Welsh Slate, part of the Breedon Group and the UK’s leading manufacturer of natural slate, has grown its sales team with the appointment of a specification sales manager for the South Wales and South-West region. John Steadman brings more than 25 years of natural slate sales experience to the position
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have stated that the Chancellor of the exchequer is right to make the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible, in a bid to ensure it works for strategic industries such as the construction sector. That being said, they aren’t convinced his reforms have gone far enough.
Firstly, if you’ve got to the stage where you are thinking about making the first hire for your company, a huge congratulations is in order. After all, we don’t need to remind you about all of the damning statistics that do the rounds about new companies, and how many of
Housebuilder Story Homes has welcomed seven apprentices as part of its ongoing commitment to investing in and developing young talent, with this year’s cohort including the developer’s first female bricklaying apprentice. The new bricklaying, joinery and technical apprentices will work across Story Homes’ key regions of Cumbria and Scotland, the
To launch a series of Construction Careers Weeks taking place in Manchester, Birmingham and London this September and October, the winner of a national competition to design a campaign to encourage young people to consider a career in construction, as well as diversify the sector, has been announced. Built Environment
Leading utilities and construction training specialist Develop Training Limited (DTL) has welcomed a business development specialist with extensive experience in apprenticeships and further education onto its team. Appointed as Business Development Manager based at DTL’s Derby training centre, one of seven that the company operates across England, Scotland and Northern
Polypipe, the UK’s leading manufacturer of underfloor heating systems, has officially launched a £250,000 training facility to inspire the next generation of budding heating professionals. The Doncaster-based firm held the official opening of the state-of-the-art Polypipe Professional Development Centre (PDC) at Kirk Sandall in the town on Tuesday, September 25.
Although flyers are a communication tool that exist for some time, even today they are still being successful thanks to their ease of use and the advantages and benefits they offer to a company. Successful flyers only need one thing to work: an attractive design. When it comes to publicizing
A Midlands-based property group has made two strategic appointments as it plans for significant growth. The Deeley Group, which is based at the Coventry Business Park, has drafted in Anthony Holt as the company’s new Group Development Director and Jane Fradgley as Senior Development Manager. It marks a step-change in
Arvill Plant and Tool Hire, the Airdrie-based family firm which has been servicing building and engineering companies large and small across Scotland since 1985, has taken on two young local men as apprentice mechanics. Euan Wilson, 16 from Greengairs and Andrew Peden, 17, from Plains, both Airdrie, have secured apprentice
Welsh Slate, part of the Breedon Group and the UK’s leading manufacturer of natural slate, has grown its sales team with the appointment of a specification sales manager for the South Wales and South-West region. John Steadman brings more than 25 years of natural slate sales experience to the position after periods in regional and national sales with both UK and European manufacturers, some of which also involved manufactured building products/tiles. John considers he has reached the pinnacle in natural slate specification with Welsh Slate which is headquartered at its main Penrhyn Quarry near Bangor in North Wales. “I have been in natural slate sales for a long time and it’s great to have joined Welsh Slate who produce the best natural slate in the world,” he said. “I don’t think many people could argue that it’s not top of the range material. So I feel very positive, especially joining the company under the new Breedon Group ownership.” An avid Arsenal supporter and a six-times grandfather, John also joins the Welsh Slate sales team following the appointment earlier this year of former operations director Mark Hodgkinson as managing director.
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have stated that the Chancellor of the exchequer is right to make the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible, in a bid to ensure it works for strategic industries such as the construction sector. That being said, they aren’t convinced his reforms have gone far enough. “The Chancellor has, in part, listened to the concerns of businesses by making the Apprenticeship Levy more flexible. However, he needs to go much further,” said Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, and former Head of Uk Public Policy for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as a response to the Chancellor’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference. As it stands 10% of Levy vouchers can currently be passed down through the supply chain from larger firms to smaller ones, but now Chancellor Philip Hammond, has stated that figure should instead be 25%. “This is important, in construction its the small firms that do the bulk of the training while the large firms don’t tend to directly employ or train tradespeople. Since the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced last year, apprenticeships stats have fallen in the construction trades by more than 10%,” added Brian Berry. Given that the construction industry is already suffering from an acute shortage of skills, Brian Berry called this, “very worrying indeed.” He went on to say: “If the Chancellor is serious about ensuing the Levy has the desired effect, and increases meaningful training across all sectors, it should go further and make 100% of the vouchers transferable from large to small companies.” The FMB is non-profit making and independent, it works as a lobbying for members’ interests at both a local and national level. It stands as a source of knowledge, support and advice for members, while offering a range of modern and innovative building services to help members succeed and achieve. Committed to continuously keeping quality high and forever raising the bar on standards, they even offer a free service to consumers titled: “Find a builder.” Operating by constantly lobbying the Government to boost output and raise standards of both safety and professionalism in conduct at all levels, the FMB strive for a fair, safe and well structured construction sector at all times. The FMB is the largest trade association in the United Kingdom construction industry, and represents thousand of firms across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Established in 1941, the aim of the FMB is to protect the interest of both medium and small sized construction firms.
Firstly, if you’ve got to the stage where you are thinking about making the first hire for your company, a huge congratulations is in order. After all, we don’t need to remind you about all of the damning statistics that do the rounds about new companies, and how many of them fail during the first years of operation. However, when it comes to that first hire, you might need to talk yourself round to the idea. This is the point in your company’s life where suddenly, you are responsible for someone else. The success of your business, or lack of it for that matter, could have a monumental effect on someone else. This is probably the reason so many myths about the early recruitment process are doing the rounds. Following on from the above, let’s now address some of these misconceptions and highlight the real truths about making that elusive first hire. Myth #1 – You’re not ready for your first hire This is something that a lot of young companies tell themselves; they fool themselves into thinking that they are just not ready for a first hire. Of course, there are times where this isn’t the case, and this is something that we will look at shortly. However, you need to remind yourself that there is only so far you can go with the DIY approach. Your time is limited; you might work as many hours as physically possible, but this is capped. As soon as you hire someone, your output can be doubled. It’s this impact what you really need to think about; you need to assess just how much more value someone else will bring, not about the salary that you are now going to have to pay out. Myth #2 – You are ready for your first hire To play devil’s advocate, some businesses are the opposite as above. They think that they are ready for their first hire on day one and unless they have huge budgets, this is seldom reality. Unfortunately, not all businesses are a success. You need to realize that there is a time to make a hire and if you still don’t have a steady stream of paying customers, taking on someone too early is a risky strategy. Myth #3 – You have to start with permanent employees Following on from the previous two points, there is a midpoint. We are now in the gig economy age; meaning that temporary work is more fashionable than ever before. A quick look at immediate start jobs London from Staff Heroes shows just how developed this market is, and there’s nothing stopping you from tapping into it. A lot of skilled workers are looking for temporary work, for personal circumstances, and by opting for this route you don’t have to commit to a full-time salary. To suggest that your first employee should be a permanent member of staff is ridiculous. Myth #4 – You have to pay top dollar for the best employees Does money play a part in the recruitment process? Of course, it does. Fortunately, there are other ways that you can play the recruitment game to your advantage. Being a young start-up, you need to prove your worth somehow, and offering the likes of flexi-time and smaller benefits can make you attractive for some people. Whether or not you will get the best in the business is another matter, but if you can show you will treat people well you might be surprised at the number of candidates who turn to your role.
Housebuilder Story Homes has welcomed seven apprentices as part of its ongoing commitment to investing in and developing young talent, with this year’s cohort including the developer’s first female bricklaying apprentice. The new bricklaying, joinery and technical apprentices will work across Story Homes’ key regions of Cumbria and Scotland, the North West and the North East. The new recruits were selected at an apprentice assessment centre earlier this year, beating tough competition from a number of high quality applicants. The recruitment of Chloe Bland, 22, is an important step for Story Homes in encouraging more females to apply for roles on its construction sites. Chloe, who has completed her Level 1 qualification in Bricklaying, commented: “Bricklaying runs in my family so I have wanted to follow this career path for as long as I can remember. I studied Health and Social Care at college and I considered professions such as hairdressing, but I just couldn’t imagine working long-term in a role that didn’t involve being hands-on out on site. “I find the concept of a bare plot of land being transformed into a beautiful home absolutely fascinating and I take a real sense of pride in being part of that journey. In future I hope I can progress my career with Story Homes, with the ultimate ambition of becoming a trainee site manager and even a site manager one day.” Story Homes’ apprenticeship scheme forms a key part of its strategy to ensure it can achieve its future plans, as well as making a contribution towards closing the growing skills gap in the housebuilding industry. The developer’s Aspire Apprenticeship Scheme, which launched in 2016, aims to recruit the brightest and most passionate school and college leavers from 16 years and upwards. Apprentices undertake a full development programme which includes working towards an NVQ Level 2 or Level 3, on-the-job training and the potential to move into trainee site management at the end of the programme. Before beginning their roles on-site and in the office, the apprentices completed a five-day residential team building and induction programme, aimed at building their confidence and problem-solving skills from the outset. Fred Story, chairman and CEO of Story Homes, said: “Our apprenticeship scheme has proved successful over the years, with a number of people recruited now in more senior roles. Bringing future talent into the business is very important to us so I am pleased to welcome our seven new apprentices. I look forward to seeing them working with their teams, developing their skills and contributing to our mission to design and build quality homes that people aspire to live in.”
To launch a series of Construction Careers Weeks taking place in Manchester, Birmingham and London this September and October, the winner of a national competition to design a campaign to encourage young people to consider a career in construction, as well as diversify the sector, has been announced. Built Environment Skills in Schools (BESS) – the organisation behind Construction Careers Week – teamed up with One Minute Briefs, a user-generated social media content community that challenges people to create an advertising concept in only one minute in response to a one sentence brief. In total, over 80 designs were submitted in 24 hours to BESS’ challenge to: “Create posters to inspire the next generation of construction workers to address the skills shortage and make the sector more diverse for #ConstructionCareersWeek.” The campaign generated 1,800 social media engagements and reached over 41,000 people online. The entries were whittled down to a shortlist of 13 and the winner – Yellow is the New Black, by David Felton was chosen as the winner by BESS. Kathryn Lennon Johnson, founder of BESS, said: “We were so impressed by the creativity that came from all the entries to our One Minute Brief challenge, and it was difficult to choose just one winner. The skills shortage in the construction industry is a major issues – and something we need as many people as possible to be aware of. Collaborating with One Minute Briefs gave us the opportunity to not only generate some amazing ads, but it also gave us a platform to communicate to people across the UK what we’re trying to achieve with Construction Careers Week. “We’ll show the designs to the students we meet during Construction Careers Weeks in Manchester, Birmingham and London to start conversations and challenge their perceptions of what a career is like in the sector.” Manchester Construction Careers Week starts 24 September, focusing on diversity and gender, with the Inspire Summit at the Bridgewater Hall on 25 September a key date. In Birmingham, the careers week starts 8 October, focusing on the future of construction and tech, with a number of activities taking place at UK Construction Week at the NEC Wednesday 10 October. Finally, London Construction Careers Week will take place from 15 October and focus on past, present and future. Additional activities will take place at London Build Thursday 25 October. For more information, visit the BESS website.
Leading utilities and construction training specialist Develop Training Limited (DTL) has welcomed a business development specialist with extensive experience in apprenticeships and further education onto its team. Appointed as Business Development Manager based at DTL’s Derby training centre, one of seven that the company operates across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, is James Evans from Leicester. In his new role, James will be responsible for managing key accounts, including major utility and construction companies, performing skills analysis, matching DTL’s training courses to customer needs, promoting apprenticeships and offering bespoke courses. “I am excited to be joining DTL and eager to make an impact straight away, giving my accounts a thorough analysis of their training needs. I’m looking forward to learning new skills and sectors at the same time as being able to bring both DTL and the companies we work with my knowledge of training and apprenticeships,” commented James on his new appointment. Before joining DTL, James spent nine years as business development manager at an FE college where he was responsible for the quality and delivery of various sectors, managing a team of assessors as well as marketing apprenticeships across a range of sectors. Prior to that, he was an trainer assessor with a private training provider. Married with three children, James coached his son’s junior football club and is a Leicester fan. He also enjoys running and outdoor activities with his family. DTL is the UK’s leading accredited provider of compliance, technical, and safety training, supporting thousands of firms with their needs. Clients include some of the UK’s largest and best-known organisations from the utilities and construction to the defence, healthcare, facilities management and telecommunications sectors. Training programmes cover water and environmental, gas and energy, safety, electrical and mechanical, apprenticeships and management development delivered at DTL’s seven dedicated training centres in Linlithgow near Edinburgh, Romford, York, Derby, Bolton, Swindon and Lisburn near Belfast, or onsite at clients’ premises. DTL also provides bespoke and consultancy services, tailoring training programmes and initiatives to the requirements of individual clients.
Polypipe, the UK’s leading manufacturer of underfloor heating systems, has officially launched a £250,000 training facility to inspire the next generation of budding heating professionals. The Doncaster-based firm held the official opening of the state-of-the-art Polypipe Professional Development Centre (PDC) at Kirk Sandall in the town on Tuesday, September 25. The facility features specially-designed training spaces to give trainee and experienced plumbing professionals the opportunity to improve their practical skills. It is set to become one of the UK’s leading training centres for professional heating engineers, installers, plumbers and merchants. The courses on offer at the PDC include BPEC-accredited courses on installing warm water underfloor heating, apprenticeship training and guides to domestic ventilation product installation. The PDC will also now be home to the technical design team and the new underfloor heating senior management team. Rachel Smith, Polypipe Underfloor Heating general manager, said: “We are naturally delighted to fully open this wonderful facility. We want to further strengthen our position as the market leader for underfloor heating solutions and a key part of that is the level of service and support we offer to our trade customers. Offering accredited training and development for heating professionals is a key part of that support. “The new PDC will also help us tackle the skills gap head on by working with schools and colleges to help train the plumbers of the future. It will also ensure that Polypipe continues to serve the local and national workforce by developing new talent. We hope that the centre will demonstrate just how much training plays a fundamental role in our business model for many years to come.” Dignitaries who attended the opening ceremony included Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dan Fell and Cllr Bill Mordue, Doncaster Council cabinet member for business, skills and economic development. Mr Fell said: “It was a pleasure to be at the opening of the Professional Development Centre with Mayor Ros Jones. A great facility that demonstrates Polypipe’s massive commitment to training and people.” Tracy Richardson, president of Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), presented a plaque to commemorate the centre being granted CIPHE-accredited status. Polypipe has a strong focus on investment in professional training and development, having relaunched its Registered Heating Engineer Network (RHEN) earlier this year, which provides heating engineers and plumbers with free access to training courses and events, and helps small firms generate new business. Rachel added: “Our partnership with heating engineers, is founded on the skills, expertise and professionalism within the plumbing and heating sector and we want to support that in the best way possible. “By making the RHEN free to join we want to open our training courses and aftercare business support to a wider demographic of professionals, helping them to achieve their business goals in 2018 by offering new services to their customers.”
Although flyers are a communication tool that exist for some time, even today they are still being successful thanks to their ease of use and the advantages and benefits they offer to a company. Successful flyers only need one thing to work: an attractive design. When it comes to publicizing your business or building project, you have to use advertising methods to reach a wider audience. Flyers are a great and relatively cheap tool. Creating an attractive flyer is not always easy, but luckily there are a number of keys you can take into account to make a successful design. A design that, with a single glance, shows the user what you want to transmit. And wakes the curiosity of the client, who then wants to learn more about your company or project. Communicate one message on the flyer Before you start to design your flyer it is important to have a clear idea of the message you want to communicate. Do you want to invite people to the opening of a new building? Do you want them to come to the presentation of a new building project? Or do you have another special occasion you would like to invite them to? Make sure the purpose of your flyer is directly clear and you have a simple message to communicate. The same as when writing or reading a headline for the newspaper, basic questions should be directly answered like, what, why and when. This way, when your audience takes one glance at the flyer, they know directly what you have to offer. How to design an attractive flyer When you start with the design for the flyer you should first choose the measures of it. It doesn´t matter if you want a horizontal or vertical design, just look at what fits your needs. Since hopefully a lot of people will see your flyer, it´s important to choose the right size that suits your message and company. Once you know what shape your flyer will get and you have your message clear, you can start with the design. Don´t overload the flyer with too much information, so the main message isn´t clear any more. The title, in combination with the photo or image you are going to use, can be considered the protagonist in your creation. The title needs to be an attractive phase and the image should be of enough quality that is stays sharp after printing. The colours you use can be seen as a binding method to create a perfect harmony on the flyer between all the elements. And of course, don´t forget to put the specific date on the flyer so people know when the event is happening. Also contact details are essential for people who would like to receive more information. Spend some time on a great design for the flyer and it will tip the balance in your favour in your marketing campaign to communicate your message in an attractive way to a wide target group!
A Midlands-based property group has made two strategic appointments as it plans for significant growth. The Deeley Group, which is based at the Coventry Business Park, has drafted in Anthony Holt as the company’s new Group Development Director and Jane Fradgley as Senior Development Manager. It marks a step-change in the company’s ambitions to grow its Construction, Homes, Development and Investment divisions as well as introducing a new Affordable Living division where it works in partnership with social housing companies. Peter Deeley, Managing Director of the Deeley Group, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Anthony Holt and Jane Fradgley to the Group as two very senior appointments. It’s part of our plan to grow the Group over the coming years. “The Deeley Group has a very strong reputation across the region as a company that people want to do business with and wants to work in partnership with because of our integrity and agility in delivering projects that bring lasting benefits to their communities. “Our aim, now, is to build on that and invest in our future growth. “Our individual divisions will work even closer together on projects, which will enhance how we operate as a company on developments of all sizes and all types as well as bringing added value to the work we do. “We believe there is a fantastic opportunity for the business to grow even further and that these are exciting times for our region.” Anthony has more than 25 years of experience in the property industry in the Midlands taking in land purchase, the planning process, development, sales and leading multi-disciplined teams. He said: “I am delighted to join the Deeley Group at such an exciting time for the business. I have been involved with sourcing, obtaining planning and developing out residential development and mixed use opportunities in the Midlands for over 25 years. “I worked at Crosby Homes, part of the Berkeley Group, when they first ventured into city centre living in the Midlands, developing out schemes including Symphony Court in Birmingham. “I went on to work with other housing developers in the retirement and open market sectors. Latterly, I was the Regional Development Director for Orbit Homes in the Midlands, overseeing land, build and sales for the region. “I believe that experience can help support the growth ambitions of the Deeley Group.” Jane has joined from Orbit Homes and has 20 years of experience in property. She said: “This is a great time to join the company as it looks to grow at a fast pace. “I started working with a housing association on the management side but quickly moved into housing development where I have stayed, and have since gained an MBA which I studied for while working full time. “To date, I have worked mainly for housing associations, both local and national, although I also worked for a consultancy firm for a period, which involved many major plc developers. “Throughout my career, I’ve delivered various complex schemes that have required working with a range of parties to help bring developments forward and I believe that will help me in this exciting new role.”
Arvill Plant and Tool Hire, the Airdrie-based family firm which has been servicing building and engineering companies large and small across Scotland since 1985, has taken on two young local men as apprentice mechanics. Euan Wilson, 16 from Greengairs and Andrew Peden, 17, from Plains, both Airdrie, have secured apprentice mechanic roles with one of Scotland’s most successful and forward-looking plant and tool hire companies. Amy Monaghan, Administrative Director at Arvill, said: “We are looking to expand our business and hiring apprentices like Euan and Andrew assists that process. By developing their enthusiasm and hard work into highly-regarded skills we secure both their careers and our company’s future success.” Both apprentices left school this summer; Euan approached Arvill through his father, Andrew, who is one of the company’s customers. Having developed his interest in mechanics and motorbikes doing casual work for a local garage, he is now putting those skills to good use in the Arvill workshops. Andrew, the youngest of six siblings, wanted to learn more about the operation of large plant and had been doing volunteer work with a local waste management company. He approached Arvill directly and has been supplementing his operating experience with training in Health and Safety procedures taught by the company. Amy said: “Good apprentices are hard to find, and I’m very impressed with the eagerness to learn both Euan and Andrew are showing. Unlike most teenagers, Andrew was eager to start work earlier than our opening time of 8.00 am.” “Both young men are hard-working, enthusiastic, and diligent. I can see them having a long and successful career within our growing Arvill family. They’ll finish their training programme with qualifications, experience and a good job ahead of them.” Euan and Andrew are participants in a Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) programme and are undergoing a 3-year Modern Apprenticeship course with three 6-week attachments to the National Construction College in Glasgow, with the first due to get under way in October. For further information, contact Hayley Shevill, Arvill Plant & Tool Hire, 48-60 Flowerhill Street, Flowerhill Industrial Estate, Airdrie ML6 6BH. T: 01236 760070. M: 01236 760070. E: hayley.shevill@arvill.co.uk. W: www.arvillplantandtoolhire.co.uk
