In response to the increasing requirement by organisations in the datacentre, commercial, media and high-tech sectors to upgrade, modernise and expand their mission critical facilities and infrastructure, BCS Group (Business Critical Solutions), the specialist services provider to the digital infrastructure industry, has appointed an experienced Head of Critical Infrastructure. Simon
Pagabo, Sypro and Social Profit Calculator, three Hull-based businesses synonymous with construction expertise, have been recognised for their attitudes to flexible working that set the organisations as front runners in the industry, which will be further facilitated by their move to new premises to accompany a new way of working
St Modwen, an expert in housebuilding and residential development, is sponsoring the WorldSkills UK Bricklaying Competition for 2021, which sees young people compete to become the UK’s best bricklayer. The competition assesses an individual’s technical, personal and employability skills against set criteria in a competitive timed environment. Run in partnership
PERMAGROUP – which houses innovative brands that provide permanent solutions to age-old problems – has appointed an apprentice and area sales manager as the firm continues to grow its team and well-established brands. Nicole Parkes has joined PermaGroup, which has its head office in Alfreton, Derbyshire, as an apprentice in internal sales, while Tony
As organizations begin to test different hybrid working styles, new data from Chargifi reveals that spontaneous office interactions, like work chats, between coworkers can boost individual wellbeing and productivity for over an hour. The hybrid workplace specialist found almost half (45%) of employees report feeling happier after such encounters like
Multi-award-winning engineering consultancy Will Rudd Davidson has recruited six new team members and promoted three existing team members to service its growth in client work. The six new appointments to bolster the team include Victoria Tinney as senior engineer, Alasdair MacPhee and Jennifer Davies as project engineers, and three new graduate
Leading quarry and mineral processor Kilwaughter Minerals Limited has appointed a new Sales Director as part of a major growth strategy as the economy emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. David Grace joins the County Antrim headquartered company having previously worked at director level for a leading company in the construction
The Faculty of Construction Crafts at Leeds College of Building recently held its first-ever Institute of Carpenters (IOC) City Hub Event. The virtual session exposed students to the varied career opportunities available to qualified carpenters and joiners. Using Microsoft Teams, the College’s Level 2 Bench Joinery & Shopfitting group met
Nottinghamshire and London-based landscape architect Influence has bolstered its team with the appointment of Olli Wheeler as senior landscape architect. Influence provides specialist landscape architecture, urban design, environment planning and expert witness – and alongside the Wildlife Trust – is the practice behind the bold green vision for Nottingham’s now
Students from Borders College paid a visit to the doctor’s recently, to learn more about how properties can be re-purposed and retrofitted with new technology, such as ground source heating systems, to significantly reduce a building’s carbon footprint. The vacant medical centre in Yetholm, Scottish Borders, which is being converted
In response to the increasing requirement by organisations in the datacentre, commercial, media and high-tech sectors to upgrade, modernise and expand their mission critical facilities and infrastructure, BCS Group (Business Critical Solutions), the specialist services provider to the digital infrastructure industry, has appointed an experienced Head of Critical Infrastructure. Simon Harris will take up the role bringing with him over 20 years’ experience of delivering specialist mission critical systems and data centre consultancy across international markets. He has previously held senior roles at construction consultancy Currie & Brown and Sweett Group. His new role will include project management, cost management, procurement and construction contract administration services, tailored to clients’ specific needs. In addition, advice and guidance will be provided regarding capital allowances to support these types of initiatives. He will work closely with Chris Coward, BCS’ Head of Project Management and James Carmillet, Head of Cost Management. James Hart, CEO at BCS Group, said: “In recent months we have seen this area of our business grow substantially so we have taken the decision to have a dedicated specialist team to support this. Simon will lead this team and his knowledge and experience will bring a fresh perspective and really complement the skillsets that we already have in the business.” Commenting, Simon Harris said: “Critical infrastructure projects often face a unique and challenging collection of objectives and constraints but there is no doubt that legacy infrastructure can be refurbished to increase capacity, support new and emerging business services and reduce operating costs. With many clients also keen to deliver on their ESG commitments, this sustainable approach is increasingly appealing.”
Pagabo, Sypro and Social Profit Calculator, three Hull-based businesses synonymous with construction expertise, have been recognised for their attitudes to flexible working that set the organisations as front runners in the industry, which will be further facilitated by their move to new premises to accompany a new way of working post-pandemic. Like many other businesses, both in Hull and across the country, the major change has been balancing working from home with working from the company office. This has led to discussions on what facilities are needed to be added or adapted, and which are no longer required for a modern way of working, all of which has been incorporated in the designs for the organisations’ new offices in central Hull. The former HSBC building on Whitefriargate is set to be home to the three businesses, and create a thriving home for creative, digital and tech businesses. The refurbished building will feature individual and shared workspaces, excellent broadband connectivity, meeting room facilities suitable for video conferencing and podcast sound booths. Gerard Toplass, who heads up the three companies, said: “The pandemic has been a humbling period for all of us, but one of the reminders it has given us is that our employees will always be our greatest asset and we respect that everyone’s preferences are unique. We must continue to facilitate flexible working conditions that will allow individuals to lead fulfilling professional and personal lives – something we urge other businesses to remember are not mutually exclusive. “We have to also ensure that we are adapting to meet the expectations around flexible working. We know that it is more important to most employees than ever before – and especially so for younger team members. These people are ultimately the future of our workforce, so it is crucial that we meet their expectations to keep the talent we need, where we need it. “Flexible working is not just about working from home, which is why we have invested in new offices in the heart of Hull. Our new home has a mix of high-tech workspaces and relaxed social spaces so that we can interact in the appropriate environment when we are choosing to not work from home. We believe that it is particularly fitting that one of Hull’s oldest streets is now leading the way in the future of working and putting the great people of this city first.” The successful commitment to flexible working has attracted national attention, with the team welcoming Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for the Future of Work, Angela Rayner, visiting the soon-to-open new office space. She spoke with staff from Pagabo, Sypro and Social Profit Calculator on the key learnings and takeaways from how they have been working throughout the pandemic and in the days since social distancing restrictions were lifted. The visit formed part of the Labour Party’s unveiling of plans to make flexible working a force for good and fundamentally change working practices for the better through the right to flexible working, which includes flexible hours, compressed hours, staggered hours and flexibility around childcare and caring responsibilities. Emma Hardy MP, who represents Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, said: “Labour’s new flexible working plans are a breath of fresh air and ones which will improve people’s work life balance. “I have been speaking in Parliament for some time now about the potential we have here in Hull and East Riding and how remote working means people can work from home and online without having to leave the area. The possibility of someone working in Hull for companies across the UK has never been better. “No longer will we need to leaving family, friends, and the area to pursue better careers, and with greater affordability than in other cities such as London means a far better quality of life can be had here in Hull and the surrounding area. “These plans will also enhance gender equality by allowing parents to work at home without losing out by not being in the workplace. This, alongside calls for flexible hours to work around school runs and other family responsibilities will bring much-needed improvements to people’s work life balance.”
St Modwen, an expert in housebuilding and residential development, is sponsoring the WorldSkills UK Bricklaying Competition for 2021, which sees young people compete to become the UK’s best bricklayer. The competition assesses an individual’s technical, personal and employability skills against set criteria in a competitive timed environment. Run in partnership with SkillBuild, part of CITB, WorldSkills UK Competition-based training programmes are designed by industry experts to raise standards in apprenticeships and technical education. Apprentices and students who excel in the WorldSkills UK National Qualifiers in Bricklaying will be invited to take part in the National Finals, which will take place in November. The winner of the National Final will be crowned the UK’s best Bricklayer at a national celebration event. WorldSkills UK’s Head of National Competitions and Careers, Dee Aylett-Smith, said: “St. Modwen’s commitment to helping young people starting in the construction industry to develop the skills needed for today’s rapidly changing workplace requirements is a perfect match with our Bricklaying competition. We believe that by working together we can help more young people in the construction industry achieve excellence at work.” Dee added: “It’s not just the technical skills the training programme and competition addresses, it’s also about developing the employability skills such as reliability, teamwork, time management and communications that employers value so highly.” Individuals who excel at the WorldSkills UK National Finals can be selected to join the WorldSkills UK International Training and Development programme with the possibility of being selected for Team UK and the chance to represent their country on the global stage at WorldSkills also known as the ‘skills olympics’, where they will compete with rivals from over 80 countries. Speaking for St. Modwen, Dave Smith, Managing Director of St. Modwen Homes, commented: “As a business we strive for excellence in everything we do and have a strong track record of promoting skills during people’s early careers. That’s why we are proud to be supporting this important competition, getting the message out there to apprenticeships and students across the UK that our industry celebrates brilliance and offers great opportunities.” About WorldSkills UK: WorldSkills UK is an independent charity and a partnership between employers, education and governments. Together, we are using international best practice to raise standards in apprenticeships and technical education so more young people and employers succeed. www.worldskillsuk.org
PERMAGROUP – which houses innovative brands that provide permanent solutions to age-old problems – has appointed an apprentice and area sales manager as the firm continues to grow its team and well-established brands. Nicole Parkes has joined PermaGroup, which has its head office in Alfreton, Derbyshire, as an apprentice in internal sales, while Tony Pitts has become part of the firm’s ever-expanding sales team. The apprentice role appealed to Nicole, who has a passion for learning and developing others, due to PermaGroup’s commitment to training its team members and its strong progression scheme. She said: “PermaGroup is a growing business, which has repeatedly hit targets and achieved its growth plans even throughout the pandemic. I also love that the staff here speak so highly of each other and the firm as a whole; everyone respects one another, and it makes a great place to work.” Tony has joined PermaGroup with an impressive portfolio and has five years’ managerial experience to bring to the team. PermaGroup’s well-known product ranges peaked Tony’s interest in the job, as well as PermaRoof’s one-of-a-kind roofing system. He said: “Joining PermaGroup has been really interesting and I’m really enjoying learning about all the fantastic brands and products within the umbrella company. The PermaGroup team are a great support and I’m delighted to be here as I further my career.” PermaGroup has grown rapidly since it started trading in 1999, currently employing more than 50 people. The firm started as a felt roof company, before setting up PermaRoof – one of the largest importers and distributors of the revolutionary Firestone RubberCover and single ply EPDM rubber roofing systems. Since then, the company has expanded into a growing group of brands all operating under the PermaGroup umbrella, including: PermaFinance, PermaFence, PermaLawn, PermaKit, PermaRoom, PermaRoof and The Skylight Company. Managing director Adrian Buttress said: “Nicole and Tony’s appointments reflect the growth we have experienced in the past year, with demand still remaining high for our products even after the pandemic. We are so pleased to have onboarded both exceptional team members and we’re looking forward to seeing them grow and develop with the company.” For further information on PermaGroup, please visit www.permaroof.co.uk.
As organizations begin to test different hybrid working styles, new data from Chargifi reveals that spontaneous office interactions, like work chats, between coworkers can boost individual wellbeing and productivity for over an hour. The hybrid workplace specialist found almost half (45%) of employees report feeling happier after such encounters like work chats, and around a third say they feel more motivated, creative and productive. What’s more, almost half (48%) of respondents said these positive effects lasted at least 30 minutes afterwards, with a fifth (21%) indicating that they remained for longer than an hour. “Apple’s recent three-day-a-week office request is a great example of how leading organizations have recognized the critical need to better balance in-person and virtual interactions. Our research shows the impact of unexpected connections on productivity and creativity, every day,” commented Dan Bladen, Co-Founder and CEO at Chargifi. “New hybrid working models should help employees achieve the right balance and weighting between home and office working. Done right, hybrid maintains the productivity and flexibility benefits of remote, while blending the creativity and wellbeing boost gained from in-person connections. Many organizations are starting to miss the benefits previously gained from these interactions, and now see it’s potential to deliver a competitive advantage in today’s landscape.” The combined study of UK and US office workers also revealed that ‘watercooler moments’ were one of the most noted benefits of office work for over half (55%) of respondents. “We’re relational creatures, wired for connection and that’s where the magic happens. Ideas form faster, decisions are made quicker. Now there’s every reason for companies to offer ways to combine all the great things about remote and in person working. This is as much about workspace design, as it is about understanding the context of booking spaces, for example, when individuals and groups will be in the office, or at home, and how and when they can best connect,” Bladen continued. Chargifi Wx is the operating system for hybrid working, and enables teams and individuals to optimize face-to-face collaboration and productivity in hybrid working by removing the friction of coordinating people, time and spaces. Individual employees and teams can use it to reserve particular office workspaces like desks and rooms to easily coordinate with colleagues at home or elsewhere to truly bake-in the magic of human connection.
Multi-award-winning engineering consultancy Will Rudd Davidson has recruited six new team members and promoted three existing team members to service its growth in client work. The six new appointments to bolster the team include Victoria Tinney as senior engineer, Alasdair MacPhee and Jennifer Davies as project engineers, and three new graduate engineers Graeme Thorpe, Amy Lillico and Matthew Pieroni. Three promotions have also been awarded at the consultancy, with Andrew Yule now a senior engineer team leader; Darren Tannock becoming a senior engineer and Lee Guthrie stepping up to project engineer level. The appointments come after Will Rudd Davidson announced a positive start to 2021, in part thanks to contracts from three major projects within Glasgow totalling close to £125 million. “We are really pleased to welcome this new talent on board to our Glasgow team. They all complement our existing work across a diverse range of sectors, and our ambition to expand on our work within the energy sector, particularly in the creation of renewable energy parks in the UK,” said MJ O’Shaughnessy, managing director, Will Rudd Davidson Glasgow. “I am also incredibly proud of our newly promoted team members and all three thoroughly deserve to make the step up. I know they will quickly adapt to their new responsibilities and I look forward to supporting their career development. “The new and promoted team members will begin working on a wide range of challenging projects across the UK, including several tall buildings in London and Scotland, and large scale residential projects across the UK.”
Leading quarry and mineral processor Kilwaughter Minerals Limited has appointed a new Sales Director as part of a major growth strategy as the economy emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. David Grace joins the County Antrim headquartered company having previously worked at director level for a leading company in the construction industry. He will have responsibility for leading the sales and technical sales functions across Kilwaughter’s portfolio of brands including K Rend, K Systems and Kilwaughter Lime. David commented: “I’m looking forward to meeting our customers and getting closer to the market segments. “The construction sector particularly has had some recent challenges, however I’m confident that the team and the innovative solutions from Kilwaughter’s R&D department will continue to drive us forward and bring opportunities both for our customers and the company.” Gary Wilmot, Chief Executive, Kilwaughter Minerals added: “It is a pleasure to welcome David to the Management Board as we experience a period of sustained growth. “With a wealth of experience in the construction industry, David has worked on specification led sales, with specialist contractors and the building materials merchant and distribution network. “His proven track record of success in delivering revenue and margin growth and a passion for developing high performing teams makes David an exceptional addition to the Kilwaughter team.” David’s appointment follows recent changes to Kilwaughter’s company structure with the creation of a new Business Development function led by Caroline Rowley, who has also joined the Management Board. The Business Development team has been established with a clear and ambitious strategic focus to drive product and market development through sectoral knowledge and continual innovation.
The Faculty of Construction Crafts at Leeds College of Building recently held its first-ever Institute of Carpenters (IOC) City Hub Event. The virtual session exposed students to the varied career opportunities available to qualified carpenters and joiners. Using Microsoft Teams, the College’s Level 2 Bench Joinery & Shopfitting group met industry innovators and heard from employers about the latest techniques and materials. Speakers included representatives from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Historic England, Structural Timber Association (STA), MEDITE SMARTPLY, IOC, Trussed Rafter Association, and Timber Trade Federation (TTF). The event kicked off with a welcome by Derek Whitehead, Leeds College of Building Principal, and an introduction by Geoff Rhodes, IOC President. This was followed by a range of 20-minute seminars from other carpentry and manufacturing experts. Programme topics covered: national career opportunities in the construction-related sector; specialist handcraft-skills; working as a builder in the heritage sector; the Housing and roofing sector and innovative new materials; ground-breaking MDF and OSB panel products; sustainability, renewables and certification; and TTF statistics covering the scale of the global timber industry. This virtual event is just one of the latest IOC enhancements to the student experience at Leeds College of Building. Through the partnership, Carpentry and Joinery students now have free membership to the IOC. The affiliation lasts for the duration of their studies and for a year after graduation. The IOC showcases the industry as a modern and exciting route into trades. It supports innovative new construction methods, including research into waterproof timber structure at a molecular level. Geoff Rhodes, IOC President, said: “For two years now, we have been developing and rolling out our national programme of IOC City Hub meetings with FE colleges across the UK in order to add meaningful value to the learning experience of all student learners. The partnership with Leeds College of Building is another great example of seeing this reality in action.” Derek Whitehead, Leeds College of Building Principal, said: “Leeds College of Building was delighted to host this first virtual IOC City Hub; our students greatly benefitted from the collective knowledge shared by all the industry experts who contributed. The students gave very positive feedback about the training session, as did the presenters who benefitted from networking themselves. I’d like to express enormous appreciation to the IOC for creating this initiative and the fantastic support shown to the College. We look forward to more initiatives like this in the future.” Michael Martin, Leeds College of Building Curriculum Manager added: “I’m thrilled this event came to fruition after nearly a year of planning and being stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic. What was meant to be a fair of industry stallholders and specialist seminars instead became a virtual event of experts across diverse fields. “This event was a fantastic opportunity for our learners to find out more about the wider industry and global career opportunities before they progress to Level 3 in September. We now have solid foundations to build upon and next year we intend to have a face-to-face event. The hope is to bring carpentry and joinery professionals together with the next generation of craftspeople.”
Nottinghamshire and London-based landscape architect Influence has bolstered its team with the appointment of Olli Wheeler as senior landscape architect. Influence provides specialist landscape architecture, urban design, environment planning and expert witness – and alongside the Wildlife Trust – is the practice behind the bold green vision for Nottingham’s now redundant Broadmarsh which was shared last year and achieved national acclaim. A chartered member of the Landscape Institute, Olli will work alongside the established team delivering landscape planning and design projects at the Newark practice and will undertake Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIA) and produce technical planning reports. Previously based at a large multi-disciplinary environmental planning consultancy, Olli brings seven years of industry experience to Influence, having started as a landscape designer in Sydney, Australia. Since then, he has completed an MA in Landscape Architecture, gained professional Chartership (CMLI) status and worked for several respected firms in the industry. At Influence, Olli will be delivering a wide range of projects from strategic land developments through to single dwellings in the countryside. Olli will increase Influence’s ability to deliver projects from pre-planning right through to construction and maintenance. On his new appointment, Olli said: “I’m really pleased to start my new role at Influence and have the opportunity to continue my career at such a well-respected and popular practice. “Its strong reputation locally and nationally appealed to me greatly and its healthy mix of public and private work was of interest as I enjoy the variety. “I look forward to bringing both my planning and design skillset to this very friendly, and skilled team and gain more experience within the Midlands.” Sara Boland, managing director at Influence, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome Olli to our team. His unique expertise and specialised knowledge make him a great asset to our practice. “Olli joins us at an exciting time and will work alongside myself and the senior team on landscape design and planning projects here in Nottinghamshire and around the country.” Influence covers a wide scope of services including tall building assessment work in London and has recently worked alongside teams of highly experienced industry professionals to bring about the Boston Barrier tidal flood risk management project in Lincolnshire and provide landscape and concept design services to the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone.
Students from Borders College paid a visit to the doctor’s recently, to learn more about how properties can be re-purposed and retrofitted with new technology, such as ground source heating systems, to significantly reduce a building’s carbon footprint. The vacant medical centre in Yetholm, Scottish Borders, which is being converted into a residential property, is owned by local housing association, the Eildon Group. The conversion is an example of the type of project the organisation is working on to develop a low carbon property portfolio. Commenting on the need to lower the carbon footprint within housing, Chief Executive Officer of the Eildon Group, Nile Istephan, said “Building new homes and adapting our existing homes to meet carbon reduction targets is a major challenge, but also a massive opportunity. By working together across the Scottish Borders with partner organisations, not only can we play our part in slowing the impact of climate change, we can also make great strides towards a zero carbon economy” The Eildon Group, in partnership with Borders College and Scottish Borders Council, recently hosted a Sustainability Summit where a variety of public and third sector organisations were joined by private sector businesses, to discuss how to better work together to achieve net zero targets within the housing sector. The aim of the Summit was to use the affordable housing sector as a catalyst to reshape the supply chain and the workforce response, to low carbon across the board within housing. The Sustainability Summit included keynote presentations by representatives from Northern Powerhomes and Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, both of whom covered examples of sustainable work in practice and future development opportunities. Identifying and addressing the skills gap in sustainable new builds and retrofitting existing stock to become low carbon, was discussed at the Summit. Borders College, who recently launched their Sustainability Strategy, confirmed their commitment to continue to develop and deliver the skills that address the needs of the construction industry, and ensure there is an adequate workforce pipeline to meet the demand now, and in the future. Angela Cox, Principal of Borders College said: “Borders College have been at the forefront in responding to the training needs of the construction sector. Our investment in sustainability technologies, hosted in our Hawick STEM and Passive House facility, and in the development of programmes designed to upskill the current and future workforce, mean that we are ready to build on the valuable partnerships we already have with Eildon Housing, other RSLs and Scottish Borders Council in response to the collective challenge we have in achieving net zero.” Councillor Sandy Aitchison, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Sustainable Development, said: “The future of the Scottish Borders truly depends on us all making strides towards reaching net zero and many job and economic opportunities will be connected to this. “The Council will shortly set out it’s Climate Change Route Map which will outline various milestones and actions emphasising that we will all need play our part in to tackle the climate emergency.” An outcome of the Summit was acknowledgement of the positive work being carried out across the South of Scotland, and the clear focus by many organisations to place achieving net zero at the forefront of their future plans. Further events are planned in order to consolidate the work, with the three partners taking a ‘stronger together’ approach in dealing with the climate emergency.