Akela Construction Ltd, part of the Akela Group, has secured its latest in a series of contracts as part of the creation of a new neighbourhood and community in Penicuik. This new contract for Avant Homes will deliver a further 78 new homes at Mauricewood Road and follows the successful
Akela Ground Engineering (GE), part of the Akela Group, has secured a contract to deliver piling solutions for the extension of ALDI supermarket at Redbrae Road in Falkirk. The project valued at £27k is the second project that Akela GE has secured with the retail giant in quick succession. It
Today, exam results are unveiled in Scotland after over a year of disruption to education in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For those considering their career options, construction might not be the obvious choice. Historically the sector painted a low-paid, low- skilled picture. However, this is a sector that
Akela Construction Ltd, part of the Akela Group, has secured its latest in a series of contracts as part of the creation of a new neighbourhood and community in Penicuik. This new contract for Avant Homes will deliver a further 78 new homes at Mauricewood Road and follows the successful delivery of phase one of Avant’s Carnethy Heights Development. The Company is currently providing civil engineering services to three major housebuilders – Cala Homes, Avant Homes and Bellway Homes – worth a combined contract value of £28 million, resulting in approximately 500 new homes being built in the area. Nearly a decade and half after plans were initially submitted to Midlothian Council, works commenced onsite in 2018. One of the challenges overcome by the Akela Construction team was to maintain the existing Talla Aqueduct which has been operating since 1905. Critically, the Talla Aqueduct provides the Glencorse Water Treatment Works with raw water and the treatment plant is the primary source of water for the Greater Edinburgh area. The first phases of both Cala and Avant sites are due to complete at the end of 2022, however subsequent phases will be ongoing until 2026. The development will provide 57 affordable homes with provision for electric vehicle charging facilities for future tenants. Other environmentally friendly features on this site include solar panels, air source heat pumps and value engineering methods to reduce surplus soil to landfill. Mark Markey, Akela Group Managing Director, said: “Akela Construction Ltd has a significant role to play in the delivery of the Mauricewood Road development that will provide over 500 new homes to the north Penicuik area, including much needed affordable housing. We are delighted to continue our strong working relationships with Avant Homes, Bellway Homes and CALA Homes to drive the creation of this new neighbourhood and community. “This latest contract win, to deliver an additional 78 new homes as part of the Penicuik masterplan, is a testament to the successful delivery of house building projects we have already delivered for house building clients. This builds on our ambitious plans to continue to grow this area of our business, both in Scotland and in the north of England from our Leeds base.”
Akela Ground Engineering (GE), part of the Akela Group, has secured a contract to deliver piling solutions for the extension of ALDI supermarket at Redbrae Road in Falkirk. The project valued at £27k is the second project that Akela GE has secured with the retail giant in quick succession. It follows the successful completion of a large-scale refurbishment and extension of ALDI supermarket at Craig O’Loch Road in Forfar – worth approximately £70k. The project will incorporate a number of sustainability features including using displacement piling which eliminates the need to dispose of soil offsite. Work is scheduled to begin on site this month and will be complete by March. Mark Markey, Akela Group Managing Director, said: “This contract win closely follows our successful delivery of ALDI’s refurbishment in Forfar and is a shining example of the innovative solutions that we are using to deliver high quality and sustainable projects for our clients. “We are pleased to be working with ALDI again as we continue to grow our ground engineering and construction portfolio in the retail sector across Scotland.”
Today, exam results are unveiled in Scotland after over a year of disruption to education in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For those considering their career options, construction might not be the obvious choice. Historically the sector painted a low-paid, low- skilled picture. However, this is a sector that is thriving, innovating, highly rewarding and driving change. It is possible to build your dream career in the construction sector and there are a wide range of career paths available to young people, irrespective of their exam results. I did not follow a straight, predictable, or traditional path into the sector. I left school at 16 and worked in hospitality before joining the construction sector, which led to me taking up a post at the Akela Group, a multi-disciplinary construction services and civil engineering company. After seven years of working as a civil engineering groundworker, I was offered training to help me progress to the next phase of my career, and I seized the opportunity to become the Health and Safety Advisor at Akela Group. Their guidance and support was crucial in helping me advance my career. It is fitting that I am now able to help young people on their career journey. The Akela Group has been recruiting, training and retaining apprentices since its inception. Most recently, we have also partnered with the charity Action for Children on an Apprenticeship Programme that is designed to help young people secure and sustain employment by giving them industry recognised training and certification. This year, Akela Group has welcomed 22 apprentices in total. Apprentices receive a mix of on the job and classroom training, and by the end of their two or three year apprenticeship they receive a SVQ Level 2 in Construction and Civil Engineering Operations. Our aim is to provide ongoing support and encouragement, and to equip them with the essential tools and experience that they need to develop and realise a successful career in the sector. The remarkable success rate of these young people who are progressing into opportunities within the Akela Group is testament to the commitment of the site managers and teams and their recognition of what young people can bring to the sector. These success stories make a solid case for apprenticeship schemes in their own right, but they are not just nice to have. In reality, many of these schemes have emerged to address a key challenge that the construction industry is facing right now – the chronic shortage of skills. At present, the entire industry suffers from an image problem and construction based roles – particularly in civil engineering – are not seen as desirable career paths for young people. There is an urgent need to challenge traditional perceptions of construction roles as low-skilled and to showcase the diversity and richness of career paths that the sector has to offer – from the university graduate level roles like quantity surveying, to the site-based civil engineering roles which are labour intensive and place a great deal of importance on work ethic and attitude. If the sector is to stand any chance of plugging the skills gap, it is imperative that these perceptions are challenged, not least in classrooms – but also, that the sector itself remains committed to investing in young people and providing opportunities to realise a rewarding career in this thriving industry. Schemes like the Apprenticeship Programme offered by the Akela Group will go some way towards unlocking opportunities for young people and addressing the skills gap. More importantly, they also help to ensure that we have a solid pipeline of talent that will be equipped to deal with the challenges of modernising the construction sector and creating new opportunities in the future.
