Reflecting government statistics highlighting an increase in apprenticeships between 2011 and 2012, Saint-Gobain PAM’s specialist apprenticeship schemes are proving popular with the engineers of the future. Saint-Gobain PAM currently has five young people undertaking its technical design and engineering apprenticeship scheme. Jack Jenderko, 16, combines his basic engineering skills qualification Continue Reading
Regulate the gangmasters exploiting Bulgarian and Romanian workers
Romanians and Bulgarians are already here, ‘self-employed’ and used in the construction industry by unscrupulous employers The construction union Ucatt is opposed to the exploitation of all workers. When the initial eastern European expansion occurred in 2004, a large number of migrant workers began working in the British construction industry. Continue Reading
A 1930s-style building boom could bring back growth
House building after the great depression revived the economy, tackled overcrowding and kept property prices stable for years Eighty years ago, when Franklin D Roosevelt was waiting to move into the White House and the New Deal was still in the future, Britain was already recovering from the Great Depression. Continue Reading
Call for construction industry ‘blacklist’ inquiry
There should be a full inquiry into allegations of “shameful and insidious” blacklisting of workers on projects such as Crossrail and the Olympics. Labour’s Michael Meacher said blacklisting was the “worst human rights breach in the UK since the war”. The move follows disclosures about a database of 3,000 names Continue Reading
SMEs turn away business to fight back against late payments
Over a fifth of small and medium sized businesses (22%) have declined future business from customers in the last year in an attempt to tackle late payments In total, UK SMEs are currently owed more than £36 billion1 in late payments causing serious cash flow problems Late payments continue Continue Reading
Construction industry heads to Downing Street
A new plan to reinvigorate the construction industry was unveiled at a summit at 11 Downing Street last week by 20 construction leaders. Skills Minister, Matt Hancock and the Government’s construction adviser, Peter Hansford were there to launch the ‘Construction4Growth’ (C4G) campaign, which aims to secure close collaboration between the Continue Reading
UK construction faces ‘decade of pain’
The construction industry in the UK will not recover its pre-recession peak level of output until 2022, says a study by an industry lobby group. The bleak outlook follows “one of the most difficult periods since World War II”, the Construction Skills Network report said. The sector lost 60,000 jobs Continue Reading
Northeast starved of infrastructure cash
Contractors in the northeast of England say that they cannot understand why they have been so badly treated in the latest government spending round. Latest funding allocations by the Department for Transport (DfT), in support of highways maintenance, show the northeast region can expect a maximum of only £11.8m Continue Reading
Wates Construction awarded a £25m contract to build a new arts centre in Manchester
The new building, called Home and designed by Mecanoo Architects, will house the Cornerhouse gallery and theatre and the Library Theatre Company. Construction is set to start this month for completion in 2014. The structure will incorporate three existing viaduct arches that will house the venue’s education rooms. There will Continue Reading
John McAslan + Partners’ King’s Cross Station Redevelopment Project
LONDON – 15 January 2013 – John McAslan + Partners, a leading architectural practice in the U.K., today announced that its King’s Cross Station Redevelopment project in London has won a 2012 Be Inspired Award from Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley is the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software Continue Reading