The latest attempt to ease the construction industry’s skills shortages saw the launch of a £22 million boost for on-site construction training. First unveiled during Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Statement in March, The Construction Skills Fund will help fund 20 ‘skills villages’ where training hubs are set-up alongside live construction
The first students to graduate from PlanBEE scheme, an innovative training programme designed to tackle construction skills shortage, have all secured full-time positions in the industry. They received offers from some of the sector’s leading companies, such as Bowmer & Kirkland, 3E Consulting, Sir Robert McAlpine, Ryder Architecture, Patrick Parsons,
The 28% fall in construction apprenticeship starts between August 2017 and March 2018 compared with the same period the previous academic year suggests the Government needs to look again at the way the Apprenticeship Levy is working, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Commenting on statistics published today
R G Carter, a construction firm, will be holding a series of site visits for the construction students from the University of Bedfordshire so that they can gain further insight into the industry. Currently, the company is building a new four-storey STEM teaching space at the University’s Luton campus, which
The recent Why not physics? – a snapshot of females uptake at A-level report foreword from Professor Dame Julia Higgins, claims that “an ill-judged quip that girls ‘can’t’ do maths, or physics is ‘too hard’, can lead to girls making life-changing decisions that alter the subject they study or the
Ahead of the International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) 2018, celebrated on the 23rd of June, Emma Cygan, design and development engineer at steering system supplier Pailton Engineering, has decided to crush a few misconceptions about women working as engineers. ‘Women are only good at soft skills’ Due to stereotypical
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
The latest attempt to ease the construction industry’s skills shortages saw the launch of a £22 million boost for on-site construction training. First unveiled during Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Statement in March, The Construction Skills Fund will help fund 20 ‘skills villages’ where training hubs are set-up alongside live construction sites. The 18-month scheme is funded by the Department for Education and will be administered by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). “On-site training will be hugely beneficial for employers and trainees, as it will help bridge the gap between training and working in the industry, meaning trainees are site-ready sooner,” said Skills Minister Anne Milton. Employers, housing associations and other interested bodies, such as LEPs and local authorities are encouraged by the CITB to submit expressions of interest. These can be from both existing and prospective on-site learning hubs. “Having training on or near to major projects will reveal what an exciting sector this can be, while also putting new talent in the shop window,” said Steve Radkey, Policy Director at CITB. “We want all interested organisations to submit Expressions of Interest that are innovative, collaborative and with training at their heart. We will support applicants through the process and provide expert guidance to apply to the fund.” Training organisations wishing to benefit from the fund can sign up and apply here: https://www.citb.co.uk/funding/types-of-funding/structured-fund/construction-skills-fund/. The successful bids will be awarded in the autumn. CITB is the Industry Training Board and a partner in the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry in England, Scotland and Wales. Its job is to work with the industry to encourage training, which helps build a safe, professional and fully qualified workforce. It also provides support and funding to help companies improve skills, increase their competitiveness and respond to challenges such as the low carbon agenda, reducing costs on site and recruiting the best talent for their sector.
The first students to graduate from PlanBEE scheme, an innovative training programme designed to tackle construction skills shortage, have all secured full-time positions in the industry. They received offers from some of the sector’s leading companies, such as Bowmer & Kirkland, 3E Consulting, Sir Robert McAlpine, Ryder Architecture, Patrick Parsons, Tolent and Brims and will be employed in various roles, including surveying, civil engineering, design, and project management. Launched in September 2016, PlanBEE is an alliance between Gateshead College, Ryder Architects and a network of architects, designers, contractors and engineering specialists. Together they developed a unique, flexible training programme designed to attract and retain the brightest new talent in the region, plug skills gaps, and create a more flexible workforce capable of working across various disciplines in the construction and built environment sectors. The first group to have ever enrolled onto the programme has just completed it and a second group of students embarked on it last September. The plan is to enrol a new group every year so that construction firms can continually recruit people equipped with the skills they need. “I always wanted to go into construction but I didn’t want to specialise in any particular discipline. That’s why PlanBEE was so appealing; it allowed me to learn about several different elements of the industry,” said Madeleine Lees from Teeside, who landed her dream job as an assistant structural engineer at full-service consultancy Patrick Parsons. “While on the programme I completed work placements at 3D Consulting, Ryder and Tolent – a consultancy, an architect and a civil engineering specialist – so I got to work on all sorts of projects. This is really important because in my new role at Patrick Parsons many projects cover more than one discipline.” Rather than following a traditional training model where students complete their qualifications while working in one company, PlanBEE gives trainees the chance to work across several companies and therefore gain a more rounded understanding of the built environment industry. “It’s well known that the sector has suffered from serious long-term skills shortages. This makes it even more important that companies have access to a skilled pool of talent that enables them to become more productive and competitive, both now and in the long run,” said Chris Toon, deputy principal at Gateshead College. A report by the Construction Skills Network said an extra 179,000 UK construction jobs will need to be filled from 2017-2021 to meet rapid growth in demand for infrastructure and housebuilding across the country.
The 28% fall in construction apprenticeship starts between August 2017 and March 2018 compared with the same period the previous academic year suggests the Government needs to look again at the way the Apprenticeship Levy is working, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Commenting on statistics published today by the Department for Education (DfE), Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “The Government’s own statistics show a 28% per cent plunge in apprenticeship starts over the current academic year so far. The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced in April 2017 to boost apprenticeship training across all business sectors but so far it seems to be having the opposite effect. Some reforms are obvious and need to be looked at more urgently now. The Government should allow large companies to pass more of their Levy vouchers down through their supply chains if the company itself is not in a position to train apprentices. Currently large firms are only permitted to pass 10% of their Levy funds down to their sub-contractors and others in their supply chain. There needs to be much greater flexibility than this. In the construction sector, larger firms often do not directly employ on-site tradespeople or directly train apprentices and so there is a real danger this industry and others will continue to fail to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy if we can’t change this.” Berry concluded: “These figures have been published shortly after the FMB’s latest research which shows that small construction firms are experiencing record highs in terms of skills shortages. In the long term, the only way we will be able to address the chronic skills crisis is by recruiting and training more new entrants. We know that 58% of builders are struggling to hire bricklayers and 55% are having difficulties finding carpenters and joiners. We need to iron out the flaws in the Apprenticeship Levy and reverse this decline in apprenticeships to give us the best chance of tackling these skills shortages.”
R G Carter, a construction firm, will be holding a series of site visits for the construction students from the University of Bedfordshire so that they can gain further insight into the industry. Currently, the company is building a new four-storey STEM teaching space at the University’s Luton campus, which makes for the perfect opportunity to observe and learn about the project in action. “We are proud to provide the next generation with the opportunity to visit a live construction site. It gives them a taste of what happens in real-time which is crucial to their understanding of practice in the construction industry,” said Doug Stephen, Project Manager at R G Carter. The initiative was organised by the site team, together with university lecturer Dr James Bishop, who made sure the visits were aligned with the curriculum and students could see the various stages of the construction, from demolition right through to the mainframe taking shape. This approach has supported the students’ learning to help them understand the different methods and phases of a large construction development. “It is great to get out of the classroom and be on-site to see all the different aspects of working on a project of this scale, from the foundations up to the concrete structure. The visits have brought to life my studies, helping me visualise elements when writing assignments,” said Hayden Bartram, a student from the university. The STEM building is due to open in September 2019 and will include teaching and laboratory spaces, as well as a new Science and Engineering Outreach Centre. This will allow the University to offer a wide range of new science courses including Pharmacy, Nutrition, Biochemistry, Geology and Mechanical Engineering. R G Carter has been a family owned and run business for over 95 years, putting people and communities at the heart of what they do. Through its network of regional offices, the firm offers full-service construction solutions, such as design, build, refurbishment and repairs, across a wide range of sectors.
The recent Why not physics? – a snapshot of females uptake at A-level report foreword from Professor Dame Julia Higgins, claims that “an ill-judged quip that girls ‘can’t’ do maths, or physics is ‘too hard’, can lead to girls making life-changing decisions that alter the subject they study or the career they pursue.” In anticipation of International Women in Engineering Day on June 23, 2018, Lucy Speed, HR advisor at engineering solutions provider Boulting Ltd, explores what employers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) industries can do to attract more females into the sector. Engineering contributes 26 per cent of the UK’s GDP every year, yet reports suggest that the industry is facing an unprecedented skills shortage. But what can employers realistically do to encourage the next generation of female graduates to consider STEM as a viable career option? Role models and mentors Adopting a mentorship or simple ‘buddy’ system can help women that are joining the workplace feel like they aren’t alone in a disproportionate sector. Pairing employees up to share experience and knowledge helps to create an inclusive environment and can be beneficial in terms of retaining staff that thrive with social stimulation, particularly women. According to the Women Engineering Society (WES), who set up its own mentorship program to specifically support women in STEM roles, those who participated in the scheme benefited from increased confidence, improved listening and coaching skills as well as employment progression. At Boulting, we support our staff with dedicated mentors who support employees to achieve their goals across all levels of the organisation. Flexibility is key Providing a work environment that accommodates flexibility for different personal needs can also be beneficial in attracting female employees. Having an understanding for an individual’s needs, whether that be childcare requirements or being able to schedule time off work around holidays will allow your team members to reaffirm their work-life balance. Natalie Pancheri, HR policy advisor at the London School of Economics also says that “embedding a culture of flexibility begins to chip away at the types of issues that can prevent women from advancing in their careers.” It really can be win-win all round. Young minds By capturing the minds of the next generation of female STEM graduates, we will begin to see an increase in the number of girls pursuing a career in the sector. However, a lot of the work to do this must start at school level. Integrating STEM-style learning through dedicated activities or guest speaker sessions from those in the industry into classrooms, will begin to pave the way for students to consider their future paths. Working with and supporting teachers to understand what a STEM career can actually entail will also open up conversations with students about what is possible. Additionally, organisations, like Boulting, that incorporate student reach-out or collaboration programmes to help harness the enthusiasm and talent from younger generations has the potential to lead to more interest in STEM education and apprenticeship opportunities. At Boulting we have a longstanding and successful apprenticeship scheme that has been the springboard for many employees’ careers in the organisation. Our scheme offers the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and experience across a wide range of engineering sectors including chemical, pharmaceutical, petro-chemical and renewable energy markets. While some progress has been made to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM industries, women are still firmly in the minority. Particularly in UK engineering, where, according to the Women in Engineering Society (WES), the UK has the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe and only eleven per cent of the engineering workforce is female. It’s important for organisations in the engineering sector to recognise the importance, and potential, of the future female workforce and secure any opportunity to help promote science, technology, engineering and maths as exciting and rewarding prospective career path.
Ahead of the International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) 2018, celebrated on the 23rd of June, Emma Cygan, design and development engineer at steering system supplier Pailton Engineering, has decided to crush a few misconceptions about women working as engineers. ‘Women are only good at soft skills’ Due to stereotypical gender roles, some women reach adulthood and have a subconscious idea that they must find a career that uses their communication skills and empathy. However, interaction skills are not gender-exclusive and both men and women should strive for it. If you are particularly affluent in the soft skills department, do not suppress this quality, as they are highly sought by employers and they are often required to enable the harder, more technical skills. ‘Women can’t reach top positions in engineering’ Women should be confident that they have the same potential for career progression as their male equivalents. “So far in my career, I have progressed from an apprentice, to my current role as a Design and Development engineer. In the future, it will continue to be my skills that determine how quickly I will move up the job ladder, not my gender,” said Emma. This point is also validated by the Women in Engineering annual Top 50 Women in Engineering under 35, in which many of the women featured are in senior and managerial roles and at a relatively young age. Statistically, there are more men at the top of the engineering industry, but that’s inevitable, providing there are more men at the bottom. However, initiatives such as INWED will change this and help more women see a career in engineering as a viable and rewarding option. ‘Women aren’t supported by their employers’ At Pailton Engineering, Emma is currently receiving the right support to study for an engineering bachelor’s degree, while keeping her job. “If Pailton Engineering wasn’t invested in me, or didn’t see a future with me as a key decision maker in the company, then this investment wouldn’t have been made,” said Emma. While the INWED 2018 is raising the bar for women in engineering, there are still plenty of myths and misconceptions about working in the industry that must be quashed. “I hope I’ve raised the bar for other women to start an engineering career, even if I did use this bar to obliterate the myths that are currently circulating —someone had to do it,” concluded Emma.
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.