Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.
From building a colossal pyramid over Tokyo Harbour to covering Manhattan with a giant dome, Planet Dolan list ten of the most shocking construction projects that almost happened!
Construction apprenticeship starts in Great Britain are at a record high, according to figures released by the Construction Industry Training Board.
Since 2012 the figure of those joining a construction apprenticeship has continued to rise steadily each year from 17,528 in 2012 to 26,195 in 2017, a rise of 49%. This is the highest figure since the present way of recording apprenticeships began in 2003.
Recent figures for England show apprenticeship starts have dropped by a quarter across the whole economy during August to November 2017, from 155,600 to 114,380. Construction apprenticeships saw a marginal decline of just 150 starts, from 10,900 to 10,750.
The figures suggest that construction has bucked the overall trend in apprenticeships following the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.
Up to £10,250 of CITB grant funding is available to employers for every apprentice they employ. And with CITB research released last month predicting that over 158,000 new workers are needed in the next five years, there is no better time to encourage people to join the industry.
Mark Noonan, Industry Relations Director at CITB, said “Construction has faced a challenging time with Carillion’s unfortunate liquidation, but the industry response has shown how committed employers are to helping to develop young talent.
“While the overall picture for apprenticeship starts looks good at the moment, there is no room for complacency. We now need more employers to step forward to offer apprentices places so that they can start a rewarding career in construction and help build a better Britain.”
More communities across England will be able to get free access to expert advice and guidance to help make their neighbourhood vision a reality, Housing Minister Dominic Raab has announced.
A £23 million fund – being delivered by Locality and Groundwork – will help local groups to develop a neighbourhood plan. These plans give local people a say in the development of their area, including where homes, schools and businesses should be built, how they should look and what infrastructure is needed to support them.
Community groups will be able to access a range of free help including financial support and latest planning expertise from trained professionals, to guide them through the process of preparing a neighbourhood plan.
Housing and Planning Minister Dominic Raab said “Neighbourhood plans are a powerful tool to help communities shape their local area, making sure the right homes are built in the right places.
“It’s vital that communities have the right support and advice available to help deliver a plan that meets their own ambitious aspirations. That’s why I’m making £23 million available that will help more groups to do this.”
Over 2,300 communities across England have started the process of neighbourhood planning, with 530 plans approved in local referendums.
Previous government support has helped around 7 out of 10 of these communities progress their plans, with 365 neighbourhood plans finalised using support provided by the government.
The maximum grant available has also been increased by £2,000 to £17,000, helping communities to access more resources to develop a plan for their area.
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has commenced an investigation into the conduct of Mr Richard Adam and Mr Zafar Khan, former Group Finance Directors of Carillion plc and members of the ICAEW, in relation to the preparation and approval of the financial statements of Carillion plc for the years ended 31 December 2014, 2015 and 2016, and the six months ended 30 June 2017, and the preparation and reporting of other financial information during the period 2014-2017 . The investigation will be conducted under the Accountancy Scheme. The FRC announced an investigation under the Audit Enforcement Procedure into the audit of the financial statements of Carillion by KPMG on 29 January 2018.
The investigations will be undertaken by the FRC’s Executive Counsel and Enforcement Division as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
The FRC is liaising closely with the Official Receiver, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Insolvency Service and The Pensions Regulator to ensure that there is a joined-up approach to the investigation of all matters arising from the collapse of Carillion.
This latest probe is in addition to an investigation under the audit enforcement procedure into the audit of the financial statements of Carillion by KPMG on 29 January 2018.
This infographic was created by Cantrell & Crowley Architects
Nearly half of construction workers think the sector’s pay gap between men and women will be lower than the national average within a year.
- 46% of construction workers think the gender pay gap will be less than 15% by April 2018.
- More needs to be done to achieve equality and tackle sexism in the sector; 35% of workers believe men are better suited for the skill set needed in construction.
- Nearly a third (30%) of women cite fears of sexism as holding them back from pursuing senior roles in construction.
- Workers want organisations to do more, with nearly 39% believing companies are not doing enough to attract females into the sector.
OnePoll survey findings
A OnePoll survey commissioned by the RICS found that despite an optimistic outlook about the gender pay gap figures across the construction sector, with nearly half (46%) of construction workers predicting the gap will be less than 15% by April 2018, businesses need to do more to tackle gender inequality and sexism in the industry.
The future for women in the construction industry
With the national average pay gap recorded at 18.1% in 2016, today’s findings suggest the construction sector could lead the way in closing the gap, if the employees’ predictions are correct. Indeed, more than one in ten respondents (12%) think that there will be no gender pay gap at all by April 2018, which marks the end of the UK Government’s mandatory gender pay reporting period. However, this positive sentiment is markedly absent in the nation’s capital, with Londoners in the construction sector predicting an average pay gap of 21%.
A man’s world?
Despite a positive outlook towards the pay gap, today’s findings reveal the construction sector has significant steps to take if it is to achieve parity. Nearly a third (30%) of women surveyed think sexism holds them back from pursuing senior roles in construction, while 38% of men believe their skills are better suited to the sector than women.
Nearly half (42%) of those surveyed believe companies need to invest more in training their existing female employees. Equally, those in the sector want to see businesses investing in the future pipeline of talent to build a diverse workforce, with 40% recognising that companies need to invest more in encouraging young girls to pursue a career in construction, so that more women enter the profession.
A third of small building firms say that soaring material prices are squeezing their margins and almost a quarter have had to pass these price increases onto consumers, according research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Construction SMEs have reported a range of material price increases since the depreciation of sterling following the EU referendum in June 2016. Small building firms were asked which materials have increased the most and the results were as follows:
- Timber
- Insulation
- Bricks
- Blocks
- Windows
- Plasterboard / Slate (joint sixth)
- Boilers and radiators
- Porcelain products
The impact of these material price increases includes:
- 85% of builders think material price rises could drive consumers to hire rogue traders in an effort to save money on their building projects
- One third of construction SMEs (32%) have had their margins squeezed
- Almost one quarter (22%) have been forced to pass material price increases onto their clients, making projects more expensive for consumers
- More than one-in-ten builders report making losses on their building projects due to material price increases
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “Material price increases have left builders under severe pressure. This research shows that following the fall in the exchange rate, timber is the material that the majority of builders say has increased most in price but the problem doesn’t end there – everything from insulation to windows to bricks and blocks are soaring in price. A third of builders report that these price increases are eating into their already razor-thin margins – and this on top of increased wages and salaries stemming from long-term construction skills shortages. Furthermore, one-in-ten builders say that they’ve actually made losses on projects due to material price increases – this is most likely to happen when a particular product or material jumps up in price mid-project when then builder has already quoted for the work. Perhaps unwisely, some builders are absorbing these extra costs as opposed to re-quoting for the project.”
“Material price spikes aren’t just a problem for builders – they’re also a problem for the home owner, with almost one quarter of builders saying that they have had to pass on price increases to their clients. This means that building projects now cost significantly more than they did this time last year. What with stagnant wages and price inflation across the economy, consumers are feeling the pinch and it might be that they decide not to commission that loft conversion or extension after all. Or worse still, 85% of builders believe that home owners will be tempted to hire rogue traders who are quoting a lower price than a professional building firm such as those that belong to the FMB. If that’s the case, material price rises could lead to a flurry of botched jobs and distressed consumers. We’re calling on home owners to hold their nerve – they’re better off commissioning a more modest project from a professional builder than a high spec project from a cowboy. Don’t take the risk.”
A third of UK home owners would rather hire a female builder, as opposed to a male builder, according to new research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Key results from the FMB’s research into opinions on female builders and tradespeople include:
- Almost one third (30%) of home owners would feel more positive about hiring a female builder or tradesperson to complete a task in their home, as opposed to a male builder or tradesperson
- Women feel particularly positive about hiring female builders with 35% saying they would feel more positive about hiring a female builder or tradesperson to complete a task in their home
Of those who felt more positive about hiring a female builder, the reasons were as follows:
- 51% think female tradespeople might be more respectful of their home
- 46% would like to support more women working in non-traditional job roles
- 42% might feel more at ease with a female tradesperson
- 37% think female tradespeople might be more trustworthy
- 35% think female tradespeople might be friendlier
- 30% think women often have better attention to detail than men
- 20% prefer the company of women
- 18% relate better to other women
- 16% would be a novelty and a welcome change to hire a female builder
Despite feeling more positive about hiring a female tradesperson, 30% fewer people would encourage their daughter to pursue a career in construction than their sons.
Nearly two-thirds of the general public are ‘gender blind’ when choosing their builder or tradesperson and wouldn’t care whether they were a man or a woman.
Commenting on the research, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “There’s a clear appetite among consumers for more women to enter the building industry with one third of home owners saying they would rather hire a female builder. There are numerous reasons for this and chief among them is that these home owners feel that female tradespeople might be more respectful of their home. Consumers are also keen to support more women working in non-traditional job roles which is a breath of fresh air. However, there’s a serious gap in the market here as currently only two percent of tradespeople are women.”
“The construction industry is in the midst of a skills shortage and until we appeal to women – who obviously make up fifty per cent of the population – we’re unlikely to dig ourselves out of this skills hole. Despite feeling more positive about hiring a female tradesperson, 30% fewer people would encourage their daughter to pursue a career in construction than their sons. In 2018, this attitude is outdated and denies thousands of women a potentially rewarding career. Today is International Women’s Day and we’re calling on all parents, teachers and careers advisers to talk to young women about a career in construction. The construction sector can appeal to anyone who takes pleasure in the built environment and wants to avoid being trapped behind a desk all day. This can and should apply to both men and women equally.”
Debi Sporn, from Sporn Construction Ltd, who has worked in construction for more than 16 years, said “The public perception of the construction industry is changing but not quickly enough. As a woman working in construction, I’m able to bring a different perspective to our firm and how it operates. Not only that, clients to seem respond well to the fact that our company employs both men and women. Construction is an exciting sector to work in and I would absolutely recommend pursuing a career in our industry.”
Construction apprentices will go on to earn thousands of pounds more, every year, than many of their university-educated counterparts, according to the latest research by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).
Small building firms across the UK were asked what they pay their tradespeople and the average annual salaries were as follows:
- Site managers earn £51,266
- Plumbers earn £48,675
- Supervisors earn £48,407
- Electricians earn £47,265
- Civil engineering operatives earn £44,253
- Steel fixers earn £44,174
- Roofers earn £42,303
- Bricklayers earn £42,034
- Carpenters and joiners earn £41,413
- Plasterers earn £41,045
- Scaffolders earn £40,942
- Floorers earn £39,131
- Plant operatives earn £38,409
- Painters and decorators earn £34,587
- General construction operatives earn £32,392
The highest reported annual salary for bricklayers in London was £90,000 a year. However, the UK’s university graduates earn the following average annual salaries:
- Pharmacists earn £42,252
- Dental practitioners earn £40,268
- Architects earn £38,228
- Teachers earn £37,805
- Chartered and certified accountants earn £37,748
- Midwives earn £36,188
- Veterinarians earn £36,446
- Physiotherapists earn £32,065
- Nurses earn £31,867
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “Money talks and when it comes to annual salaries, a career in construction trumps many university graduate roles. The average university graduate in England earns £32,000 a year whereas our latest research shows that your average bricky or roofer is earning £42,000 a year across the UK. In London, a bricklayer is commanding wages of up to £90,000 a year. Pursuing a career in construction is therefore becoming an increasingly savvy move. University students in England will graduate with an average £50,800 of debt, according to The Institute for Fiscal Studies, while apprentices pass the finish line completely debt-free. Not only that, apprentices earn while they learn, taking home around £17,000 a year. We are therefore calling on all parents, teachers and young people, who too-often favour academic education, to give a career in construction serious consideration.”
“The construction industry is in the midst of an acute skills crisis and we are in dire need of more young people, including women and ethnic minorities, to join us. Our latest research shows that more than two-thirds of construction SMEs are struggling to hire bricklayers and 63 per cent are having problems hiring carpenters. This is a stark reminder of how the Government’s housing targets could be scuppered by a lack of skilled workers. The FMB is committed to working with the Government to improve the quality and quantity of apprenticeships because the only way we will build a sustainable skills base is by training more young people, and to a high standard.”
Building Specifier is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. We bring you the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.
Printed Magazines available FREE for the construction sector, Published by DataTeam
Click on the logo’s to view, subscribe or download media packs
