More than 60 construction jobs will be safeguarded or created by Keepmoat Homes which has started work on a new £14m housing scheme in West Denton, Newcastle. The deal to acquire the site from Newcastle City Council was completed last month – it is the latest in a line of
Lee Marley Brickwork Ltd (LMB) has appointed Christian Hatherall-Good as the company’s Training Manager. LMB currently offers both brickwork and scaffolding apprenticeships in order to bring the next generation of tradesmen into the construction industry. Christian, bringing 25 years of experience in construction and education, will be charged with developing LMB’s
Specialist housing and construction recruitment firm, Andersen James, has secured a long term partnership with J Tomlinson, a provider of refurbishment, new build and maintenance services in the built environment and social housing spaces. Having worked together since 2015, Andersen James has previously recruited more than 100 candidates for the
Victoria Bathe a London South Bank University (LSBU) Civil Engineering apprentice, employed by construction firm FM Conway Ltd has won Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Apprentice of the Year 2020. CIHT’s Apprentice of the Year Award celebrates the achievements of apprentices who work in the highways and transportation sector, and
Caterpillar® dealer earns a place in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers Finning UK and Ireland has been awarded a national accolade for its outstanding apprenticeship programmes, scooping a place in the government-led Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The UK’s exclusive distributor of Cat® machines and products was ranked 38 in the
Skills shortfall: up to 120,000 additional people will be required over the next 5 – 10 years, with demand for skills peaking around 2025 An ageing workforce: over 28% of workers in the current rail workforce are over the age of 50 Failure to attract a diverse workforce: Only 16%
Plant reliability and asset management specialist AVT Reliability has expanded its training offering in a new partnership with internationally renowned skills provider Mobius Institute. The partnership will enable the AVT Reliability group of companies to deliver on-site, accredited courses in Europe, United States of America and Canada, as well as remote learning
As Abtec Building Technologies seeks to enhance its service offering to industrial and commercial customers, the award-winning smart buildings provider has announced the appointment of Kieron O’Toole as Head of Industrial IoT. In his new role, Kieron will lead the business unit responsible for the design, implementation and management of
Midlands-contractor G F Tomlinson has appointed three new technical apprentices as part of its commitment to investing in the next generation of construction workers. The latest recruits to the construction firm’s apprenticeship scheme include Jack Harvey and Joe Langley who both achieved successful GCSE results, and Joshua Worrall who recently
Advanced Analytics company Empiricai, is calling on industry to take action in order to prevent further workplace closures and boost the economy. In these uncertain times, an increase in positive cases in the workplace can have a devastating impact on an organisation’s productivity, output and revenue, so granular risk analysis
More than 60 construction jobs will be safeguarded or created by Keepmoat Homes which has started work on a new £14m housing scheme in West Denton, Newcastle. The deal to acquire the site from Newcastle City Council was completed last month – it is the latest in a line of projects delivered by Keepmoat Homes working in partnership with the local authority, which has so far produced 774 new homes at eight developments in the last five years. The top 10 UK home builder will create 96 two, three and four-bedroom houses and bungalows at the Thornley Road site alongside partners Leazes Homes, who will create five specialist learning disability bungalows, and Riverside who will create 27 dwellings for affordable rent and shared ownership. Ian Prescott, North East Land and Partnerships Director at Keepmoat Homes, said: “We’re delighted to have started work on our latest development in Newcastle which is the latest in a long list of already successful sites we have created in association with Newcastle City Council. “As well as building a community, we are safeguarding employment in the region for at least the next three years whilst we are on site. “Working again with Newcastle Futures and Generation North East we will also be creating work placement, pre-apprentice and apprentice opportunities for people in the city.” Councillor Linda Hobson, Cabinet Member for Housing at Newcastle City Council, said “Housing is a priority for the council and we are committed to offering a range of homes to meet the diverse needs of residents in our city. Mixed tenure developments like this one don’t just provide good quality housing they also promote social inclusion and bring a real sense of community to the area. I look forward to seeing the work progress and residents move in when the properties are completed.” In recent years Keepmoat Homes has won a series of awards in the North East, including a North East Equality Award for its work in the community and a ‘Heart of The Community’ award at the North East Business Awards.
Lee Marley Brickwork Ltd (LMB) has appointed Christian Hatherall-Good as the company’s Training Manager. LMB currently offers both brickwork and scaffolding apprenticeships in order to bring the next generation of tradesmen into the construction industry. Christian, bringing 25 years of experience in construction and education, will be charged with developing LMB’s programme further and capitalising on the recent change in the pathway of apprenticeship funding that gives employers greater flexibility on delivering the training that they need. What sets LMB’s award winning programmes apart from others is a combination of behavioural coaching and up to the minute technical instruction. The training offered goes beyond current apprenticeship requirements with specialist modules focussing on modern methods of construction, fire safety and quality assurance. Based at their Head Office in Reading, he will be in charge of all LMB apprentices, mentoring and monitoring them throughout from the point of induction, to monitoring and delivering training, through to qualification. LMB’s brickwork apprentices spend four days on site gaining real hands on experience and one day at College while apprentice scaffolders follow a more staged block release programme. Christian is currently looking after 26 brickwork and 9 scaffold apprentices, he has students working on sites such as Oval Village Vauxhall with Berkeley Homes and Chelsea Barracks for Multiplex. Many of the company’s current apprentices are from Brooklands College where he worked for over 8 years as Head of Construction Curriculum and as a bricklaying tutor. But a key part of Christian’s role will be building relationships with other colleges and local authorities in order to identify new talent to join the LMB apprenticeship scheme. Christian, who holds a Professional Certificate in Education focused in Education from Greenwich University, will also oversee personal development and upskilling of LMB’s current operatives including identifying recent graduates of the apprenticeship programme that show managerial promise and encouraging them to take on more responsibility under the wing of an experienced site supervisor and are supported through their SSSTS and SMSTS for brickwork supervisors or their Advanced Scaffolder or CISRS Supervisor qualification for scaffolders. The next step for LMB will then be to open their own training centre that would be at the forefront of brickwork and scaffolding training in the UK. Christian is in the process of looking at funding and accreditation for this, watch this space!
Specialist housing and construction recruitment firm, Andersen James, has secured a long term partnership with J Tomlinson, a provider of refurbishment, new build and maintenance services in the built environment and social housing spaces. Having worked together since 2015, Andersen James has previously recruited more than 100 candidates for the group, with key senior appointments including three of J Tomlinson’s Managing Directors and its Financial Director. As a result of past successes, the new long term partnership will focus on creating an embedded recruitment solution to amplify J Tomlinson across a variety of sectors including care, maintenance, FM and engineering, improve the candidate journey through a consistency of approach, and placing a significant focus on cradle to grave recruitment. Working as an extension of the J Tomlinson team, Andersen James will assist the group in nurturing the sector’s next generation of talent with an apprenticeship assessment strategy and the rollout of a trainee programme. Priding themselves on value-add propositions, Andersen James will also offer strategic support in the attraction and recruitment of talent, as well as future proofing the business with employee engagement and retention strategies. The contract win has resulted in Andersen James committing to two new hires, supporting its plans to secure sustainable future growth. James Leighton, Managing Director of Andersen James, said: “We’re thrilled that our past work with J Tomlinson has led to a long term partnership to overhaul its recruitment process with our innovative solutions. We know the coronavirus pandemic has had a particular impact on youth employment, so we’re proud to be working with J Tomlinson to provide these new opportunities.” Mark Davis, Chief Executive at J Tomlinson, said: “Andersen James have demonstrated real value through our past work together with their focus on providing an efficient recruitment process. Our new partnership will take this to the next level through working as an extension of our team to provide a world class recruitment service to the business.” The news follows Andersen James’ recent investment into its innovative strategic partnerships service to support clients in the better attraction, recruitment and retention of talent, as well as to ensure sustainable growth following the coronavirus pandemic. Andersen James also recently secured a long term exclusive partnership with regeneration firm, Urban Splash, and housing association, Riverside. Andersen James is a specialist recruitment partner for the housing and construction sector and offers strategic partnerships in the attracting, recruiting and retention of talent.
Victoria Bathe a London South Bank University (LSBU) Civil Engineering apprentice, employed by construction firm FM Conway Ltd has won Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Apprentice of the Year 2020. CIHT’s Apprentice of the Year Award celebrates the achievements of apprentices who work in the highways and transportation sector, and the organisations that put them at the heart of their business. CIHT represents and qualifies professionals who plan, design, build, manage, maintain and operate transport and infrastructure projects Sammy Shummo, Group Director of Apprenticeships at LSBU said: “Victoria was the one of the first apprentices to complete her Level 4 HNC Civil Engineering apprenticeship at LSBU this year. She has since gone on to study on our Level 6 BEng Civil Engineering Apprenticeship. “For LSBU, winning this award is further proof that the University excels at setting up apprentices for successful future careers.” Victoria Bathe, LSBU’s Civil Engineering apprentice, said: “I’m overjoyed to have won this award. But I couldn’t have won it without the support of the team I work with and backing of the company. They have given me the excellent experience and skills I have today. I’m so excited to be able to go on and develop these in future.” The CIHT awards were presented at the Young Professionals Festival of Learning. View the announcement on CIHT’s Twitter and Linkedin accounts.
Caterpillar® dealer earns a place in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers Finning UK and Ireland has been awarded a national accolade for its outstanding apprenticeship programmes, scooping a place in the government-led Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The UK’s exclusive distributor of Cat® machines and products was ranked 38 in the league table and is one of just a handful of companies from the engineering and construction industries that earned a place on the list. More than 400 organisations from across the country fought for a place in the league table, including large national employers such as HMRC, The British Army, Sainsbury’s, and M&S. The top 100 companies were announced in a live broadcast by the National Apprenticeship Service in October. The accolade was given in recognition of the variety of apprenticeships that Finning offers. The company has an established four-year apprenticeship programme which recruits budding engineers for its equipment solutions and energy & transportation divisions. Diversity is one of the core criteria considered for the ranking. The intake this year includes the highest number of female recruits so far, with four of the eleven new apprentices being women. Finning also partners with training providers across the country to deliver other apprenticeship programmes such as team leading, health and safety, HR, supply chain and business administration, providing existing staff with opportunities to progress within the organisation. “This is a huge achievement for Finning and well-deserved recognition of the work we’ve done to help develop existing staff as well as the next generation of engineers,” explained Marsha Myles, apprenticeship programme manager at Finning. ‘‘This is a first-class scheme for young people,” commented Chloe Harris, in her fourth year of the apprenticeship programme. “Finning offers lots of opportunities both during and after the apprenticeship to develop skills and knowledge. The support in both the workshop and in the academy is outstanding.” The Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2020 can be viewed here. To find out more about the Finning engineering apprenticeship recruitment programme, which will open once again for applications in January 2021, visit https://www.finning.com/.
Skills shortfall: up to 120,000 additional people will be required over the next 5 – 10 years, with demand for skills peaking around 2025 An ageing workforce: over 28% of workers in the current rail workforce are over the age of 50 Failure to attract a diverse workforce: Only 16% of the rail workforce is female and nearly one in four women (24%) would consider a career in rail New research by City & Guilds and the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) paints a stark picture for the future of the rail workforce, with skills shortages set to escalate significantly in the sector over the next five years. With major rail infrastructure projects due to be announced next week as part of the long anticipated National Infrastructure Strategy, the Back on Track report – which includes findings from research undertaken by YouGov[1] and data from NSAR on 242,000 workers in the rail industry – reveals that there is potential for these to create a new lease of life for the UK economy through new jobs and economic growth. However, serious systemic issues in the industry’s talent and skills pipeline, have created a shortage of trained and talented employees, just when the industry needs them most. While the industry has made progress in addressing these issues – which include a short-term approach to skills development, an ageing workforce and a reliance on overseas and ‘third-tier’ workers – greater industry collaboration is needed to fix them in time to meet this additional demand. The research finds that the rail sector is set to lose huge numbers of skilled workers over the next few years. With 28% of workers in the industry aged over 50, this means some 15,000 workers could be due to retire by 2025. Meanwhile, Brexit is set to exacerbate this issue, potentially reducing access to overseas workers. From 2016 to 2018, the proportion of EU workers in the rail sector dropped from 17% to 15% – and this declining trend is expected to continue. As a result of this talent and skills shortfall coinciding with new rail projects that will heighten the demand for skills, between 7,000 and 12,000 additional people will be required every year by the industry over the next five to ten years – up to 120,000 people in total. And with modelling showing peak demand around 2025, people must be recruited now to equip them with the relevant skills and experience to meet future demand. But, as highlighted by in the new report, a lack of upskilling opportunities and perceived reputational problems mean that the industry continues to struggle to attract and train candidates, with just a third (32%) of respondents saying they would consider a career in the rail sector. This is particularly acute amongst women, young adults and people from BAME backgrounds: Just 16% of the current rail workforce is female and only 24% of women would consider a career in rail, compared to 41% of men 26% of 18-24-year olds say they would consider a career in rail, compared to 39% of 35-44-year olds 27% of BAME people would consider working in rail, compared to 32% of white people. Martin Hottass, Managing Director – Technical Training at City & Guilds Group, commented: “The UK rail industry is on the cusp of leading a once-in-a-generation infrastructure revolution, with the potential to create thousands of high quality jobs across the country at a time when they are needed most. However, the dual blow of Brexit and a retirement cliff edge, in addition to systemic issues around growing and retaining skills, means unless Government, employers and industries work together to urgently addresses these issues, they risk scuppering this golden opportunity. It’s clear that greater collaboration will be key to increasing awareness of opportunities in the sector, and ensuring that rail projects are committed to creating lifelong learning opportunities.“ Neil Robertson, CEO at the National Skills Academy for Rail, commented: “The rail industry’s lack of diversity and perception by younger people, are well known, but less well understood – and while many people in the industry are already working to recruit and upskill a more diverse workforce, it’s by shedding a light on these issues that we can understand the solutions that will truly make an impact. Now, as we look to invest in new talent in to fill future skills gaps in the rail industry, it’s also clear that we can use this opportunity improve social mobility across the UK. By hiring people from different backgrounds and regions and providing them with quality skills and career progression, we can ensure that these infrastructure projects not only create jobs, but also promote positive socioeconomic change.” The report found that this disinterest in careers in rail could be largely fuelled by misperception and a lack of awareness and understanding about the wide range of career opportunities and roles in the sector – pointing to a basic need to educate a wider pool of people about the potential jobs available to them. Of those who said that they wouldn’t consider working in the rail industry, 42% said they don’t know enough or anything about careers in the sector, whilst 35% said they don’t have the skills needed to get in the sector. City & Guilds and NSAR are calling on the rail sector and Government to collaborate and take a joined-up approach to urgently gear up the industry’s skills and talent pipelines, before it’s too late. The seven key recommendations outlined in the report are: Build lifelong learning commitments into project specifications for national rail projects – starting with apprenticeships Transform the rail industry into a career destination, especially for young people Develop strong career paths to attract and retain talent and maximise productivity Make mid-career entry to the industry and skills-transfer more frictionless Build greater participation at a local / regional level Government and relevant partners should consider a perception and awareness raising campaign Utilise the Green agenda to attract a new generation of people to the industry The full report is available here.
Plant reliability and asset management specialist AVT Reliability has expanded its training offering in a new partnership with internationally renowned skills provider Mobius Institute. The partnership will enable the AVT Reliability group of companies to deliver on-site, accredited courses in Europe, United States of America and Canada, as well as remote learning courses across the globe, in addition to its long-established UK and Ireland offering. The company has a 40-year track record of providing a wide range of ISO18436 and non-certified training to give plant managers, reliability engineers and condition monitoring staff the sound knowledge-base required to implement a successful reliability improvement programme. In conjunction with Mobius, AVT Reliability will offer Category I to III Vibration Analysis, Certified Level I and II Ultrasound, as well as Asset Reliability Practitioner (ARP) training, with certification through public, on-site and online courses, as well as iLearn self-study programmes. “Our goal is to help people achieve their reliability, performance, and personal goals. We are proud to have our material taught by the practical, skilled, and professional team at AVT Reliability,” said Jason Tranter, CEO and Founder of Mobius Institute. Specialists from across the group, including AVT Sealing Solutions Inc. in the USA, and Netherlands-based asset management specialist Van Geffen, will support the international training provision. “The world-class Mobius Institute materials and certification are a highly valuable addition to the 2021 AVT Reliability training offer and will enable us to share our expertise with our growing international client base. Our comprehensive range of courses in condition based maintenance, engineering best practice and asset management is vital at a time when industry skill sets are declining and it is even more critical to give clients the internal knowledge to tackle and implement reliability focused programmes. The importance of being able to gain knowledge and qualifications remotely can also not be overstated in light of the Covid-19 pandemic,” added AVT Reliability Technical Director, Lee McFarlane.
As Abtec Building Technologies seeks to enhance its service offering to industrial and commercial customers, the award-winning smart buildings provider has announced the appointment of Kieron O’Toole as Head of Industrial IoT. In his new role, Kieron will lead the business unit responsible for the design, implementation and management of IoT and data infrastructure for Industrial and commercial customers – from edge to core to cloud. This will allow Abtec BT to deliver even greater expertise and value in smart buildings and the new wave of smart factories being implemented globally. The Industrial IoT service brings together Abtec’s range of digital services including IT/OT converged data networks; high availability data centres and WAN; cyber security; intelligent lighting, heating and access control; CCTV; presence tracking; and 24/7 infrastructure and energy management. These digital foundations reduce operational cost and risk for customers, but they also form the bedrock of wider Industry 4.0 programmes such as digital twins, supply chain integration, machine learning and AI optimisation, whilst enabling a world of new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors and applications to be deployed. Prior to joining Abtec at the beginning of October, Kieron has worked extensively across the industrial and enterprise ICT environments in systems engineering and businesses improvement roles for organisations such as Polestar Interactive and BT Global Services. He is also a member of Aston University’s Industrial Advisory Board and the Institute of Consulting. Of his appointment, Kieron comments: “It is an exciting time to be joining Abtec Building Technologies. Industrial IoT will play a transformative role in customer experience and production efficiency and will enable new ways of working across the entire supply chain. Using my knowledge and experience, I am looking forward to being part of Abtec leveraging its unique expertise, assets and service wrap in the industrial market to provide our customers a reliable data infrastructure partner.” Dave Watkins, Director of Abtec Building Technologies, commented: “We are delighted that Kieron has joined Abtec in this new role. He has a proven track record in delivering results, and his expertise will add value to our business as we grow our Industrial IoT service offering.” www.abtecbt.com
Midlands-contractor G F Tomlinson has appointed three new technical apprentices as part of its commitment to investing in the next generation of construction workers. The latest recruits to the construction firm’s apprenticeship scheme include Jack Harvey and Joe Langley who both achieved successful GCSE results, and Joshua Worrall who recently passed his A levels – all three joined the technical team this month to kick start their careers in the industry. Derby-based Jack Harvey starts his apprenticeship scheme as a technical apprentice with GCSEs in maths, English, French, science, technology and ICT. His main responsibilities will be performing a range of tasks assigned by line managers, working across a variety of departments to gain a wide breadth of experience, especially in the initial first few months. Technical apprentice, Joe Langley, from Crich achieved GCSEs in maths, English language, English literature and science, and his interest in entering the construction industry led to him completing a BTEC in the Construction and the Built Environment, in which he achieved a Level 2 distinction. He will be focusing on growing his skills across various departments. Nottingham-based Joshua Worrall, joins as a technical apprentice having achieved A levels in business studies, physical education and ICT. His responsibilities will include meeting the needs and requirements of all projects that he is assigned to, to ensure they are completed properly, safely, and to the best price and time scale as possible. G F Tomlinson has 24 professional apprentices currently across the Group and the firm has an ongoing commitment to invest in the future generation of construction workers, all of which participate in fully recognised apprenticeship training schemes. The apprenticeship schemes are open to 16 to 19-year olds, and all apprentices that are offered a place with G F Tomlinson undertake an intensive training programme which consists of working alongside a dedicated mentor and spending a designated period in all parts of the company, before specialising in their selected roles. Applications for apprenticeships start at Christmas time for the following September, and all applicants are advised that the recruitment process then starts in early May with a formal review of all applications. For this September intake, seven applicants attended a COVID-19 secure interview back in June. Associate construction director, Kevin Dodds, said: “Our apprenticeships are all about unlocking potential for young people, helping them into the construction industry and nurturing and developing skills. Training is a core value at G F Tomlinson and we pride ourselves on the programme we offer. There are plenty of roles open to young people in construction, not just on the craft side such as bricklaying and joinery, but also including site management, site engineering, design management, quantity surveying, estimating, and health and safety.” On his new appointment, technical apprentice, Jack Harvey, said: “I am excited and keen to learn, gain experience and build relationships with my colleagues at my new job. I was attracted to the company after completing my work experience last year, meeting all the friendly people on site. I hope to bring even more success to the company and aim to become a site manager at G F Tomlinson in the future.” Technical apprentice, Joe Langley, said: “As part of my work experience programme, I previously spent time in an architect’s practice and this insight made me realise that a career in construction was something that I wanted to pursue. Previous part time job roles that I’ve held have also given me experience in teamwork and communication, which I believe will help me be a good addition to the G F Tomlinson team. I am really looking forward to starting my career and am excited by this opportunity to join a company with an outstanding reputation. I hope to maintain this reputation and see myself in a leading or management role in the future.” Technical apprentice, Joshua Worrall, said: “G F Tomlinson has a very good reputation and is a well-respected company, and the firm is recognised for helping young people succeed in the industry. In my new role, I am excited to get to work in a large, friendly company with a great reputation, meeting lots of new people and being able to prove my worth within the workplace. I am also excited to learn about the trade and how everything works within the industry, as well as being able to do my part. I hope to bring enthusiasm and hope to get stuck into projects to help the company develop as a whole.” Investing in the next generation of construction workers and giving them the skills that they need to enter the industry, is a key value held by G F Tomlinson. The firm values training and investment in young talent, and invests time, money and effort in developing the skills of its staff and apprentices. Commitment to training includes promoting Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and 400 person hours are dedicated per annum, enhancing the overall education level of its local workforce.
Advanced Analytics company Empiricai, is calling on industry to take action in order to prevent further workplace closures and boost the economy. In these uncertain times, an increase in positive cases in the workplace can have a devastating impact on an organisation’s productivity, output and revenue, so granular risk analysis is needed. In an industrial or branch setting, one infection could lead to the closure of a whole shift or even a potential Government fine. In the worst-case scenario, a sharp increase in cases would shut down the entire workplace. Pilgrim Foods, part of JBS S.A., the largest meat processor in the world, has already been forced to close as workplace infections spiked, impacting the company’s output. To reduce the spread of infection across the workplace and avoid closure businesses there are only three proven techniques: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) detection – ensure PPE is worn properly where and when required across the workplace. Real-time social distancing – provide a real-time view of social distancing compliance and violations in the workplace. Occupancy monitoring – actively avoid workplace overcrowding using heat maps to identify areas of concern or high traffic. Empiricai helps businesses monitor COVID safety compliance, reduce risk in real-time and prevent workplace closures with its WorkSafe Analytics solution. Emipiricai’s WorkSafe Analytics leverages Computer Vision AI to enable businesses to ‘see’ and accurately monitor workplace regulation compliance. “Despite best efforts to manually monitor and implement workplace safety guidelines there is still an increased risk of infection. Violations and non-compliance are often missed by the naked eye and manual processes which would regularly be picked up by technology, especially Computer Vision AI,” said Empiricai CEO, Salman Chaudhary. “The only way for businesses to realistically mitigate risk in the workplace and prevent closure is to accurately monitor social distancing, PPE compliance and workplace occupancy. These three variables are key to stopping the spread of infection, especially when workers may be asymptomatic.” WorkSafe Analytics provides site-wide, comprehensive analytics on the above regulations which allow organisations to measure the effectiveness of current guidelines and make evidence-based decisions to increase education and awareness or introduce physical measures. Over time businesses can assess the impact of new measures on the workforce, the reduction of infection risk and ultimately keep the workplace open.