A local builder working for a housing association has shared his delight at seeing fresh talent coming through the ranks in the construction industry. T G Sowerby Developments, based in Scunthorpe, have been sharing the progress of their apprentices on a site on Bottesford Road over the last year. Ben
A leading contractor and developer in the East of England is once again inviting applications to its construction apprenticeship for the 18th time in its history. Anderson has been at the forefront of training and developing construction talent for almost 35 years and will relaunch its Groundwork Apprenticeship Scheme for
The Scottish Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) is celebrating International Women’s Day by highlighting its work on a National Equity and Inclusion Plan for the construction industry in Scotland which will drive increased inclusivity. Funded by Scottish Government this latest initiative is part of the wider plan for the industry to
Eleanor Ogilvie, from Stockport, joined MCI Developments in 2019 as a Land & Partnerships Manager, and within 3 years has been able to achieve her goal of Head of department at just 27 years old. The promotion reflects Eleanor’s ambition to identify additional development opportunities, and during her time at
Savills has expanded its building & project consultancy team with the appointment of Andrew Hezelgrave who joins as a director at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London. Andrew has more than 15 years’ experience in the commercial property sector as a building surveyor specialising in technical due diligence
Aquarian Cladding Systems, a specialist supplier of external brick and terracotta cladding systems, has strengthened its team with two key appointments. Ryan Callaghan joins as Technical Sales Manager in the South East of England, having started his career with an independent distributor in 2012, selling insulation and fire protection. He
United Living Group has announced that Ole Pugholm has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer. He joins the leadership team following the recent acquisition of Great British Telecoms, which boosted the United Living Group’s turnover to in excess of GBP 0.5 billion annually. The business has also won some
The construction sector is leading the way in helping the UK economy bounce back from the pandemic and the Construction Industry Training board (CITB) is now looking for industry leaders to join its board. In this voluntary role you will help shape the future of construction as the industry works
The new courses will ensure employees are kept up to date with the latest health and safety legislation, improving an employee’s knowledge of safe working practices to create a safer working environment for all. The new health and safety courses include everything from electrical safety and accident reporting to driver
Engineer and technical consultant Tony Fox is joining commercial real estate developers Network Space Developments (NSD) as its Technical Director. Tony joins from Tetra Tech/ White Young Green where he has worked for more than 20 years, consulting extensively with Newton Le Willows-headquartered Network Space during that time. Amongst other
A local builder working for a housing association has shared his delight at seeing fresh talent coming through the ranks in the construction industry. T G Sowerby Developments, based in Scunthorpe, have been sharing the progress of their apprentices on a site on Bottesford Road over the last year. Ben McCormack, Jack Gaynor and James Green have been working on the development, with Ben and Jack on joinery apprenticeships and James working in plumbing. Director Steve Sowerby said “All our apprentices are offered full time positions with us once they’ve completed their studies and it will be no exception for these three. That then gives us the opportunity to offer other students the same chance of an apprenticeship once the current apprentices have moved on to full time positions, we already have a bricklayer on trial.” For Ben and Jack, the project represents part of their journey, having worked on the popular Coal Yard at Royston-Under-Dinmore before moving on after this to work on site at the White Swan in Barton. All three projects are being done for Platform Housing Group, who themselves have also said how pleased they are with seeing their local contractors giving young people the opportunity to learn their vital trades. Project manager for Platform Housing Group Christine Storr said, “When looking for small and medium sized enterprises to partner with, the use of apprenticeship schemes is high on the criteria for awarding the work. As a large provider of affordable homes, we’re seeing how the sector is struggling with the skills gap. Allowing young people to learn on the job from the experienced tradespeople we work with is good for both the housing sector and the local economy and is just one of the ways we feel we can best contribute to the communities we build in.” Working with 1,200 colleagues and 45,000 homes, Platform Housing Group works to deliver quality homes and customer services that bring tangible differences to local homes and lives across the Midlands. For more information about Platform Housing Group, visit – https://www.platformhg.com/
A leading contractor and developer in the East of England is once again inviting applications to its construction apprenticeship for the 18th time in its history. Anderson has been at the forefront of training and developing construction talent for almost 35 years and will relaunch its Groundwork Apprenticeship Scheme for 2022 seeking 10 new recruits aged 16 and over for a two-year Level 2 Diploma in Construction Operations. News of the continuation of the scheme comes after the success of last year’s intake, which the firm said was crucial to help bring new blood into the industry. It came at a time when apprenticeship schemes were on the decline nationally due to the pandemic and the construction industry was facing a stark skills gap. Six out of 10 employers stopped all new apprenticeships when the coronavirus pandemic hit and Anderson has been determined to ensure the shortfall in new talent is filled as quickly as possible. Steve Hammond, Training Manager at Anderson, said: “The construction industry continues to face a skills gap, so it remains vitally important to highlight the benefits of a construction-based career to young people and for Anderson to continue its long-standing record of recruiting talented new apprentices. “It was a delight to be able to welcome a brand-new intake last year as the industry continued to be impacted by the pandemic and we are very much looking forward to receiving fresh applications for the 2022 cohort. “A career with Anderson is a fantastic opportunity to undertake practical and theory-based training, leading to a secure role with job satisfaction and the opportunity for career progression through the company.” Apprentices are given hands-on training on sites across the East and South of England, learning from professionals with decades of experience in the industry as well as recently qualified apprentices who understand the demands of the two-year course and can help mentor the new recruits. Riley Giles was the youngest of the apprentices that joined Anderson at the end of September, and he is now working with Anderson on the Hopkins Homes site at River Reach, Mistley. He said: “I love every minute of it. The lads on site have been great. “I was worried about getting up early every day but actually I can’t wait to get started – I even get up early on weekends now so I don’t waste the day.” Riley has ambitions to work his way up within the company to become a Site Manager. “I like the idea of progressing with Anderson – it’s a really great company,” he said. “But I have to admit I also I have my sights set on wearing one of those red hats one day!” The Anderson apprentice selection course starts in August 2022 for four weeks, with the successful candidates being accepted on to the full apprenticeship in September. The apprenticeship consists of practical and theory-based training sessions learning a variety of groundwork subjects. The closing date for application is May 15 and CVs should be sent to apprentices@andersongroup.co.uk
The Scottish Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) is celebrating International Women’s Day by highlighting its work on a National Equity and Inclusion Plan for the construction industry in Scotland which will drive increased inclusivity. Funded by Scottish Government this latest initiative is part of the wider plan for the industry to develop a more diverse and inclusive workforce, giving the sector access to a wider talent pool to support growth and help to address labour shortages. In the construction industry in Scotland in 2020[1], 84.6% of workers were men and 15.4% were women. 1.6% of workers in the construction industry were from a minority ethnic background compared with 4.3% of minority ethnic workers in Scotland as a whole. The National Construction Equity and Inclusion Plan seeks to address these imbalances by mainstreaming equity and inclusion within the industry as part of the CLF’s Construction Recovery Plan. The goals of the plan are to assess the current situation, share information on impactful equity and inclusion initiatives and develop actions to drive the realisation of a workforce that is more representative of society. The plan is being delivered in partnership with industry by Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) on behalf of the CLF and is funded by the Scottish Government. The project is being supported by a steering group of experts who represent multiple aspects of the industry and have championed the cause of equity and inclusion throughout their careers. The strength of the steering group, combined with industry and Government support, will help ensure that the recommendations of the plan are moved to active implementation once it has been published. Emma Dickson, Technical Director at Arcadis and industry co-chair of CLF’s Skills and Workforce sub group issued a challenge to the sector to “Celebrate International Women’s Day by taking a meaningful step towards improving gender diversity in your workplace. What will you do?” She said: “The new Plan will focus on meaningful action, drawing from best practice and experience. It will be critical for industry to embrace and action the recommendations; our strong industry networks and leadership groups must take the lead. Skills shortages alongside the need for new green / digital skills in the industry mean that improving the diversity of our industry has never been so critical.” Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise and CLF chair Ivan McKee said: “It is really encouraging to see much needed progress towards creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive construction industry that is representative of the world we live in. I am delighted to see this work being promoted on International Women’s Day, when we can celebrate raising awareness against bias and taking action to advance equality.” Lynsey Brydson, Head of Digital Programmes, CSIC said: “The collective objective we are aiming for is building a stronger, fairer and greener economic future for the construction industry and this investment is an important move in that direction. It is anticipated that the plan will be delivered in May”. Peter Reekie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Futures Trust and chair of the executive group of the CLF, said: “The CLF is embarked on a radical overhaul of the industry in Scotland and it is important to maintain momentum as the recovery gathers pace. “The data shows that our track record on diversity is poor. The industry is missing out on the talents of too many people, and too many people who could have rewarding careers in the industry are not seeing it as a place for them. Leaders at all levels must do better and I am proud to support the group putting in place our first National Equity and Inclusion Plan, which will help them to do just that.” [1] Annual Population Survey, Jan-Dec 2020
Eleanor Ogilvie, from Stockport, joined MCI Developments in 2019 as a Land & Partnerships Manager, and within 3 years has been able to achieve her goal of Head of department at just 27 years old. The promotion reflects Eleanor’s ambition to identify additional development opportunities, and during her time at MCI Developments has purchased and facilitated land opportunities, resulting in the delivery of over 650 much-needed affordable dwellings across the North West. Having started her career in the construction industry in 2015, Eleanor has been able to quickly progress in the industry, and as Head of Land & Partnerships, she will be responsible for leading the department to acquire and deliver residential development sites, with an aim of 500 homes per year in the region. Often stereotyped as an all-male industry, Eleanor’s promotion marks a progressive step forward as the industry is slowly becoming more diverse, particularly in managerial roles. Eleanor Ogilvie commented: “I’m immensely proud to be leading the Land & Partnerships team here at MCI Developments. I’m looking forward to strengthening the Land Team and continuing the success of delivering much-needed affordable housing across the North West of England. “I decided I wanted to pursue a career within the construction industry whilst I was at university. I thoroughly enjoyed the regeneration modules, and it sparked an interest in me to learn more about the property and construction industry. For me, being knowledgeable in the industry and being able adapt to new challenges has helped progress my career quickly.” With an aim to open more doors to women within the construction industry, Eleanor Ogilvie has been a member of Women in Property for five years, and Chair for the organisation in the North West for 2021/2022. The organisation plays an important role in creating opportunities, expanding knowledge, and advocating for change among women working in the property and construction industry, and during Eleanor’s tenure as Chair, membership grew by 60%. Eleanor added: “It has been an honour to lead the committee and drive for a better industry. I started my tenure as Chair very much still in lockdown and had to adapt to the circumstances to ensure our members were connected through virtual events. Over the past year the organisation has gone from strength to strength and that’s all down to the hard work and input from our members, committee and sponsors. It has been both highly rewarding and a privilege to be able to support women at all stages of their construction careers. “My advice to women who are interested in starting their career within the industry would be to be yourself and take up every opportunity as and when they arrive, you never know where it may take you. I’m an advocate that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything.” Alex Wood, Regional Managing Director at MCI Developments, said: “It’s great to see Eleanor take on the position as Head of Land & Partnerships here at MCI Developments. Her achievement is testament to the crucial work she plays within the construction industry and marks an exciting new chapter for the company. “Eleanor is a true inspiration to other women, and her achievement clearly demonstrates the important role women play in the construction sector. We’re confident that with Eleanor’s proven track record of success, she will play a significant role in our continued growth plans by identifying key areas to build new beginnings and flourishing communities here in the North West.”
Savills has expanded its building & project consultancy team with the appointment of Andrew Hezelgrave who joins as a director at the firm’s Margaret Street head office in London. Andrew has more than 15 years’ experience in the commercial property sector as a building surveyor specialising in technical due diligence (TDD). He joins Savills from Black Cat Building Consultancy where he worked across all sectors, looking at both single asset and large portfolio instructions for clients including Investcorp and Brydell Partners in both the UK and Europe. Prior to this he also held positions at Paragon Building Consultancy and Lambert Smith Hampton. At Savills Andrew will join the technical due diligence team, working on major instructions offering tailored, commercial advice on transactions for clients across all asset classes. Andrew Hezelgrave, director in the building & project consultancy team, comments: “This is an exciting time to join the Savills TDD team, especially as we continue to see a number of considerable transactions take place across the UK investment market. One area of focus will be the industrial & logistics sector, which continues to break records when it comes to investment volumes. I look forward to working with colleagues across the business in order to provide top quality advice to clients.” Steve Page, building & project consultancy director and head of the Savills TDD team, adds: “We are very pleased to welcome Andrew to Savills. His experience and expertise will undoubtedly help to further strengthen our capability and ensure we can continue to offer a best in class service to our clients.”
Aquarian Cladding Systems, a specialist supplier of external brick and terracotta cladding systems, has strengthened its team with two key appointments. Ryan Callaghan joins as Technical Sales Manager in the South East of England, having started his career with an independent distributor in 2012, selling insulation and fire protection. He then joined Kingspan’s insulation division, before more recently becoming a key member of their light gauge steel framing sales team. “I was very aware of Aquarian as they had a strategic relationship with Kingspan and the opportunity to join them really appealed to me. I could see the opportunity to grow and develop whilst having a bigger impact in a business,” said Ryan, who will be tasked with building and managing relationships with key sub-contractors and main contractors. “I see a huge market opportunity for Aquarian, particularly because of the industry drive towards non-combustible construction. We have two fantastic non-combustible brick cladding solutions, with plans to add to our existing portfolio, so I can only see positives for me and the company as we combine our experience of supplying materials for use on buildings over 18m.” Laurence Bailey joins as Architectural Specification Manager for London, having worked in construction for 18 years. His previous roles have included working in technical departments for brick and brick cladding manufacturers, as well as a CAD technician for a structural engineer. Laurence, who will engage with architects from the earliest stage possible to ensure Aquarian’s products are specified, said: “Whilst with my previous company, we would regularly compete with Aquarian and I could tell they knew their stuff, with good people and good products. “With a really comprehensive range of fully tested and certified products to suit all sorts of needs and all sorts of budgets, I’m really looking forward to working with architects to make them aware of Aquarian products and of course help them to specific our products.” With a product portfolio that includes brick slip cladding systems such as the A1-rated MechSlip and NaturAL-X, the Gebrik Insulating Brick Cladding System and A1-rated Terreal Terracotta Rainscreen System, Aquarian Cladding Systems have worked with architects, contractors, developers, and cladding contractors on many award-winning buildings across a wide range of sectors. Jazz Rigden, Aquarian Cladding Systems’ Sales Director said: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome both Laurence and Ryan to the Aquarian team. Both have a huge amount of experience in the industry and have already hit the ground running. “Laurence will provide specification support to ensure our products are appropriately specified and Ryan will ensure the end user receives our full support to ensure materials are ordered accurately. “This additional investment in our team is further evidence of our ambitious plans to grow and develop the business across the country.” For more information or to discuss your project requirements please visit www.aquariancladding.co.uk/
United Living Group has announced that Ole Pugholm has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer. He joins the leadership team following the recent acquisition of Great British Telecoms, which boosted the United Living Group’s turnover to in excess of GBP 0.5 billion annually. The business has also won some major contracts over the last few months including a 10-year £160 million partnership with Lewisham Homes, delivering major refurbishment works to its existing housing stock, a 432 new home development in Cardiff, worth £55 million and a £1.6 million deal on a district heating project at the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) – which has a total project value of £150 million. In addition, it has secured places on the £750 million Fusion 21 Decarbonisation framework and the £5 billion SCF Residential framework. Ole’s extensive experience, spanning more than 15 years in CFO level roles, includes working with private equity and Global Fortune 500 multinationals, most recently working as CFO for the Marine Division of Survitec Group Limited, a global organisation with a presence in 96 countries. He has a significant background in turnaround management, acquisition and growth – supporting both the commercial and operational aspects of business – and an impressive track record of building strong performing finance teams, whilst creating business value through both buy and build, and organic growth. Neil Armstrong, Chair and CEO, United Living Group commented: “I am delighted to welcome Ole to the team. His exceptional track record and experiences will bring significant value to the business and support our further development plans, helping to set us up for future success.” Ole Pugholm added: “I am pleased to be joining United Living Group at an exciting point in the company’s development. I very much look forward to working with Neil and the wider Executive Team on developing its growth potential and building on the considerable success the group has achieved so far.”
The construction sector is leading the way in helping the UK economy bounce back from the pandemic and the Construction Industry Training board (CITB) is now looking for industry leaders to join its board. In this voluntary role you will help shape the future of construction as the industry works to meet the skills gap and the drive to Net Zero whilst gaining high level public body experience first hand. As a Charity and Non-Departmental Public Body, CITB has supported the construction sector for over 50 years, helping to keep workers safe on site, supporting high quality training and giving young people a start in their career. CITB raises funds through an employer levy, and works closely with employers and the Government to ensure national construction skills needs across Great Britain are met. As a CITB trustee, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the work of CITB within a supportive team environment and be asked to ensure that CITB pursues its objectives for the benefit of the construction industry and work with fellow trustees to shape, drive and monitor CITB’s strategy. The post is a 4 year commitment, with the possibility of reappointment for an additional 4 year term. CITB CEO Tim Balcon said: “Having people sit around us on the board who are working in industry at senior level is of a huge benefit. They really have their fingers on the pulse and keep us grounded in providing a service the construction industry really needs. I look forward to welcoming the new tranche of board trustees.” Kevin McLoughlin, MD of construction SME, McLoughlin Group Holdings joined as a trustee in 2018. He is passionate about construction industry opportunities after leaving school himself at 15. “The reason I joined the CITB board was so I could give a voice for the SMEs within industry and give a focus on the skills needed in the industry whilst bringing my experience of a medium sized enterprise to the board.“It has been rewarding and stretching for me personally to be able to experience how the board works and contribute to the decisions of the board and CITB’s direction, and it has been rewarding to see CITB move to being more orientated towards skills than ever before.”Diana Garnham joined as a trustee over 7 years ago. She said: “My interest in skills is multi-levelled. I want to help individuals achieve their potential through access to skills and training to open up career and work opportunities. I see in the construction sector an environment that is keen to welcome talent from all abilities and help individuals particularly in finding their way on the first rungs of their careers. Construction has also worked with some of the hardest to reach communities. I also see construction as one of the key sectors of the UK economy and I understand how crucial skills are to ensuring its sustainability and productivity – so to be part of CITB is to also be working for the wider public benefit. She added: “Listening skills are crucial in an organisation with such a complex stakeholder environment. Understanding the role of governance, the role of the board and the need to support the executive to deliver and a collegiate approach working with fellow board members are all important. No one trustee stands alone – it’s about the Board working as a team.”Could you offer your expertise as a trustee of CITB? Find out more here.
The new courses will ensure employees are kept up to date with the latest health and safety legislation, improving an employee’s knowledge of safe working practices to create a safer working environment for all. The new health and safety courses include everything from electrical safety and accident reporting to driver awareness and food allergy awareness. Sontay, a leading manufacturer of sensing devices that can monitor and report on a building’s conditions, established its Academy in 2014. Since then, it has evolved to become more than just a specialist training academy for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Climate Control Industry. It now offers more than 130 courses in everything from Human Resources to Business Compliance, including, now of course, Health and Safety. Commercial & Marketing Director, Stacey Lucas said: “We are delighted to build on the success of the Academy by expanding the role that the Academy plays. We can only do this because we have worked hard to develop training partnerships and by talking to people in the industry, we were able to identify knowledge gaps. As a company we want to upskill not only our staff but those who want their staff to be able to understand and manage risk helping to keep everyone safe.” The Sontay Academy has partnered with a market-leading provider of online Health and Safety and Compliance Training. All courses are completed through an online Learner Management System. Candidates are issued with a certificate upon completion of the course.
Engineer and technical consultant Tony Fox is joining commercial real estate developers Network Space Developments (NSD) as its Technical Director. Tony joins from Tetra Tech/ White Young Green where he has worked for more than 20 years, consulting extensively with Newton Le Willows-headquartered Network Space during that time. Amongst other responsibilities Tony will lead on all the technical work on Network Space’s major projects and acquisitions, as well as advance and develop the company’s sustainability strategy. NSD’s short term industrial and urban logistics development pipeline across the north totals some 2.5m sq. ft of space including schemes like Tunstall Arrow North in Stoke, Glass Futures in St Helens, Sovereign Industry Park in Knowsley, Broadheath Network Centre in Altrincham, Ashroyd Business Park in Barnsley, Estuary Business Park in Speke and Woodhouse Link in Rotherham. His new position at Network Space will also allow him to be involved in projects across its sister companies, asset managers NSM and Network Space Investments Network Space Managing Director (Development) Stephen Barnes said: “‘Tony has worked as our primary consultant engineer for more than 20 years now and has been involved with nearly all our major projects. It feels a very natural appointment to bring him in-house as we embark on an ever growing, ambitious and exciting development pipeline. “His experience and knowledge of our sector is extensive and we’re delighted to have him on board.” Tony commented: I am absolutely delighted to join Network Space after such a long standing and successful client/consultant relationship. I’m looking forward to supporting the Business’s ambitious future growth programme, strengthening its technical delivery and ensuring it delivers a positive response to an evolving sustainability agenda.
