the industry from leadership and project-based roles, I know that Lee will continue to drive this agenda forward across Balfour Beatty, and I am pleased to welcome him to the Group. “I would like to thank Heather for her steadfast commitment to making the construction and infrastructure industry a safer and healthier environment for everyone.”
New Managing Director Appointed to lead VPS UK and Ireland: The property and people security specialists, VPS Group, have appointed Spencer Rock as their Managing Director for UK and Ireland. With 15 years’ experience at facilities management giant, Mitie, Spencer moved from being Commercial Director there in 2019 to become Chief Operating Officer at Tivoli Group, the grounds maintenance provider, whose clients range from English Heritage to the MOD. On his appointment, Spencer says: “I am delighted to be joining VPS – it’s a company that makes such a difference for its customers, protecting both their people and assets on a daily basis. Its great professionalism has won it respect from both its peers in the industry and its clients, plus it genuinely provides a national reach with a local service. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on its sector-leading operational performance, working with the VPS family, and supporting them on this journey.” The VPS Group has a diverse customer portfolio ranging from the majors in insurance, pubco’s, facilities managers, housing associations and local authorities for vacant property security, through to the construction and highways sectors for its site and safety provision.
Chubb, the UK’s leading provider of fire-safety and security solutions, is proud to launch an accelerated development programme designed to attract and train new industry-entrants in partnership with Zitko Talent, the world’s leading recruitment agency for the Fire and Security industry. The accelerated development programme will last approximately 18 weeks, starting with alternating blocks of technical training, field experience and manufacturer-led certified product training. Trainees will emerge as certified Fire and Security engineers, equipped with the knowledge required to work within Chubb’s installation and maintenance teams. The next generation of fire and security engineers The programme leverages Zitko’s expertise to attract and select candidates. As part of the process, specialist psychometric testing is to identify outstanding technical and learning potential. Chubb then selects and employs trainees from the pool, with manufacturers and educators contributing around 18-weeks of technical education and certified product training; all tailored to Chubb’s needs. The Zitko Talent team administers the entire programme on behalf of Chubb, while supporting/mentoring trainees. Andrew Collinson, Operations Director for Electronic Security, Chubb UK, said: “We have developed our own entry level engineers in-house before and some of our most successful people began with us this way. The accelerated development programme takes this to the next level. I believe it will be a significant source of talent; giving us people who will progress with us long-term. The programme’s been designed as a gateway for those who may or may not have previous engineering experience. The key requirements are ‘aptitude and attitude’; qualities which recruitment partner Zitko Talent will assess with their proven selection process. By focusing on these qualities, Chubb aims to unearth hidden talent, especially among groups who are traditionally underrepresented in the industry”. Zitko Group’s Managing Director, George Zitko, commented: “Chubb has an apprentice scheme already, but they’ve recognised the value of the Talent approach. That is, developing people with transferable skills and giving them a pathway into the industry”. The first intake is being recruited now, ready for an autumn start. To find out more about the Accelerated Development Programme visit https://www.zitkogroup.com/clients/chubb
Highbourne Group, one of the UK’s leading plumbing and heating merchants and owner of brands such as City Plumbing, Plumbworld and PTS, has appointed a new Chief Marketing Officer. Liz Forte, an award-winning marketing director with over 20 years’ experience working for some of Europe’s best-loved brands such as Starbucks and Sony, joins the business starting on 8th August from the world’s largest food contract company, Compass Group. Liz is now responsible for developing and overseeing the marketing and brand strategy of Highbourne Group to support commercial performance and raise visibility amongst new and existing customers, ultimately driving business growth. At the core of this senior role is leading and managing a large multi-disciplined team to market plumbing and heating products to our large installer base, major contract customers through a range of marketing tools available to us. This helps to make our customer journey easier for them to work with us on a daily basis. John Vaughan, Chief Customer Officer of Highbourne Group, said: “We are excited and delighted to appoint Liz, who has built her career on understanding business objectives and translating them into powerful and innovative marketing strategies, as our new chief marketing officer.” “Liz has a wealth of experience and specialises in growth transformation projects, demonstrated most recently in her previous role where she generated impressive figures for new business, despite challenges associated with the pandemic. “We are looking to unlock the next phase of Highbourne Group’s development and need a strong, insight-led, customer-focused strategic marketing leader. Liz is a perfect fit for this role, and we see her as a significant investment in our company’s future. Liz will report directly into myself and join the Highbourne SLT board.” Liz, who won the Contract Catering Marketing Award in 2022 for her work with Compass and has a history of consulting for private equity firms, takes pride in forging new marketing initiatives underpinned with a data-driven and evidence-based approach. She added: “This new role is a tremendous opportunity, and I am looking forward to being part of the team that will help shape the future and upwards trajectory of Highbourne Group. “I plan to use my expertise to enhance the trading brands of the company, building tangible relationships with its customers and driving sustainable business growth through innovative marketing techniques. “My new colleagues have given me a warm welcome and I already feel part of the Highbourne family.” For more information, please visit www.highbournegroup.co.uk Highbourne Group Limited, through its brands City Plumbing, The Bathroom Showroom, PTS, Plumbworld, The Underfloor Heating Store, Plumbnation, DHS and NSS is one of the largest merchants operating in the UK’s plumbing and heating sector. It sells and distributes plumbing and heating products to installers all the way through to major corporate customers and housebuilders. The group’s team of 3,500 colleagues operates from more than 600 branches and sites around the UK. Highbourne Group’s employees are experts and dedicated to delivering a fantastic service to its customers. Their mission is to supply the highest quality materials in the UK. The company’s business revolves around supporting our customers and exceeding their expectations, from providing first class service to sourcing our products and materials as sustainably as possible.
Savills has continued its expansion of its Savills Earth division with the appointment of Joanna Conceicao, associate director in sustainable and zero carbon strategies based in the firm’s Finsbury Circus office in London. Joanna joins the sustainable design team, now 14 strong since launching in July 2021, working to facilitate sustainable design and energy strategy consultancy services to minimise energy demand and achieve net zero targets for new build and retrofitted schemes. Joanna has over 11 years’ experience as an environmental consultant in the built environment. She is a Chartered Environmentalist and Member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessments, an On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor and Home Quality Mark Assessor. She holds a MSc in Sustainable Environmental Design from the Architectural Association School of Architecture and has previously worked at the MEP engineering practice BDSP, later chapmanbdsp. Joining Savills, Joanna comments: “This is an exciting next step in my career and I am looking forward to collaborate with the wide range of expertise within Savills and our clients to address our current climate emergency.” Dan Jestico, director in Savills Earth, adds: “We are pleased to welcome Joanna to our rapidly growing sustainable design team. With her expertise in environmental design, sustainability, and net zero carbon strategies, Joanna’s appointment will help us to continue to work with clients on their ESG agendas for both new development and retrofit projects.”
CITB has announced an investment of more than £800,000 for the launch of a new employer network pilot project, which could revolutionise the way the construction sector access and receive funding for training in the future. Over 3,800 levy-registered construction businesses will be eligible to benefit from the pilot, offered across five locations in England, Scotland and Wales. While the pilot is open to businesses of all sizes, there is a primary aim to simplify the process for small and micro businesses, helping to place them at the heart of local training provision. Through the support of established and experienced delivery partners, the pilot enables employers to recognise their training priorities and receive guidance on how best to find and fund the training most appropriate to them. This transformative way of working provides a huge opportunity for employers to not only voice their training requirements, but also play a fundamental role in deciding how funds are used in their local area. As part of this new model, construction businesses will not need to access the grant scheme, as CITB is supporting the employer network to help organise and fund training directly. Many of the current requirements around training being “in scope” will also be relaxed to ensure the pilots can be as reflective of the employer’s needs as possible. Therefore, training can predominantly be in anything that helps a business work better, whether that’s a construction skill; a health and safety course; a business skill; or a future skill need, such as net zero. Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said: “I’m really excited about this pilot – this is about putting employers in the driving seat to identify and address their local skills challenges and how best CITB can align our funding and resources to support their skills needs. I would encourage employers in the pilot areas to get involved and use their voice to shape and engage with the local training provision. “The pilots are being funded by CITB and delivered by local organisations with a pedigree in finding and delivering training in their area.” The five pilot areas covered are: Inverness in Scotland, provided by Scottish Civils Training Group Norfolk in England, provided by Norfolk Construction Training Group Lincoln in England, provided by Lincoln Group Training Association South West Wales, provided by Cyfle Building Skills The final pilot is specifically for Civil Engineering firms in the Midlands, provided by CECA Midlands. Anthony Rees, Regional Manager, Cyfle Building Skills Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be part of the employer network pilot scheme for the region. This will be a great opportunity for construction employers from the south-west Wales area to develop their workforce with relevant training. The pilot scheme will help construction organisations to engage with other local employers, our three local training groups, and industry stakeholders, and give them the opportunity to have their say on how funds are spent to develop their training needs.” John Farley, Chair, Norfolk Construction Training Group, said: “As an extremely active training group, we are delighted to be a part of the new employer network pilot, aimed at encouraging the wider construction community to engage in training. “We identify that training is essential for the industry to grow and thrive – this programme is an exciting opportunity to make that happen. “We feel once implemented it will have a serious impact with employers and improve much needed skill levels within the local area.” Herman Kok, Chair, Lincoln Group Training Association, said: “As chair of Lincoln Group Training Association (LGTA) l am excited and looking forward to delivering the employer network pilot and delivering innovative training support for Lincoln-based construction companies and their supply chain. We are grateful for the support we receive from CITB for these activities.” Through a more collaborative approach, the hope is to tackle specific local skills shortages and improve ease of access to training, particularly for smaller businesses without dedicated office admin or training staff. This pilot forms a part of CITB’s continuous efforts to create a skilled, competent, and inclusive workforce, now and in the future. For further information on the pilot and its associated areas, visit the CITB website.
The Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) is on track to train a record number of apprentices this year. It would normally expect to enrol between 60 and 80 a year but the 2022 figure already stands at around 130. Demand from employers for skilled apprentices is being fuelled by an ongoing boom in construction projects, combined with a post-Brexit exodus of EU workers. The sector has traditionally relied on recruiting self-employed contractors, many of whom hailed from eastern Europe, as a cost-effective and flexible way of bridging the skills gap. Due to the increased demand from within the sector, TICA launched an additional January intake for its Thermal Insulation Apprenticeships, which attracted 31 people, and is on track to recruit more than 100 apprentices to the September intake at its National Training Centre in Darlington. The only trade association representing the thermal insulation industry, it is also the sole provider of the industry’s Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeship standards. These involve a mix of on the job training, supported by classroom and workshop-based learning, allowing apprentices to gain the technical knowledge and practical experience to gain a nationally recognised qualification relevant to the thermal insulation industry. Marion Marsland, chief executive of TICA, said: “There is currently a dearth in independent insulation contractors due to a combination of Brexit and the pandemic – which has created a general shortage of qualified thermal insulation engineers. “The industry has always trained apprentices, but never on a sufficient scale and there has been a self-fulfilling reliance on agency contractors working a day rate. “Many companies in the UK now recognise the benefits of retaining the skills and knowledge by employing people directly. Recent events do seem to be changing the industry’s mindset away from the self-employed model.” TICA also provides its members with a full apprentice recruitment service, writing and placing apprenticeship vacancy adverts, providing an initial sift of applicants, and arranging interviews.
Business improvement specialists, BBI Services strive to transform business performance across the built environment industry in partnership with the Supply Chain Sustainability School (the School). BBI Services has developed a series of exceptional training and coaching programmes, which build the skillsets, mindsets and toolsets of individuals and teams to achieve high performance. The School is a free online learning platform offering 50,000 registered users access to 3,000 learning resources, 400 virtual training sessions each year, and a range of diagnostic and benchmarking tools to support companies with their sustainability strategies. By partnering with the School, BBI Services can train the sector to tackle low productivity levels, enhance quality and reduce cost – all of which will have a positive impact on the ultimate goal, sustainability. The School also enables BBI Services to support members by utilising their CITB levy pot to fund the Improvement Skillset training, allowing them to earn Continued Professional Development points (CPD), positively impacting business performance. Ian Heptonstall, Director of Supply Chain Sustainability School, said: “We started working with BBI Services in 2018 and, in the last two years, the team has been delivering their Improvement Foundation Skillset programme as well as a series of Lunch ‘n’ Learns and interactive workshops to School members on several topics. “We receive incredibly positive feedback from the participants who attend the BBI Services training, and we have seen first-hand how they can help to make a real difference across all levels of an organisation within the built environment. “The industry has faced unprecedented times in the last two years, but the BBI Services team has continued to deliver to a great standard. They offer members great advice, recommendations, and coaching to help organisations tackle their challenges, without sacrificing quality or safety.” Mark Worrall, CEO of BBI Services, said: “Since becoming an official Partner of the Supply Chain Sustainability School two years ago, we’ve been delighted to deliver such valuable sessions to an engaged audience in the construction sector. “This is a great partnership that has created lots of opportunities for us to support the different leadership groups, including offsite, infrastructure and digital. “As well as delivering our specialist training programmes, I also co-chair the Operational Efficiency and Lean leadership group alongside Ian which engages representatives from clients, contractors and manufacturers. “Working closely with the School has also provided the chance for us to access their incredible resource bank, excellent learning management system as well as fully utilise their sustainability tools and techniques. “Following celebrating the School’s tenth anniversary this year, there are some more exciting plans in the pipeline and we can’t wait to get started.” For more information on the BBI Services team and how they can enhance a team’s personal growth and build team engagement and involvement visit: https://www.bbiservices.com/what-we-do/training-services
