by Oscar Venus | 21 Apr, 2022 | Main News Feed, Sustainability
The Government has released its British Energy Security Strategy with the aim of providing secure, clean and affordable energy for Great Britain. It sets out how the deployment of wind, nuclear, solar and hydrogen will be accelerated, which could see 95% of electricity being low carbon by 2030, whilst supporting the production of domestic oil and gas in the nearer term. Offering significant opportunities for construction, measures include planning reforms to cut the approval times for new offshore wind farms from four years to one year and a £120 million Future Nuclear Enabling Fund which could see eight new reactors built across Britain.
To help the industry reduce its reliance on diesel in line with the CO2nstruct Zero target to eliminate 78% of diesel plant from sites by 2035, Build UK has published its ‘Drive Out Diesel’ guide which contains a range of tips to use less diesel, go alternative and use more electric plant and equipment on site.
by Clair Mooney | 20 Apr, 2022 | Main News Feed
The Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS) is pleased to announce that Philip Thomas has been co-opted to its executive board.
Philip is Business Development Manager at Smith Building Systems and has worked within the partitioning, aluminium extrusion and building products field for over 20 years.
Philip’s current role as Business Development Manager for Smiths Building Systems affords him the opportunity to be involved in many aspect of the business including branding, web development, safety, technical specifications, product development, improvement and design. This wide-ranging role will bring a vast amount of industry experience and knowledge to the FIS Board.
A recently new FIS member, having joined in 2020, FIS Chief Executive Iain McIlwee said:
“An inherent strength of FIS is the engagement we get from our membership and particularly the willingness of members to step up and support our team, providing leadership and expertise via the Board. FIS only exists to try and help create the right conditions for the good companies to win, paramout to this is members scrutinising what we are doing is helping and helping us to understand what more needs to be done. Philip brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm and are looking forward to working closely to continue to grow the FIS in every way.”
Philip said
“I feel honoured to have been asked to join the board of the FIS, It has long been considered as the go to resource when it comes to the building industry. To be working alongside so many incredible and well respected people from all parts of the industry makes me feel very proud and humbled. I am excited to be able to help continue the amazing work the FIS does especially when it comes to partitioning which will hopefully continue to benefit of the entire industry”.
For further information or for any questions please contact the FIS at info@thefis.org or call 0121-707-0077.
You can find the current Board members at https://www.thefis.org/about-us/board/
by Clair Mooney | 7 Apr, 2022 | Main News Feed
National Insurance (NI) contributions have now risen by 1.25% for employees in Class 1, 1A, 1B or 4, as well as Class 1 employers. This increase will remain until 5 April 2023, before contributions revert to 2021/22 levels. The Chancellor also confirmed that the NI threshold will increase to £12,570 from 6 July 2022.
by Clair Mooney | 7 Apr, 2022 | Main News Feed
Build UK has announced that the next Open Doors will take place from Monday 13 ‐ Saturday 18 March 2023. Members are encouraged to start thinking now about how they can get involved. Open Doors is a fantastic way for young people and those looking for a change of career to find out what the industry has to offer by going behind the site hoardings and seeing the diverse range of opportunities available.
Last year, 96% of visitors rated their experience as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, with three out of four more likely to consider a career in construction after their visit, demonstrating the impact of Open Doors on recruiting the next generation. Build UK has published a Countdown to Open Doors 2023 detailing the key dates for your diaries, starting with a meeting for Open Doors Coordinators on Thursday 16 June.
by Clair Mooney | 7 Apr, 2022 | Main News Feed
The
latest information from Builders’ Conference shows that 490 contracts worth £5.8 billion were awarded in March. Whilst the number of contracts increased for the third month in a row, the value dipped again but was only just below the monthly average for the past year (£6.1 billion). 69% of all the contracts awarded by value were in the private sector. Overall, there were 161 housing projects worth £1.9 billion (34%), the largest of which was a £350 million project to build 30 residential units with a swimming pool and gymnasium in Westminster; 62 office projects totalling £1.1 billion (19%); and 57 education projects worth £567 million (10%).
The number of tender opportunities (359) was slighter higher than the previous month (352) but still 43% below the monthly average for the past year.
by Clair Mooney | 6 Apr, 2022 | Main News Feed
The City of London Corporation has unveiled a new Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce which will look at defining and addressing skills gaps around the construction, retrofit and maintenance of low carbon commercial buildings in Central London boroughs.
The taskforce will run for three years and will be chaired by Deputy Chairman of the City Corporation’s Policy and Resources Committee, Chris Hayward. City Property Association (CPA)’s Chief Executive, Charles Begley, will serve as Deputy Chair.
FIS Chief Executive Iain McIlwee has a place on the Strategy Steering Board, which will support the Taskforce Chair, Chris Hayward CC, and Taskforce Deputy Chair, Charles Begley, in shaping the Taskforce’s strategic outputs and influence. Working in collaboration, they will ensure that the Taskforce addresses skills gaps relating to low carbon commercial buildings across Central London.
It comes in response to the findings of a poll of over 100 industry professionals which revealed:
- 91% said the commercial built environment sector lacks sufficient skilled workers to achieve net zero targets;
- 80% believed a lack of workplace diversity is an issue for the sector; and
- 87% agreed that there is a growing ‘green skills’ gap in the commercial built environment.
The taskforce will support the aims of the City Corporation’s radical Climate Action Strategy which commits to net-zero carbon emissions across the City Corporation’s operations by 2027, and to support the achievement of net zero for the Square Mile by 2040.
It will bring together leaders from across the commercial built environment, including representation from local authorities, central Government, employers, industry bodies and training providers.
Chair of the Skills for a Sustainable Skylines Taskforce and Deputy Chair of the City Corporation’s Policy and Resource Committee, Chris Hayward, said:
“Central London urgently needs a larger skilled workforce to decarbonise its commercial buildings and this taskforce will lead the way in finding solutions to fill this skills gap.
“We must work at pace to attract new talent as well as upskill and reskill the existing workforce as we look to meet our ambitious climate action goals.
“The areas which we have identified as having the greatest scope for improvement are the full development lifecycle, including design, retrofit, construction and maintenance.”
Deputy Chair of the Skills for a Sustainable Skylines Taskforce and Chief Executive of the City Property Association, Charles Begley, said:
“Advances in technology and innovation are opening up a wider range of job opportunities within the built environment, with the drive towards greater sustainability being embedded from financing to fit-out, as well as the long term operation of a building. However, there is evidence of a growing skills gap which threatens to impede progress in achieving London’s net zero carbon targets.
“We need to understand the barriers in attracting the diverse workforce the industry requires, and find solutions to help promote the reskilling and upskilling of existing workers, whilst raising career awareness amongst Londoners, particularly those from underrepresented demographic backgrounds.”
The taskforce’s Strategy Steering Board, which will be responsible for defining the overall strategy, influence and outputs, is made up of the following 15 industry leaders:
- Bola Abisogun OBE, Founder & Chairman, DiverseCity Surveyors
- Tim Balcon, Chief Executive Officer, Construction Industry Training Board
- Julia Barrett, Chief Sustainability Officer, Willmott Dixon
- David Frise, Group Chief Executive Officer, Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and Member of Executive Group, Actuate UK
- Martin Gettings, Vice President – Portfolio Management, Real Estate, Brookfield
- Alison Gowman, Trustee, Trust for London
- Emma Hoskyn, UK Head of Sustainability, JLL
- Sir Stuart Lipton, Co-Founder and Partner, Lipton Rogers
- Carol Lynch, Chief Executive, Construction Youth Trust
- Iain McIlwee, Chief Executive Officer, Finishes and Interiors Sector (FIS)
- Fiona Morey, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Compulsory and Further Education), London South Bank University
- Benjamin O’Connor, Director, New London Architecture
- Stephen Pomeroy, Founder and Chief Executive, BECG
- Hannah Vickers, Chief of Staff, Mace
- Danna Walker, Founder, Built By Us
After 2025, the taskforce is expected to share the research and lessons learned with other UK regions which have high concentrations of commercial buildings – including Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow.
