Construction and utilities specialist Develop Training Ltd (DTL) is opening the doors of its Midlands and Scotland based centres throughout July to promote skills in the energy sector. The company, which is a strong advocate for greater investment in training and apprenticeships by industry and the government, is running three
With little under a month to go until the highly-anticipated 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations come into force, Bureau Veritas is calling on duty holders to step up efforts aimed at reducing the safety risk posed by poor electrics. Due to be published in July, BS 7671 –
Abbiegail Hill has been appointed by Voestalpine Metsec plc as part of the company’s commitment to bridging the skills gap and encouraging women to consider engineering and manufacturing roles. The scheme offers a fast-track approach and requires the apprentice to attend college four days a week with the remaining day
Kier, together with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), will be launching a new education initiative in Wales, which will create effective links between local schools and the Kier supply chain. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to inspire the next generation of talent to consider a career within
Leading independent construction, property and management consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall UK (RLB UK), has announced today the appointment of two new senior appointments further bolstering its Facilities Management (FM) Consultancy offer. Dr Rachel Dick, has been appointed as Associate Facilities Management consultant and joins RLB in London from the RICS
Manchester based Nikal Group has welcomed Darren Jones, previously Managing Director of Himor Group and Director of Economic Development at Oldham Council, as Development Director. “We are delighted that Darren has joined us. He brings to the team 30 years’ of private and public sector experience in regeneration, development and
PSI stands for Personal Style Indicator, a personality assessment based on Carl Jung’s personality theory. It can be used as a learning and communication tool, for individual purposes, but also for organizational purposes. This assessment helps people understand their dominant personality, as well as their preferences towards work tasks, situations
For the first time, UK construction workers seeking to obtain the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Labourer card will now be able to complete a course online. Operated by COSAC, the work-focussed training academy based in Runcorn, Safe2Site is the first online course approved by CSCS as a route to
The Mayor of Huntingdon, Cllr Jay Dyne, was on hand last month to officially open the new Forklift Truck Training Centre at Cambridge Regional College’s Huntingdon Campus, designed to be used by apprentices, local companies and jobseekers. A welcome addition to the Huntingdon Campus range of facilities, the training centre
Buildings to be made but not enough workers to build them: this is apparently the scene recently set by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in a report which states that the UK construction industry must find at least 157,000 new recruits by 2021 in order to keep up with
Construction and utilities specialist Develop Training Ltd (DTL) is opening the doors of its Midlands and Scotland based centres throughout July to promote skills in the energy sector. The company, which is a strong advocate for greater investment in training and apprenticeships by industry and the government, is running three open days in Derby and Linlithgow near Edinburgh. The free-to-attend events are designed for organisations with an interest in training for gas, mechanical and electrical engineering, smart metering, mechanical and electrical engineering training. Open day visitors will be given a tour of the company’s top-of-the-range facilities in Derby and Linlithgow with live demonstrations of the company’s control rig, medium pressure apparatus and smart metering equipment. Visitors will also have the opportunity to give their views on the content of DTL’s extensive range of training courses in gas/energy. There has been strong interest in the events already from DTL’s customers, who include household names in the utilities and construction sector, with spaces filling up quickly. Further details with information on how to book can be found here. www.developtraining.co.uk About Develop Training Develop Training Limited (DTL) is the UK’s leading accredited provider of compliance, technical, and safety training, supporting thousands of firms with their training 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. www.developtraining.co.uk
With little under a month to go until the highly-anticipated 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations come into force, Bureau Veritas is calling on duty holders to step up efforts aimed at reducing the safety risk posed by poor electrics. Due to be published in July, BS 7671 – IET Wiring Regulations 18th edition will apply to all new and rewired installations designed after January 2019. The legislation is set to include a number of significant changes in relation to protection against fire, protection against overvoltages and clarity on special location installations, in a bid to optimise safety in domestic, industrial and commercial locations. The more stringent standards will look to address the risks presented by faulty electrical installations and wiring systems, after estimates show that electricity is the leading cause of over 20,000 accidental fires in the UK each year1. In the run up to implementation, global certification firm Bureau Veritas is urging all duty holders to review their existing electrical safety standards and intensify their ‘safety first’ approach to compliance. Nathan Cliff, electrical principal engineer for electrical systems at Bureau Veritas, said: “With poor electrical installations still responsible for five accidents in the UK every single day, it’s no surprise the 18th Edition will force us as an industry to place a greater emphasis on the protection of people. “For duty holders, our advice is clear – do not wait until the regulations take hold to take action. Instead, start by reviewing existing electrical safety protocols to ensure they take a ‘safety first’ approach to protecting employees, students and residents so that best practice is achieved every step of the way.” According to Bureau Veritas, one important aspect for duty holders to consider is that the 18th edition puts a greater onus on a risk assessment when it comes to protection against transient overvoltage (e.g. lightning) required for buildings to protect against the risk of fires and loss of supply. In addition, protection must be provided for high risk and sensitive locations, such as medical locations, heritage buildings, banks, IT centres etc. Nathan adds: “For many, these new regulations will no doubt be hard to decipher and put into practice. However, it’s literally a matter of life and death for duty holders to get to grips with these reforms as soon as they can as achieving compliance now ahead of the January 2019 deadline will, ultimately, help to save lives.” To find out more about Bureau Veritas please call 0345 600 1828 or email info@uk.bureauveritas.com. Alternatively, please visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk
Abbiegail Hill has been appointed by Voestalpine Metsec plc as part of the company’s commitment to bridging the skills gap and encouraging women to consider engineering and manufacturing roles. The scheme offers a fast-track approach and requires the apprentice to attend college four days a week with the remaining day spent on the job for the first six months of the course. “We recognise the importance of diversity in the construction industry and therefore it is important that UK engineering, construction and manufacturing companies seek female talent going forward and ensure the next generation is fully aware of the exciting opportunities available,” said Stephen Giles, environmental, safety and training manager at Metsec. “Metsec is taking proactive steps to bring more women into the industry and we regularly attend local schools to initiate interest and discuss the options surrounding our work experience placements.” Abbiegail Hill has been employed within the structural design department and will spend all of her course in full-time employment as an apprentice. This approach provides students with the relevant technical knowledge to excel when working on site and to achieve the NVQ Level 3 qualification more quickly in comparison to other schemes. At the end of her six months, Metsec will then recruit another student, while allowing the apprentice to move into a full time position. “Apprenticeships are a key part of Metsec’s culture as they bring fresh ideas and ensure we’re a strong competitive force in the market, and we welcome Abbiegail to the team. She is now one of three apprentices working towards a career in our structural design department, with each student having their own specialism at the end of their course,” said Stephen. This award winning scheme has seen more than 100 engineering apprentices join Metsec over the last two decades. Metsec apprentices have the opportunity to experience every aspect of the business and have access to the latest technology in the company’s state-of-the-art facility.
Kier, together with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), will be launching a new education initiative in Wales, which will create effective links between local schools and the Kier supply chain. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to inspire the next generation of talent to consider a career within the built environment. The Educational Engagement Programme will be launched at a special event on the 4th of June, taking place at Technium 2, The University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Schools, alternative curriculum providers and local employers from the industry will have the opportunity to come together and create links and external partnerships in order to better promote the diverse range of future career opportunities for young people. Moreover, those attending will learn about the purpose of the programme and how it can add value to their priorities as a school or business. Speakers at the event include Emma Banfield and Paul Evans from the Welsh Government initiative Inspiring Skills Wales, who will present on their partnership with Kier and how they can add value to the programme through the provision of innovative toolkits and construction-based competitions available to schools. “This programme is absolutely pivotal for the construction industry to deliver the extensive pipeline of work in Wales. This initiative will offer a truly unique approach with the development of a construction education tool that will help breakdown perceptions and showcase the wealth of job opportunities available within the built environment. Our industry has so much to offer and I am looking forward to the roll-out and reception to this inspiring initiative,” said Jason Taylor, Kier Construction Western and Wales, operations director. Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and Careers Wales are the partners of the programme, both of them attending the launch event. The three-year initiative was funded by the CITBH and managed by Kier, as it aims to transform the perception of careers in the built environment, bridging the future skills gap.
Leading independent construction, property and management consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall UK (RLB UK), has announced today the appointment of two new senior appointments further bolstering its Facilities Management (FM) Consultancy offer. Dr Rachel Dick, has been appointed as Associate Facilities Management consultant and joins RLB in London from the RICS where she was Senior Consultant, Data Services. Karl Redmond, also joins as Associate Facilities Management consultant and will be based at RLB in Manchester. Karl is a specialist in smart asset management and was most recently with the architectural and planning consultancy, Enable By Design. Chris Jeffers, Head of FM Consultancy and Partner at RLB, said: “I am delighted to welcome Rachel and Karl to RLB. Their combined knowledge and experience of digital construction and data services across the sectors will bring an extra dimension to our growing team. “Rachel and Karl are joining RLB at a very exciting time. Over the last twelve months we have continued to invest in our FM Consultancy service offering to provide the best solutions to clients. Earlier this year we were also joined by public sector specialist, Indu Wijayatunga, and the team has grown the service line significantly, particularly within the Healthcare, Defence and Education sectors.” Rachel has previously worked for a number of FM organisations including Mace Macro, GB Partnerships, EC Harris LLP and IBM Global Business Services. She has been a Fellow of the RICS since 2013. Karl has been a Fellow of the Leeds Sustainability Institute since 2013 and is a member of BIM4HEALTH. In addition to his consultancy positions he has held a number of senior roles within the Leeds Sustainability Institute, Anglo Irish Bank and HBoS.
Manchester based Nikal Group has welcomed Darren Jones, previously Managing Director of Himor Group and Director of Economic Development at Oldham Council, as Development Director. “We are delighted that Darren has joined us. He brings to the team 30 years’ of private and public sector experience in regeneration, development and management. He will provide strategic advice, help deliver complex brownfield projects where we work in partnership with landowners, Local Planning Authorities and community groups across the UK and help us focus on expanding the activities of our home builder brand, Hillcrest Homes,” said Nick Payne, Nikal co-founder and Managing Director. Darren Jones managed a number of public and private joint ventures, capital programmes, residential developments, asset, FM, marketing and sales functions, as part of his role within Oldham Council. He also implemented and delivered the Town’s strategic investment framework, its regeneration strategy and major placemaking projects, including the award winning Old Town Hall and The Independent Quarter. Moreover, Jones ran his own development company, called Reflect Developments, for five years and spent 18 successful years at Orbit Developments. Talking about his new role, Jones said: “I have known Nick for 35 years and greatly admired the achievements of the Nikal Group so was delighted when he asked me to come on board. I look forward to working closely with Nick and the Nikal and Hillcrest Homes teams to deliver some fantastic new projects.” The Nikal Group is a dynamic and progressive force within the property industry that specialises in both the imaginative redevelopment and regeneration of strategic sites across the UK, such as Masshouse in Birmingham and Altair in Altrincham. Within the group is leading luxury homebuilder Hillcrest Homes which recently expanded into the Ribble Valley with a development of 30 new homes in Hurst Green, near Whalley.
PSI stands for Personal Style Indicator, a personality assessment based on Carl Jung’s personality theory. It can be used as a learning and communication tool, for individual purposes, but also for organizational purposes. This assessment helps people understand their dominant personality, as well as their preferences towards work tasks, situations and people. It is a great self-discovery tool that helps people learn their strengths and weaknesses, so that they can be more efficient in achieving their personal and professional goals. Who can benefit from the PSI? A self-discovery journey is valuable for any individual, as the lessons that you learn from this assessment can assist you in both your personal and your professional life. However, few individuals are aware of the benefits of this personality test, so the PSI is mainly used by schools, organizations and psychologists. The people who are more likely to come in contact with this personality tool are employees and potential employees, students, business partners, families, and leaders/managers. Main uses of the PSI As we mentioned this tool is mostly used in organizations, mostly for professional purposes. It is mainly used by trainers, supervisors, HR consultants and carrier guidance counselors. It can be used in numerous work-related situations. For example, it can be a part of a hiring process, as a way to clarify careers, as a tool for building team spirit or as a training instrument for improving leadership and communication skills. In personal contexts, it is mainly used to enhance communication between partners. This tool can be the main instrument for a leadership development program, as a diagnostic tool for career planning, as an ice-breaker for personal counseling or even as an instrument for improving group dynamics. How it works While there are several personality tools based on Carl Jung’s theory, we advise you to opt for the HRDQ’s Personal Style Inventory, as it is the most efficient personality assessment tool. The HRDQ tool is also very easy to use. The assessment can be taken online, or it can be printed. It contains a series of 32 statements that individuals must complete according to their preferences. The statements are meant to interpret personality styles based on 4 major dimensions: extroversion or introversion, sensing or intuition,thinking or feeling and perceiving or judging. The results will consist in a personality profile, defined by the abbreviation of four letters which symbolize each dimension. The test only takes 15 minutes to complete, after which the assessment facilitator will interpret the results of the profile with the test participants. The test can be used with one individual at a time, or it can be used as part of a team exercise. It can also be a part of a longer training program. Real benefits of the PSI We already established that the PSI can be used in numerous situations, but to know how your organization can benefit from it, you must understand the clear learning outcomes that you can expect after the assessment. Identify the dominant personality style of any individual – this helps individuals understand themselves better, and it also helps superiors understand their teams better. Understand the 16 different personality styles – understanding yourself is important, but to improve relationships with the people around you, it is essential to understand the different personalities that people have. Learn the main traits, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each style – a great skill for recognizing different personalities, and for knowing the right way to interact with each style. Learn how different personality styles interact with one another – an ideal skill for putting together the perfect teams Learn what tasks are best suited for each personality – ideal for improving work performance Make a plan to improve work performance and group dynamics As you can see, the personally style indicator helps people understand themselves better, and it equips them with the right tools and knowledge to efficiently grow and improve their performance.
For the first time, UK construction workers seeking to obtain the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Labourer card will now be able to complete a course online. Operated by COSAC, the work-focussed training academy based in Runcorn, Safe2Site is the first online course approved by CSCS as a route to the Labourer Card. The Labourer card was introduced to help site managers verify that people working in Labouring occupations have achieved the RQF Level 1 (Level 4 in Scotland) Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment, or an approved alternative course, such as Safe2Site. In a move that aims to revolutionise the way that construction health and safety courses are delivered, those seeking the CSCS Labourer card will be able to take the Safe2Site course at a place and time that suits them – using a computer or laptop. CSCS cards provide proof that individuals working on construction sites have the required training and qualifications for the type of work they carry out. By ensuring workers hold the appropriate qualifications and training, the CSCS card plays its part in improving standards and safety of UK construction sites. Although not a legislative requirement, most contractors and major house builders require construction workers to hold a valid CSCS card before permitting them on their site. Last year alone, there were approximately 140,000 green Labourer cards issued. Andy Mason, managing director of COSAC, said: “We’re delighted to be able to offer this new, more convenient method of gaining the CSCS Labourer card. “One of the main challenges currently being faced in the construction industry is getting workers qualified to the required standards for their occupation. However, our Safe2Site course allows Labourers to study in short, interactive bursts which maximises knowledge retention and helps them get the necessary skills to obtain the CSCS Labourer card. “In addition, this new initiative will also deliver many benefits for the wider company that the individuals work for, saving both time and money as staff will have less time off-site. “In line with Theresa May’s bid to prioritise house building in the UK, the need for fully trained construction workers has never been more pertinent. We are committed to providing new, innovative and convenient training options to help even more workers get the safety training they need.” Using the power of remote invigilation technology, the online course allows a course supervisor the ability to monitor candidates as they take part in the exam using audio, video and remote screen share tools. CSCS scheme manager, Angeleen Hill, added: “Ensuring the integrity of the examination process is absolutely paramount to CSCS and we work closely with our partners in the industry to tackle fraudulent behaviour “I am pleased to confirm that Safe2Site is the first course to adhere to CSCS’s strict e-assessment policy. COSAC has demonstrated that learners can sit their exam online while being monitored in real-time by TestReach supervisors, who fully maintain the security of the exam process. This is the first time a course has met all the Regulatory Principles contained within CSCS’s e-assessment policy.” COSAC delivers courses in a range of specialities, including one to five-day classroom programmes and online self-study courses for the construction, retail and utilities industries. Find out more about COSAC at www.cosac.co.uk
The Mayor of Huntingdon, Cllr Jay Dyne, was on hand last month to officially open the new Forklift Truck Training Centre at Cambridge Regional College’s Huntingdon Campus, designed to be used by apprentices, local companies and jobseekers. A welcome addition to the Huntingdon Campus range of facilities, the training centre will allow Cambridge Regional College to offer RTITB accredited training and licencing, an in-demand skill for businesses across the county and region. In attendance on opening day were a number of local businesses, jobcentre representatives and recruitment professionals, along with members of the college staff who have played a part in the creation process, including Forklift Instructor Simon Hunt. Cambridge Regional College Principal and Chief Executive Mark Robertson introduced the Mayor and took a moment to thank those who had helped make the opening possible. Mayor Jay Dyne then took centre stage, and expressed his delight at opening a key new resource for the region, “It is great to be back at the Campus to see the developments, investments and improvements that the leadership team at Cambridge Regional College have been implementing over these last few months” he said. “Our region needs a variety of skills and this college offers a great range of specialist training and vocational courses. These industry specific licences are an essential part of what local employers are looking for new recruits to hold, making this a hugely useful new service for the local community”. Cambridge Regional College Head of Employment Services, Maureen Horan, was also present for the opening celebrations, she said, “When we embarked on the journey to merge Cambridge Regional College with Huntingdonshire Regional College into one college with two great campuses, we knew it would require investment and new thinking. I would like to say a huge thank you to the staff that worked very hard and collaboratively to get the facility ready for accreditation, which we received first time with no actions”. After a ribbon cutting ceremony set to a round of applause, the Forklift Truck Training Centre was officially open to the public. The Mayor then took a tour of the facility and the rest of the Huntingdon campus. Cambridge Regional College offers a wide range of full-time, part-time and Higher Education courses from Construction and Engineering to Media and Computing Technologies, with campuses in Huntingdon and Cambridge. It is one of the top 10 colleges in the country and the largest Apprenticeship provider in the Eastern Region, with many opportunities to join great companies. The opening of the centre represents the latest in a line of successes the college has achieved in recent times. Key performance figures released recently place it first in the country (out of 198 colleges) in 19+ GCSE Maths A* – C pass rates. A centre of vocational excellence, Cambridge Regional College continues to grow and expand its role as a major seat of learning in the East of England.
Buildings to be made but not enough workers to build them: this is apparently the scene recently set by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in a report which states that the UK construction industry must find at least 157,000 new recruits by 2021 in order to keep up with demand. This comes at a time when the government has committed to fund 3,000,000 new apprenticeships across every sector in England by 2020. However, these aren’t the only issues currently facing the construction sector, as there are also the matters of gender pay gap and use of new robotic technology to discuss. It has transpired that some building firms are paying women a staggering 62% less per hour than men and that more discrepancies with pay are likely to be revealed in the coming months. This is due to new government regulations that businesses with 250 employees or more should have filed details of their gender pay gap before the 4th April 2018, with a fine forthcoming should details not be submitted. Fresh off the heels of the Women In Construction Campaign launched in the UK, managing director of Constructing Equality, Chrissi McCarthy, said that the gender pay gap needs to close if the sector wants to encourage a positive image and to help promote recruitment. “While the pay gap in construction is embarrassing it should not be surprising given the stories women are still telling about their time in the industry”, said McCarthy. “Importantly until companies recognise that the gender pay gap is a symptom of poor people management and a real challenge to the longer term business bottom line, we are unlikely to see the resource and thinking that needs to be employed to really challenge these statistics.” Despite new recruiting software considerably reducing the challenge many businesses face in finding good candidates, it appears a bigger test is on the horizon: the rise of the machines. Whilst not at Terminator levels of awareness just yet, the use of robotics in construction is significantly increasing, spearheaded primarily by tech startups in the U.S. A company named Built Robotics is at the forefront of using robots, drones, and software in a bid to improve safety, speed and productivity. Bricklaying robots are already in use on some worksites across the world, notably one named SAM (Semi-Automated Mason), which costs $400,000 (£282,300) and can lay around 3,000 bricks in eight hours – hundreds and hundreds more than a human. Although there is some fear of a robotic revolution in the construction industry, 88% of industry professionals believe we still won’t see human-free worksites in the next 10 years. It’s thought that robots can be used to assist humans rather than replace them on sites. Job losses are understandably a huge issue to keep in mind with the seemingly unavoidable use of more robotics on construction sites, as it’s clearly a boon that many firms would not be limited to typical working hours or health and safety regulations with the use of machines. However, on-site maintenance and the use of particular materials still require a human presence.
