A purpose-built construction academy, one of the first of its kind in the UK, has been launched by Berkeley and West London College. The West London Construction Academy has officially opened in Southall Waterside and it aims the tackle the U’s construction skills crisis and address the exodus of talent
Berkeley Group has revealed their 88-acre Southall Waterside regeneration project. This large-scale development is expected to increase the local economy by £47 million. The project will see the creation of 3,750 new homes as well as community facilities and an increased amount of employment opportunities for the area. This major
House builder Berkeley Group has come out second worst of an analysis of corporate governance at FTSE 100 companies. It would appear that authors of the study are not convinced by chairman Tony Pidgley’s £21 million remuneration package, or on Rob Perrins pocketing £11 million. However, it seems that shareholders
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
A purpose-built construction academy, one of the first of its kind in the UK, has been launched by Berkeley and West London College. The West London Construction Academy has officially opened in Southall Waterside and it aims the tackle the U’s construction skills crisis and address the exodus of talent from the industry. More people are leaving the construction industry than joining it, threatening productivity and growth, according to recent figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. With a shortage of homes, it is vital that the sector tackles the skills crisis head on. If it does not the workforce will decrease by 20–25% in the next decade. “The West London Construction Academy aims to address the industry’s skills gap for the long term by inspiring the next generation and preparing them for the world of work, including giving them the best chance of securing a placement at the end of their apprenticeships,” said Berkeley Group Chief Executive Rob Perrins. Berkeley Group, together with West London College and trade partners, have designed a new ‘By Industry, For Industry’ curriculum. Apprentices will gain on-the-job experience alongside classroom and online learning, bridging the skills gap for the long term and allowing students to earn as they learn. The courses available are services vital to the industry, such as bricklaying, plastering, dry-lining and carpentry and are open to anyone aged 16 and above. All apprentices will benefit from individual support from business champions and mentors. Apprentices graduating from the academy will be given the best chance of securing employment at the end of their courses – putting their skills to use straight away. A number of positions will be available with Berkeley and its supply chain at Southall Waterside itself. “West London has a number of major projects either planned or underway, from Southall Waterside and HS2, to Crossrail and Old Oak Common; training local people will be integral to the success and timely delivery of these projects – and will be an incredible opportunity to build experience and establish desirable skills. West London College is thrilled to be in the position to offer such an incredible facility to the industry,” said Karen Redhead, Chief Executive at West London College.
Berkeley Group has revealed their 88-acre Southall Waterside regeneration project. This large-scale development is expected to increase the local economy by £47 million. The project will see the creation of 3,750 new homes as well as community facilities and an increased amount of employment opportunities for the area. This major boost to the local economy will see millions injected into the area, which can only lead to more positive results. This West London regeneration is expected to uplift the area through the construction of the massive scheme. The project will lead to an influx of new homes, that should go some way to meet the housing demand in the UK. There will also be 600 jobs created during the project and also post-construction. The development will lead to 500,000 sq. ft. of new space for retail units as well as restaurants and cafés. The downside of all this news is that the projects will take 25 years to complete. Berkeley will be in charge of transforming the former gas works facility into a mixed-use destination. The designs for the regeneration have been inspired by the diverse culture of the Southall area, although it will also compliment the established town centre. The development will see the creation of a new health centre and a two-form entry primary school as well as providing the future residents with plenty of green and outdoor space. In fact, over half the site will be allocated to open space, either as square and courtyard gardens or as a network of public garden space. There will be a central park running through the development site and will connect the Grand Union Canal to the west of the development to the Crossrail Station at the east boundary. The proposed development is expected to house 9,000 people which should boost local spending due to the increase of possible consumers. This is another boost on top of the increase in housing and jobs for the area.
House builder Berkeley Group has come out second worst of an analysis of corporate governance at FTSE 100 companies. It would appear that authors of the study are not convinced by chairman Tony Pidgley’s £21 million remuneration package, or on Rob Perrins pocketing £11 million. However, it seems that shareholders in the company are not bothered by this too much. The study also found that none of the construction industry’s FTSE 100 firms came out well from the corporate governance study, with only Barratt Developments making the top 50. The Institute of Directors 2016 Good Governance Report examined the 34 factors across five areas of corporate governance: stakeholder relations and shareholder relations, remuneration and reward, audit and risk/external accountability and board effectiveness. The choice of these criteria was determined by the UK Corporate Governance Code and the Companies Act 2016. The Good Governance ranking is headed by the following organisations: British America Tobacco Unilever Diageo Sage Group Next Kingfisher DS Smith United Utilities Group Royal Mail Admiral Group Meanwhile, companies from the construction sector featured as follows: Barratt Developments Wolseley Persimmon Ashtead Taylor Wimpey Travis Perkins Berkeley Group The study was supported by the Chartered Quality Institute and Cass Business School, while Tesco came out bottom of the pile. Head of Profession at the Chartered Quality Institute, Estelle Clerk, commented: “Good governance requires more than a stated intent. It requires a profound understanding of how principles of good governance are implemented and delivered at every level of a company and its delivery partners. “For the construction sector, working with a diverse supply chain in order to deliver key projects, this is especially challenging. Our intention in supporting the Good Governance Report is to stimulate discussion on what constitutes good governance and how this can be demonstrated.”
