Trendhim, Danish design founded in 2007 offers men more than 5132 products, within a click, thanks to Mikkel Andersen and Sebastian. Currently booming in 19 European markets, competing against every European professional, Trendhim faces a new challenge: Students as Country marketing managers. What can you do when you have to
It is well known that there is a skills deficit in the construction industry. Research from EY has shown that the East suffers the worst, with five times as many project management positions that there are qualified and experienced people to carry out the work. The skills deficit has had
A group of 12 Redrow graduate trainees has completed a project in partnership with Help Bristol’s Homeless to convert an empty shipping container into a habitable space. This is part of the local charity’s wider goal to help members of the city’s homeless population by providing a roof over
Kier Group plc is a leading supplier of property residential and construction services. The group has announced that they will be pledging 1% of their workforce, who will be acting as career ambassadors. As part of this scheme the ambassadors will work in schools and colleges over the course of
The new Chief Executive has started work for Interserve. In the middle of November 2016 it was announced that Adrian Ringrose, Chief Executive at the time, was handing in his notice. Adrian worked until the end of the day on the 31st August 2017 in order to ensure that the
Peace Recruitment Group, experts in the built environment, has revealed that its Trades and Labour Department has doubled in size over the last six months after much demand. Tamara Jaberu, a director at Peace who founded the Trades and Labour Department in January 2012, believes the good news coming out of
Taylor&Emmet LLP is expanding its commercial property team to strengthen the legal advice it provides to North Derbyshire’s rural businesses. Bryony Shaw joins the Sheffield-based solicitors to take on a mixed workload of commercial work at the firm’s Bakewell office. She will be assisting Taylor&Emmet’s commercial property partner in Bakewell,
GRAHAM has appointed Dave Brown as its new contracts director for highways projects, leading on the delivery of the Highways England Collaborative Delivery Framework. Dave is an experienced and highly capable professional who has vast experience of large, multidisciplinary projects across a multitude of sectors including marine, rail, tram, highways
Haddon Training is a OFSTED Grade 1 ‘Outstanding’ Training Provider who has been delivering work-based learning for over 20 years. We have been approved by the government to provide training within the Business sector and have funding opportunities available. If you are an employer with over £3m payroll, we are
The Midas Group has announced a significant new appointment to its senior management team to continue the company’s expansion in the South East of England. Peter Whitmore has joined Midas, one of the largest independent construction companies in the UK, in the role of Divisional Director for the Southern region.
Trendhim, Danish design founded in 2007 offers men more than 5132 products, within a click, thanks to Mikkel Andersen and Sebastian. Currently booming in 19 European markets, competing against every European professional, Trendhim faces a new challenge: Students as Country marketing managers. What can you do when you have to adapt and adjust your business to the demands of 19 European markets and you do not have the necessary language skills? Trendhim has the answer. Hire University students to carry out the commercialization on the different European powers. As the founders of Trendhim explained, at the beginning everything was going well, they had specific translations, but as the business grew, they encountered challenges in most of their daily operations. In particular, in the marketing side, they were not able to keep their markets up to date. They had to find an alternative solution to the translator. They had to ensure that the different markets had a reasonable market position, as the Danish market. Sounds easy, but Trendhim covers one of the most competitive markets: men’s accessories, such as bracelets, neckties, earrings for men and lapel pins, among many other men’s accessories. These types of products are sold in many online shops, for that reason the market is highly pressured. “We have learned that surviving in this market requires optimizing the website continuously and marketing is the key to success.” – Establishes Martin Højbjerg Christiansen – CTO in Trendhim. Here is where Horsens, where Trendhim’s headquarters are located, offers them incredible opportunities. VIA University, Denmark’s largest university, with an emphasis on applied sciences, offers Trendhim new employees to build an international marketing department. Therefore, Trendhim solved their challenge thanks to these students and their intercultural skills, who contribute to the company, giving their best to increase the sales and profits of their assigned market. Sara Lopez Alaguero, ICT Engineering student at VIA University and Spanish marketing manager explains: “It is very difficult to get a job in Spain, and almost impossible to find a job when you are a student and therefore you don’t have any experience. I has never imagined I would find a student job related to marketing, and even less that I would be responsible for an entire market. It’s hard to hear from the ones back in Spain, who have lots of experience and are struggling to get a low paid job.” Trendhim has given these students the opportunity to start their business careers in marketing. This demonstrates how in Denmark and more specifically in Trendhim, the number of experience one has, the field in which one is specialized, is not valued, they give everyone a chance to improve themselves. If you don’t know something, it’s only a matter of time until you learn.
It is well known that there is a skills deficit in the construction industry. Research from EY has shown that the East suffers the worst, with five times as many project management positions that there are qualified and experienced people to carry out the work. The skills deficit has had the most impact on the commercial, financial and project management labour sectors. The skills deficit has led to a premium being paid for work to be completed, driving up development costs. The time to find and appoint qualified skilled workers can also lead to delays. With £500 billion of investment planned before 2021, with projects such as Crossrail and Hinkley Point in the pipeline. this deficit is likely to get worse. EY have come up with a number of recommendations that could help to take the edge of the challenges faced by the industry. Firstly, as projects develop and the demand for talent requirements changes, skilled workers should be shared between other teams at the earliest opportunity. When there is a lack of resources, organisations would benefit from setting refreshed project timelines in order to avoid false competition for the same limited talent pool. Another recommendation is project leaders should seek to be more flexible in their approach to finding new talent. The way the UK labour market has changed creates an opportunity to change recruitment processes and move from employment contracts to shorter more flexible contracts with workers. Next, promoting remote working wherever possible allows skilled individuals to work on more than one project at a time, and makes sure that the talent available is used more efficiently. Following on from this, collaboration between public and private sectors will lead to innovation, a distribution of industry knowledge and help to attract and manage the flow of industry talent in order to make sure that the right people are matched to the right projects. It is also important to plan ahead and track more complex projects in order to make sure that the right people are employed for the role. Finally, it is important to make sure that the skills shortage should be addressed sooner rather than later to ensure that any impact is minimised.
A group of 12 Redrow graduate trainees has completed a project in partnership with Help Bristol’s Homeless to convert an empty shipping container into a habitable space. This is part of the local charity’s wider goal to help members of the city’s homeless population by providing a roof over their heads whilst they receive help finding permanent accommodation. The graduates received no funding, resources or help from seniors and instead relied on the skills acquired during their first year with Redrow. This meant they had to utilise contacts and relationships they had built up within the industry to source essential materials, deploy their project management and problem-solving skills and work closely together as a team. They acquired and fitted a kitchen and sanitaryware that was unable to be sold, but still worked perfectly, and ensured the whole container was finished to an exceptionally high standard. The end result is a shipping container that has been transformed into a well-furnished living quarters complete with a kitchen and wet room bathroom as well as fitting windows and skylights. Most importantly it will provide the perfect fresh start to those in the local community that need it most. Clare Horton, New Entrants Programmes Manager at Redrow, comments: “A career in housebuilding can be both rewarding and challenging, requiring a broad range of skills from strong communication, problem-solving, negotiation and excellent time management. These graduates had to demonstrate these qualities in bucket-loads to get the job done and we hope this project captures the imagination of young people considering their career options. “These graduates come from a variety of areas within the business and had to work together to make a success of this task in a very short space of time. As well as the practical element of fitting out the container, they deployed the skills they have been building over the last year to gather materials and solve problems along the way. It’s great to see how much progress they have made during their first year with Redrow and even better that it’s helping such a brilliant cause.” Manjeeta Pathak, now an Assistant Site Manager, who helped lead the project, said: “It was incredibly challenging, but so enjoyable, to work as a team to complete the project and empowering to be trusted to make sure we finished on time and to a high standard. I still can’t believe we managed to get it all finished in only five days and that included sourcing all the materials we used. It feels really special knowing that our handiwork will now be used to make a difference to people’s lives.” Every year Redrow’s newest batch of graduates take part in a community challenge which aims to support a good cause whilst putting them through their paces. Before the container becomes a temporary home for a homeless person, it will be transported to the South Downs Festival at the end of September to raise awareness of, and additional funds for, the charity.
Kier Group plc is a leading supplier of property residential and construction services. The group has announced that they will be pledging 1% of their workforce, who will be acting as career ambassadors. As part of this scheme the ambassadors will work in schools and colleges over the course of the next y12 months in order to try and increase the amount of people considering a career in the industry. A new report has been published recently which shows that parents have shown a significant level of concerns about the quality of careers advice which is made available to secondary schools. The concerns are heightened as GCSE results decline. Kier, the FTSE 250 construction and services group commissioned the report which included 2,000 parents, teachers and careers advisors of children who are aged between 12 and 18 and in the UK state education sector. The survey revealed that two thirds of the teacher and careers advisors involved had a negative view of the construction industry and the potential career routes on offer. Over 80% of the parents involved in the survey weren’t aware that it was possible for big construction companies to pay for university degree courses. And 90% of teachers across the UK didn’t know about the recruitment shortfall that is being experienced in the construction industry. As a result of this survey, Kier have pledged a minimum of 15 of their workforce for the role of Career Ambassadors in order to establish a better relationship with schools and colleges across the UK. Through this scheme, Kier hope to engage with at least 10,000 pupils over the course of the next 12 months. If every company in the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 followed this 1% pledge in order to commit to the improvement of employment and skills, a powerful and influential network could be created that would be able to work to inform and inspire the next generation.
The new Chief Executive has started work for Interserve. In the middle of November 2016 it was announced that Adrian Ringrose, Chief Executive at the time, was handing in his notice. Adrian worked until the end of the day on the 31st August 2017 in order to ensure that the transition to the new Chief Executive went as smoothly as possible. The newly appointed Debbie White started in her new role on the 1st of September 2017. Debbie has joined the team at Interserve after working for 13 years at the support service company Sodexo. In her previous role Debbie White was the CEO of Global Healthcare and Government. Debbie will be an asset to the company and will help to develop Interserve further and their boost facilities management services. In her new role it is thought that Debbie White will be guiding Interserve through a transitional phase, as the company turn their focus to their facilities management, catering and cleaning services as opposed to their construction and civil engineering divisions that have been at the forefront of their business for so long. Debbie’s work will continue on this path following an announcement that was made recently claiming that the business will no longer be competing on construction contracts that exceed £10 million. Interserve is known for being a multi-national support services and construction company that is based in the UK. The business focuses offering advice, design, construction, equipment and facilities management as well as supplying a range of frontline public services. Debbie White’s Predecessor meanwhile, worked longer than his nine months’ notice period, and will leave Interserve with an exit payment which is said to be £325,593. This payment has been calculated in respect of the basic pay which will stretch until the 7th of March, and when Adrian’s notice period ends.
Peace Recruitment Group, experts in the built environment, has revealed that its Trades and Labour Department has doubled in size over the last six months after much demand. Tamara Jaberu, a director at Peace who founded the Trades and Labour Department in January 2012, believes the good news coming out of Peace is further evidence that the UK construction sector is flourishing despite all the recent negative headlines. Tamara explains: “The construction sector in the UK is definitely in a good place right now, more work is coming into the market and employers are looking to hire. Our trades and labour department exceeded all expectations last year, and as a result we have hired three new recruits since April, meaning we now have a team of six. This enables us to provide a much fuller service to Edinburgh and the Lothians, the Glasgow area and Aberdeen and Dundee. I’m delighted to say we are on course to have a record year again. “There are various reasons for our success, with repeat business being one of the key components. We class ourselves as a transparent recruitment business, meaning clients get exactly what they pay for. We don’t make promises we can’t fulfil, we build up trust by being honest with clients even if sometimes it means telling them something they don’t want to hear. This is the ethos of the whole business.” Tamara adds: “The major challenge we are facing in Trades and Labour just now is a shortage of candidates. When I started the department back in 2012, clients had their pick of good quality candidates. However, now this has almost spun on its head and its the skilled candidates who now hold most of the power. Firms can still find the right people but competition is fierce. Employers need to be aware that it may take more time to find the right candidate, they need to be flexible in what they are looking for, and they need to put together as attractive a package as possible.” The success of the trades and labour department, alongside the huge increase in turnover, as well as the launch of Peace’s new bespoke website, its re-branding and the launch of its new temp division, are all seen as key developments in the recruiters quest to become the recruitment company of choice for the built environment by 2020. Peace For more information please visit www.peacerecruitment.co.uk.
Taylor&Emmet LLP is expanding its commercial property team to strengthen the legal advice it provides to North Derbyshire’s rural businesses. Bryony Shaw joins the Sheffield-based solicitors to take on a mixed workload of commercial work at the firm’s Bakewell office. She will be assisting Taylor&Emmet’s commercial property partner in Bakewell, George Thomson, on new and existing matters for a wide range of organisations based in and around the popular market town. Bryony worked previously at Sheffield firm, Ironmonger Curtis, where she provided corporate support for the sale and purchase of dental practices. She said: “Taking on a much wider commercial property remit is enabling me to broaden my knowledge base and technical skills. Taylor&Emmet is a large firm with professional support systems and I have been really impressed with what I’ve seen so far.” George Thomson added: “Bryony is a welcome addition to our team. Her enthusiasm, regional knowledge and excellent application of commercial property law will enhance the services we provide locally. Bakewell serves a varied client base and I have no doubt she will quickly cement her place within the town’s business community.” For more information about the range of rural business services offered by Taylor&Emmet’s Bakewell office, telephone (01629) 812613, visit www.tayloremmet.co.uk or follow the firm on Twitter, @tayloremmet.
GRAHAM has appointed Dave Brown as its new contracts director for highways projects, leading on the delivery of the Highways England Collaborative Delivery Framework. Dave is an experienced and highly capable professional who has vast experience of large, multidisciplinary projects across a multitude of sectors including marine, rail, tram, highways and power. Most recently, he has been involved in a multi-billion-pound framework bid for the Highways England framework, providing operational support and acting as a key representative on various forums and boards. Prior to joining GRAHAM, Dave worked for Kier Infrastructure, where he was project director of the Wakefield Waste PFI Contract, a £100M scheme involving the construction of a complex waste handling facility in conjunction with a wide range of stakeholders. In his current role, Dave is a key presenter in the Highways Strategic Alignment Review Tool (StART) process, which looks at how GRAHAM aligns its business operations, culture and strategy to Highways England’s business and delivery models. He will work closely with senior management and board members as the key driver behind the two businesses’ alignment. Dave commented: “I am delighted to be taking on this role within GRAHAM, and I hope that with my extensive experience of multidisciplinary projects and my collaborative and forward-thinking approach to working, I can help the business achieve its operational goals and vision to be a £1billion turnover business by 2021. “Our civil engineering division has been involved in some very prestigious projects nationwide in recent years, and I am excited at the prospect of leading on the Highways England Collaborative Delivery Framework. “Highways England is delivering the largest roads investment in a generation and we want to become an essential component of this delivery. My aim is to work as closely as possible with key stakeholders to form an integrated team which will work on the growth, development and upgrade of the Highways England network.” In his 28-year career, Dave has enjoyed many highlights, one of the proudest being when he received peer and industry recognition by being nominated as project manager of the year in 2001. Many of Dave’s projects have received awards, including an ICE Highly commended award, a Considerate Constructors national ‘Gold’ award and a Highways Agency Zero Safety Award. Dave has always worked on high profile projects, leading Structures teams in the M40 and M1 widening, along with the Sheffield Supertram project, both of which were award-winning. His management of the A63 Melton Grade Seperated Junction Scheme, which resulted in the safe delivery of the project, and the award of a prestigious zero accidents safety award to the project team, was highly praised by the Highways Agency. Dave added: “I have overseen a wide variety of projects in the last 18 years of my career and believe GRAHAM has the expertise and knowledge to expand its service offering in the highways sector. “We are a family-owned company and continue to work with traditional skills and values. I believe this is what will help us secure long-term partnerships, and with our collaborative and safety-first approach, we can become the partner of choice in the industry.” GRAHAM’s civil engineering division has been involved in some of the most prestigious projects undertaken in the regions within which it operates, including the Tennison Road Bridge Replacement for Network Rail, the A138 Chelmer Viaduct for Highways England, Gladstone Biomass Facility in Liverpool, the M80 Stepps to Haggs project in central Scotland, the iconic Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin and the M1/M2/Westlink upgrades in Belfast. Through centuries of expertise, GRAHAM is recognised as one of the most experienced and trusted names in civil engineering, construction and asset management in the UK and Ireland.
Haddon Training is a OFSTED Grade 1 ‘Outstanding’ Training Provider who has been delivering work-based learning for over 20 years. We have been approved by the government to provide training within the Business sector and have funding opportunities available. If you are an employer with over £3m payroll, we are an approved training provider to utilise your Levy funds and can deliver qualifications to your office based staff. We currently work with a wide range of Micro, SME and large businesses in your area and to date helped over 4000 young people and adults gain a recognised qualification. Apprenticeships we offer: Customer Service Levels 2 and 3 Business Administration Level 2, 3 and 4 Warehousing Level 2 Team Leading Level 3 Operational/Departmental Manager Level 5 For further course information, please visit www.haddonbusiness.co.uk We provide free consultation, information, advice and guidance, get in contact today! Call us on 01672 519977 or email clare.balmer@haddontraining.co.uk
The Midas Group has announced a significant new appointment to its senior management team to continue the company’s expansion in the South East of England. Peter Whitmore has joined Midas, one of the largest independent construction companies in the UK, in the role of Divisional Director for the Southern region. He will be based at the company’s regional head office, near Southampton, and will continue to drive the company’s highly successful Southern division, where Midas first opened a regional office in 2008. Peter has more than 25 years’ experience within the construction industry. He joins the company having previously held the role of Business Unit Director for Wates in the South and South West. He has also held a number of senior leadership roles with Morgan Sindall. Peter takes over the reins from Paul Strachan, who has become Divisional Director for Midas in the South East, with a focus on extending Midas’s activities further across the South East region – including establishing a new regional headquarters. Midas has experienced strong growth over recent years across the South East and the company is already delivering on several major developments in the region, including large schemes in New Malden and Seaford, near Brighton Alan Hope, Chief Executive of The Midas Group, said: “This appointment is a significant move for Midas. Peter will play a crucial role in the continued growth of Midas in the South, with the target of reaching a £100m turnover per annum in the region. With improving market conditions and a reputation built on delivering industry leading customer service and performance, this is an exciting time for Midas.” Peter Whitmore said: “I’m delighted to be joining Midas, one of the UK’s largest and most successful independent construction companies. There are significant opportunities for the group in the South and South East and I look forward to working with Alan and Paul to build on the success that Midas has already achieved in the region over recent years.”
