National social enterprise and procurement organisation Fusion21 has made the shortlist in the Chartered Institute of Procurement (CIPS) Supply Management Awards 2016. Announced as a finalist in the ‘Best Contribution to the Reputation of Procurement’ category, Fusion21 is one of two organisations nominated for the award – which recognises procurement
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned that apprenticeship schemes are to become endangered due to uncertainty regarding the new UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy for training. FMB Scotland has said that unless the Scottish government makes a commitment to ring fence the new training Levy, then the growth of apprentice
Property Butler has announced the launch of a new conveyancing and concierge service for estate agents. Part of Sort Limited, the firm revealed the proposition which is geared towards putting the estate agent in a powerful position by providing reasonable conveyancing services in the early stages of the purchase process.
Worcester, Bosch Group has announced its winners of this year’s Environment 2020 Awards ceremony. The annual event, which was first established in 2000, recognises the best practice in the industry and celebrates the work of those who have showed a commitment to recommending hot water technologies and energy efficient heating
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced the timeline for redesigning the construction industry levy. CITB says it will consult with employers in the construction sector to discuss how its levy could work in relation to the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. As planned, the Consensus process will take place next
777 Group – Best Practice Under Pressure (The Following is a Promoted Article) The demolition sector has undergone major transformation in the last 20 years; with increasingly demanding standards in regards to anything from health and safety to rates of recycling, as well as advances in technology, those unwilling or
An apprentice bricklayer at the Seddon building group has progressed to the SkillBuild national finals. The company has heaped praise on 22 year old Jake Horoszczak who, after winning his North West heat, is now west to participate in the national finals of the competition which take place in the
The majority of qualified electricians would rather choose quality over cost, the latest Select survey has revealed. While it is commonly believed that ‘the most important consideration in business is cost’, this theory has been disproved by a survey of electricians carried out by Select (the campaigning trade body for
A number of top performing companies have been nominated for this year’s Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) Annual Awards. The firms have been shortlisted after a thorough judging system was undertaken by eight experts on an independent panel. A total of 34 entries have been nominated for this year’s awards in
Housing transactions could go down by 10% if the UK votes in favour of leaving the European Union, according to Hometrack’s latest opinion. The report suggests that the current level of growth in house prices is just over 10% in the city, in comparison to 6.6% a year ago before
National social enterprise and procurement organisation Fusion21 has made the shortlist in the Chartered Institute of Procurement (CIPS) Supply Management Awards 2016. Announced as a finalist in the ‘Best Contribution to the Reputation of Procurement’ category, Fusion21 is one of two organisations nominated for the award – which recognises procurement activities that contribute to the public good. These prestigious awards are respected as a benchmark for excellence, and honour UK organisations and individuals working within the procurement and supply chain industry. Fusion21 has a sustainable business model which complies with the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 and enables social value through the procurement process. Members include registered providers, local authorities, education providers and the NHS. Dave Neilson, Chief Executive at Fusion21, said: “The CIPS Supply Management Awards recognise best practice in the industry – competition is tough and it’s fantastic to be nominated alongside big brands working within the private and public sectors. “As a national social enterprise we support public sector organisations to deliver efficiencies, and create social value within local communities. Our approach to procurement leads to a variety of positive social outcomes – from job creation and tackling unemployment, to reducing reoffending and supporting wider community regeneration.” Fusion21 has generated around £56 million of community impact across the country, and created more than 2,500 jobs. Earlier this year, the social enterprise won the ‘Driving Value for Money’ category in the first Cabinet Office Social Value Awards. CIPS Supply Management Award finalists will be announced at a ceremony in London on 14 September, 2016.
The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned that apprenticeship schemes are to become endangered due to uncertainty regarding the new UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy for training. FMB Scotland has said that unless the Scottish government makes a commitment to ring fence the new training Levy, then the growth of apprentice schemes in Scotland will rapidly decrease. In 2015/16 the number of young people being enrolled into apprenticeship schemes surpassed its 25,000 target, with 25,818 apprentices starting. The Scottish government has pledged to raise the apprenticeship target to 30,000 in the next four years. In 2015/16, the number of apprentices starting their courses aged 16 to 24 was 79%, while the amount of starters at level three and above went up by 1% to 65%. More than 30% of Scottish apprenticeship starts were in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) frameworks, while 19% were specifically geared towards learning skills in the construction industry. 59% of apprenticeship starters were men, with 41% women. The figures were published by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). In response to the statistics, FMB Scotland Director, Gordon Nelson, said that while the rise in apprenticeship numbers makes for positive reading, the employment outcomes and quality of the schemes should be the most important consideration. He added that there are now concerns that the positive work could be undone if the Scottish government chooses not to re-invest funds raised by the new UK-wide Apprenticeship Levy. Mr Nelson said that there is a lack of direction from leaders in terms of showing how the Levy will be carried out in Scotland. The SDS report figures relate to modern apprenticeships that have a funding contribution from the public which has been administered by the SDS for the Scottish government. The latest ‘State of Trade’ survey by the FMB shows that almost half of SME employers are finding it hard to recruit carpenters, while more than a third are struggling to source plumbers.
Property Butler has announced the launch of a new conveyancing and concierge service for estate agents. Part of Sort Limited, the firm revealed the proposition which is geared towards putting the estate agent in a powerful position by providing reasonable conveyancing services in the early stages of the purchase process. The newly introduced service will make sure that clients are correctly represented by conveyancers from the very start of the house buying process. Property Butler, powered by SoftRefer, will provide agencies with a white labelled online portal to a select conveyancing panel. The new service will mean that estate agency advisers will be able to produce quotes accurate to the last penny, give online instructions and have the chance to access progress reports at any time of any day through their smartphone or tablet app or desktop. Property Butler will also offer a Fee Guard which will be free for clients to use and gives them peace of mind in terms of the upfront fees paid when purchasing a property. The Fee Guard system will cover disbursement costs for any unforeseen event up to a £1,500 value. Also on offer is the Concierge Service which will provide estate agencies with a bespoke service enabling them to pass referrals and allow the Property Butler team to make the most of the available opportunities. Tim Price will run the new service and he boasts an impressive estate agency career spanning 25 years, along with property market work with Legal & General and Parkers. He has also provided the industry with key ancillary services through The Live Organisation and ONN Financial. Mr Price commented that one of the most important parts of any property transaction is conveyancing, although this is historically slow with insufficient communication to customers from estate agents, resulting in poor sales pipeline control. He believe that this is why the Property Butler will strongly appeal to estate agents.
Worcester, Bosch Group has announced its winners of this year’s Environment 2020 Awards ceremony. The annual event, which was first established in 2000, recognises the best practice in the industry and celebrates the work of those who have showed a commitment to recommending hot water technologies and energy efficient heating over the past year. Across the seven installation categories, the firm has received hundreds of entries, with the winners presented with their prizes at the prestigious ceremony in Stanbrook Abbey, Worcestershire. Presenting the awards were special guests from the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, Roger Webb and Paul Williams. Among the winners were Lee Hatch, of LH Gas Hertfordshire (Greenstar gas-fired boiler installation), Jamie Sinclair, of SJS Plumbing & Heating Hertfordshire (Greenstar oil-fired boiler installation) and Nick Critchley, of Radiant Heating Solutions Lincolnshire (Renewables installation). Worcester’s E2020 awards also recognised a group of environmentally aware young people aged up to 16 through an art design competition. The competition aims to reward exceptional artwork inspired to combat climate change and improve energy efficiency. The winners of this year’s competition were 10 year old Harry Stone from Bristol, five year old Zaki Rynne from Hampshire and 17 year old Niamh Ni Iceadha from Dublin. All of the winners were awarded £500 in leisure and shopping vouchers for their exciting works of art. Chief Executive Officer at Worcester, Carl Arntzen, said that as always it was a pleasure for the company to hold the award ceremony and that he gives thanks to all those who entered, with special congratulations to all the worthy winners. He said that Worcester continues to be a manufacturer inspired by having so many installers who are already trying to reinforce the commitment of the industry to the protection of the earth’s valuable resources. CIPHE President, Paul Williams, said they are always looking to highlight the excellent work carried out every year by heating and plumbing engineers.
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has announced the timeline for redesigning the construction industry levy. CITB says it will consult with employers in the construction sector to discuss how its levy could work in relation to the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. As planned, the Consensus process will take place next year, which will see a full consultation with a variety of employers from the industry to discuss the CITB Levy. The industry asked for this timetable to make sure that all employers in the construction industry will be able to submit their views on how the CITB Levy should be modified for a potential new Levy Order in the next two years, as well as considering the CITB support that this could fund. Before the formal Levy consultation, CITB will meet employers to discuss the best way the organisation can meet their needs. One of the ways to be considered is making the existing grants scheme more accessible and relevant, especially for smaller businesses. CITB is also set to re-establish the Levy Working Party, which will be made up of representatives from all around the construction industry. The meeting will see the firms come up with different possibilities for a possible new CITB Industry Levy. Included in the working party is CITB Board Member Diana Graham, Ian Rogers from the Scottish Decorators’ Federation and Hannah Warburton from Laing O’Rourke. For 2017 only, the timeline will require a temporary transition agreement in order to lessen the impact of the CITB Levy and the Apprenticeship Levy on firms. This is due to the fact that organisations with a payroll in excess of £3 million will be required to pay both levies next year. However, CITB insists it will assist these companies in claiming back a significant proportion of their CITB Levy contribution through enhanced funding for the training they do.
777 Group – Best Practice Under Pressure (The Following is a Promoted Article) The demolition sector has undergone major transformation in the last 20 years; with increasingly demanding standards in regards to anything from health and safety to rates of recycling, as well as advances in technology, those unwilling or unable to evolve run the risk of falling by the wayside. At the forefront of innovation, 777 Group exemplifies where the sector ought to be and takes the idea of best of practice to the next level. Founded in 1964, and with over 50 years’ experience, 777 Group’s ambition always remains to improve transparency and working practices within the demolition works sector. 777 has stayed true to its ethics of responsibility and currently stands as one of the UK’s leading demolition and environmental specialists. With adjoining divisions dedicated to recycling and health and safety, the firm stands as one-stop-shop in all aspects of deconstruction and, as such, it continues to attract a wide variety of clients in the commercial, industrial, retail and leisure and residential property sectors. Whilst the ability to undertake all works and thereby financially de-risk a project is undoubtedly compelling for clients, The 777 end-to-end service also allows greater control over a project’s realisation and, specifically, how health and safety as well as environmental impact are managed. Health and Safety has been a key area of investment for the firm and something which Mike Pearce, Managing Director of 777 Group, stresses is its “number one priority”. As well as putting in place stringent health and safety policies on-site, adequate training has been crucial to maintaining such an ethic. As Mike explains: “We have a very progressive attitude to ensuring staff are suitably qualified; for example, all our labourers, operatives and supervisors are all enrolled in the NDTG qualification scheme. Part of our ability to ensure contracts are fulfilled to the highest standards is based on giving staff the best training available. Failure to do so would not be a consideration.” As a further measure of assurance for clients, 777 Demolition is also an accredited member of a horde of health and safety specific associations, including: Constructionline, Achilles, NFDC, ARCA, the British Safety Council (BSC) and Worksafe Contractor to name a few. Whilst each has a significant role to play in ensuring standards of safe working practice are maintained and continually improved, Mike Pearce pinpoints membership with CHAS as crucial for both effective health and safety management and business prosperity. Indeed, in order to tender for business with many of the company’s clients, our CHAS accreditation has been a pre-requisite and thus sustaining association membership is a means of remaining competitive. All projects require high standards of H&S but one particular project that springs to mind which required strong health and safety certification was the demolition of the IMAX complex in Bournemouth. Located on the town’s sea front in a busy retail and leisure district, the demolition project required attention and diligence from the outset so as not to present risk to either the neighbouring properties or the passing public. And having acquired an infamy with residents owing to its gargantuan size eclipsing the bay from view, locals were in full throng as 777 Demolition’s giant, high-reach demolition rig arrived on site and work commenced. Maintain absolute control throughout, the firm managed to carry out all works within the building’s original footprint –employing ring-fenced, manned access system of entry to mitigate risk to the public. In spite of the physical limitations of the site, 777 was nonetheless able to conduct waste management in much the same way as any project, as Mike Pearce highlights: “By carefully planning the process of deconstruction we were able to safely demolish the building and ensure material was segregated in a timely and efficient fashion. Felled material was separated and stockpiled by a 30 tonne excavator equipped with a rotating grab attachment. In all, some 13,500t of waste was separated and removed from the site with 3000t of steel and 8000t of concrete successfully recycled. Recycling rates exceeded 97% despite the restrictive nature of the site.” As becomes clear, 777 Group is not just favoured for its leading position on health and safety but furthermore, its capability when it comes to recycling and environmentalism. As support for greener methods of development (and demolition) increases, the firm’s attention to recycling becomes an ever greater asset for clients and some now even demand it. Doing more than simply meeting requirement however, 777 has proven it is capable of exceeding expectations in every respect – including rates of recycling. Following initial assessment and the identification of waste streams, the company puts in place a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) to run concurrently with health and safety procedure as well as time and cost schedules. Abiding by each, 777 delivers projects on time, on budget, to specification and with strong values of health and safety and environmentalism. Delivering high-value, high quality workmanship on some of the most ambitious demolition projects throughout the UK of recent years, the 777 Group continues to rise in stature within the industry. With well-founded growth ambitions for 2016 and beyond, and with express commitment to industry standards as well as acuity when it comes to innovation, the firm will doubtless remain strides ahead of the competition for years to come.
An apprentice bricklayer at the Seddon building group has progressed to the SkillBuild national finals. The company has heaped praise on 22 year old Jake Horoszczak who, after winning his North West heat, is now west to participate in the national finals of the competition which take place in the autumn. At the event he will represent both Seddon and Tameside College. SkillBuild, run by the Construction Industry Training Board, is the UK’s largest multi-trade competition and sees roughly 150 people take part in just the North West heat, with experts from the industry judging the entrants’ skills at Stockport College. After his success in the regional heats, Jake says he is now looking to fulfil the opportunities given to him by Seddon. He added that his time as an apprentice with the company has been amazing and that he now feels ready to put all his expertise and training to the test on the biggest stage in the industry as he continues his preparations for this year’s national championships. The company had previously recognised Jake’s achievements through its yearly Building Skills award scheme in which they described him as ‘one to watch’ for the future. Jake has developed his skills range by working on the development at Hindley Town Yard for Wigan and Leigh Homes, a project that has an ultimate goal of building eight bungalows and 25 apartments. Jake’s mentor on the Hindley Town project, Kevin Ripley, said that his apprentice is always getting stuck into the work and ensuring that it is carried out to the highest possible standard. Meanwhile, Seddon’s Head of Training, Tony Costello, said that there should now be more effort put into plugging skills gaps and that this can be achieved through apprenticeship schemes. He said that construction companies should try to deliver more apprenticeships to enable people to get hands on training and develop their careers.
The majority of qualified electricians would rather choose quality over cost, the latest Select survey has revealed. While it is commonly believed that ‘the most important consideration in business is cost’, this theory has been disproved by a survey of electricians carried out by Select (the campaigning trade body for the electrical sector). Instead of cost, the survey revealed that the overriding factors in the electrical sector are service and quality of work. Select MD, Newell McGuiness, revealed the survey results at the Electrical Distributors’ Association’s ‘Regional Business Forum’, which is representative of the UK’s electrical wholesale distribution industry. The forum, which took place last month at the Glynhill Hotel in Renfrew, presented the results of Select’s survey and highlighted the electrical industry’s message that its members have more concern with doing things properly as opposed to doing them cheaply. Mr McGuiness said that it was a breath of fresh air for under-pressure businesses to continue to insist on quality as their main concern, rather than just cutting costs in all areas, therefore showing that the industry will continue to put customers’ interests first. When deciding on a specific manufacturer, the survey showed that 65% of electricians made decisions based on quality, in comparison to just 19% who based decisions on cost. Another consideration that scored highly on the survey was availability, with 51%, which indicates that the respondents are eager to deliver services efficiently and promptly to their customers, while after sales service similarly scored as an important consideration. In addition, electricians said they are more inclined to purchase a product if it was made in the UK, which indicates their preference for quality goods and support of local manufacturers. Select’s Head of Membership and Communications, Alan Wilson, said at the EDA Forum that the results of this survey make clearly show that qualified electricians are seeking quality products in order to offer customers the best possible service.
A number of top performing companies have been nominated for this year’s Electrical Contractors Association (ECA) Annual Awards. The firms have been shortlisted after a thorough judging system was undertaken by eight experts on an independent panel. A total of 34 entries have been nominated for this year’s awards in eight different award categories, including ‘Best Health and Safety Initiative’, ‘Best Client/Contractor Partnership’ and ‘Contractor of the Year’. Included in the shortlists are various firms who also received nominations at last year’s ceremony, such as Darke & Taylor, Dodd Group and Quartzelec. Paul Reeve, Director of Business at ECA and head judge at the annual awards, said that after an unprecedented level of entries for this year’s awards, there were a number of tough choices to be made by the independent judging panel. He added that with such a high level of entries, the 34 final nominees were eventually chosen based on best practice in the industry and company success stories. The ECA received more award submissions than ever before, some 142, which were all given careful consideration by prominent figures in the industry, including Charity Marketing Director at Electrical Industries, Tessa Ogle, Executive Director at CEDIA, Wendy Griffiths, and Director of Operations at JTL, Caroline Turner. The winners of the eight awards are set to be announced on July 8 at the ECA Annual Gala Dinner and Awards, sponsored by LEDVANCE, at the Celtic Manor in South Wales. Those in attendance will enjoy a night of entertainment with Alan Dedicoat (voice of Strictly Come Dancing and The National Lottery) hosting the event along with well known comedian Stephen K. Amos. The ECA are still taking bookings but insist that there are only a limited number of tickets still available for the event. In the running for the coveted ‘ECA Large Contractor of the Year’ are W T Parker Group Services Ltd, Imtech Engineering Services Central and Dodd Group.
Housing transactions could go down by 10% if the UK votes in favour of leaving the European Union, according to Hometrack’s latest opinion. The report suggests that the current level of growth in house prices is just over 10% in the city, in comparison to 6.6% a year ago before the General Election. Transactions have seen a surge recently before the changes to stamp duty, resulting in many cities noting a monthly house price growth spike. For instance Cambridge posted an increase of 15.8%, with the only UK city to buck the rising trend being Aberdeen which posted a 6.1% downturn. Hometrack, however, argues that should a ‘Brexit’ vote be successful at the upcoming EU referendum, we could see a reduction of 5% to 10% in housing transactions, with London experiencing a particularly negative impact. In contrast, by choosing to stay in the EU, Hometrack insists that market confidence would receive a boost. It anticipates that large regional cities like Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester benefiting most, as these are cities with growing demand for housing and the current house price growth rates would likely be maintained. In addition, Hometrack said that in the ten year period prior to 2007, volumes of sales went down four times in London, by up to 15%, thus showing the city’s proneness of being impacted by external factors, particularly following swift price appreciation periods. Hometrack Insight Director, Richard Donnell, said that the housing market’s future will be dictated by whether the UK votes to stay in or leave the EU . Mr Donnell added that their analysis of the housing market’s response to external factors across the last two decades shows that a leave vote may mean a 5% to 10% decrease in housing turnover and the city that would suffer the most would be London.