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Contracts on four HS2 stations up for grabs

HS2 are planning to hold a competition for architects to submit their design ideas for some major stations along the route.

The four major stations that are offered in the competition include Euston and Curzon Street in the city of Birmingham.

Expected to cost in excess of £43 billion in total, HS2 has released the initial schedule for forthcoming expenditure, which in this case will go towards design work on Euston, Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange and Curzon Street stations.

The architect-led designs could see the plans for Euston taken back to the drawing board after the desgins by Grimshaw were widely criticised by both Camden council and the landowner of the Euston estate, Sydney & London Properties.

A spokesman for HS2 said “The first stages of the procurement process for the main stations contracts will begin towards the end of the year.”

“We are still at the early stages of agreeing the contract arrangements and it may be different for south and north stations due to programme/complexity.”

This news follows recent controversies regarding materials supply chains. Ministers have been loudly proclaiming that it is imperative that Whitehall departments specify British steel throughout the project in a desperate bid to help save struggling steelworks, however, it has recently been discovered that the office in charge of procurement does not hold a record of how much it currently purchases. A revelation that many feel is reckless and irresponsible, given the fact that the very future of the UK’s biggest steel plant hangs in the balance after Indian owner Tata Steel announced last week it wants to sell its loss-making UK operations.

The knock on effect of this also jeopardises the future security of the Port Talbot works in South Wales, with some estimates suggesting that over 40,000 jobs are at risk, including workers and staff at businesses reliant in the plant.

HS2 continues to power forward in an attempt to reunite the North and South in terms of wealth and health. However, how much damage will it do along the way?

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Construction workers express concern over recovery of missing Didcot workers

Britain’s largest union, Unite, have today expressed increasing concern over the time it was taking to locate and recover the bodies of three missing men following the collapse of Didcot power station on 23 February.

Unite which represents workers in the construction and demolition industry said members across the industry had grown increasingly frustrated and were questioning whether the recovery team had enough resources to complete the recovery in a safe and timely manner.

Expressing its deepest sympathy and solidarity with the men’s families, the union’s national construction committee called on the authorities to ensure that construction workers’ families were never again put through the pain and heartbreak of weeks of uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones.

Commenting Unite national officer John Allott said “The thoughts and sympathies of Unite members are with the families of the three men who are still missing and who after six weeks are still seeking closure.

“Our construction and demolition members are well aware that it could be their families suffering a similar experience, which is why they are growing increasingly concerned over the time it’s taking to recover the missing men.

“They recognise that the recovery needs to be done in a safe manner, but would question the time it is taking and whether the recovery team has enough resources.

“Money should be no object, which is why Unite’s national construction committee is urging the relevant authorities to deploy all the necessary resources to ensure that the missing men are returned to their families as quickly as possible.

“The authorities must also learn the lessons to ensure these tragic events are not allowed to happen again.”

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The recession’s lost generation – the challenge of closing the graduate skills gap

Guest post from Managing Director of TDM Recruitment, Tom Morris:

At its pre-recession peak in 2008, the UK’s construction workforce was 2.58 million; a staggering amount. However even more confounding is the fact that by the end of quarter four last year, this had dropped by nearly 13 per cent to 2.25 million. The big problem is that those that were forced to leave the industry at the start of the recession have left a gaping skills gap behind them which is continuing to cause issues.

Before the recession hit, a variety of industry graduate training programmes were being run by contractors and developers in the residential sector and money was in plentiful supply. It was common practice for us to be arranging around 15 first interviews a week which now seems somewhat ridiculous given the way the industry has changed. Salaries were high and construction job openings were plentiful.

When the credit crunch hit in 2008, and the banking sector went into freefall, graduate training programmes were cut as being ‘non-core.’ They really didn’t get going again until 2013, and the old ways of actively promoting to universities to attract the best talent wasn’t until 2014.

The result was a four-year gap after the last tranche of graduates came into the industry before the crunch, and many of those arriving in 2007 and 2008 were shown the door when the recession hit. Now we are faced with an industry where those experienced late twentysomething and early thirtysomething graduates needed to team lead on projects are missing, and junior guys with perhaps only two or three years’ experience are being over promoted to fill the gap.

The worst irony is that now there is a lot of work to do to deliver on demand, particularly in the residential sector, but the new professionals aren’t there to deliver it, and many don’t want to return to the industry having been through a traumatic time in the late 2000s. At the same time there are lot of senior people who now want to step up to board level, meaning there is a excess of applicants for each position, and an oversupply of freelancers who left the industry during the recession and now command high rates and benefit from flexibility. This perfect storm has only begun to dawn on people relatively recently, but what can be done?

The way that some firms have tried to deal with this shortage in management skills is to throw money at the problem. However, it is hard to justify a £20,000 jump in salary for the same Senior Surveyor position in 12 months when the rest of the economy hasn’t kept pace. This sort of inflation-busting rise isn’t sustainable because the rest of the team is likely to want something similar and be demotivated if it isn’t given.

The construction industry had to make hard-headed commercial decisions as the recession bit into their profit margins, but some of those decisions are now coming home to roost in the form of the skills gap. Many staff were treated brutally, and some professionals with good experience are now reluctant to go back to work for the larger organisations which made large numbers of staff redundant, sometimes at very short notice.

The mind-set of candidates has changed and as a ‘sellers’ market’ employers need to be acutely aware of how. Before the recession they may have just looked at whoever was making the highest offer as salaries were very healthy, however graduates who have come into the industry since 2008 or perhaps knew people who went through a traumatic time have a different mind-set.

The experienced young candidates the sector desperately needs are much more focused on achieving genuine work-life balance and being part of an organisation with a strong set of values beyond simply making money. Recent graduates are from Generation Y and are asking employers ‘why would I want to work here?’ As the new graduate programmes will take some time to bed in, employers facing the challenge of delivering construction projects now need to be able to answer that question.

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Windows and doors: time to review your suppliers?

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Residential windows and doors have an impact on a building that is completely disproportionate to their cost and the overall value of the project. Of course they are essential to the function and performance of the building but the aesthetic and even emotional impact they have on a residential property, for tenents and owners, should never be underestimated.

The process of opening every project out to the market is not practical which means that a hardcore of window suppliers and brands will supply most specifiers’ needs. But there is also a great deal to be said for shaking the tree now and again to see what else is out there. After all, that is probably how you met your present suppliers…all those years ago.

Still the most effective way of identifying new potential suppliers are exhibitions. However, the failure of Interbuild and decline of other events means there is quite simply no comprehensive ‘one-stop-shop’ exhibition for professional specifiers currently.

However windows, doors, glass and other elements of residential glazing such as conservatories and porches particularly for the private and public sector housing markets, have commanded their own exhibitions and forums for almost 40 years.

Following the demise of a specialist show alongside Interbuild, a new event with the unlikely title of ‘The FIT Show’ – it is an acronym of ‘Fabricator Installer Trade’ – now provides the most comprehensive buyers guide to windows, door, roofs and anything to do with (mostly) residential glazing there has been for perhaps 10 years or more. Although its core visitor base are the companies and individuals that manufacture and fit the stuff, it is thorough and the most comprehensive and useful event around through which an effective review of glazing products and suppliers may be carried out.

With its maiden outing almost three years ago The FIT Show, which takes place this April at The International Centre, Telford, has now grown into a substantial event that will feature around 180 exhibitors in four halls representing most of the major brands of windows and doors – including composite, sliding and bi-folding – available in the UK. Add in legions of hardware, manufacturing machinery, widgets and support services and it is pretty much everything a window ‘professional’ could possibly need.

After a break of almost two years since the last FIT Show the majority of exhibitors will have something new on their stands that is being shown for the first time anywhere, so planning is recommended rather than a simple stroll around the aisles; there is much to detain the unprepared visitor.

Despite the propensity of exhibitors to keep their new wares under wraps until the event some details have leaked out. We know, for example at least four brand new window systems will be revealed at The FIT Show although one of these, a product called Lumi, has been seen at public shows over the past year. Called ‘a product that truly reinvents the window’ by the judges of a recent awards programme, Lumi offers virtually seamless, edge-to-edge glazing through windows, and residential, sliding and bi-folding doors. In fact doors, especially those of the composite and bi-folding persuasions are at The FIT Show in droves.

A spectacular must-see is the electronically tintable glass being show for the first time anywhere in the UK. Tintable in stages using amongst other things a smartphone app, it is the product of US manufacturer SageGlass, a Saint-Gobain company. And here’s the rub: the firm has replaced the whole of one curtain-walled end of an exhibition hall – no less than 314 metres2 – with its product, in what is the ultimate exhibition demo. Clayton Glass, with a stand in that very same exhibition hall, is the UK agent for the product.

If you are serious about windows, doors and glass and glazing then The Fabricator Installer Trade (FIT) Show really should not be missed. 12th, 13th 14th April 2016, at The International Centre Telford. www.fitshow.co.uk.
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Architect Dame Zaha Hadid has died

Famous ‘starchitect’ Dame Zaha Hadid has sadly passed away at the age of 65.

The Iraqi-born designer was the first woman to receive the Royal Institute of British Architects Gold Medal this year in recognition of her sometimes controversial but always avant-garde work.
Her designs can be found all around the world and include the London Olympic Aquatic Centre, the Riverside Museum in Scotland, Guangzhou Opera House in Guangzhou and MAXXI National Museum of the 21st Century Arts in Rome.

Official statements say that Zaha suffered a fatal heart attack on in a Miami hospital, where she was in the process of being treated for bronchitis.

We take a look back at the amazing, sometimes controversial work of an architect who has always been ahead of the curve:

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Dame Zaha Hadid was an inspirational woman, and the kind of architect one can only dream of being. – Riba president Jane Duncan

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For three decades now, she has ventured where few would dare. If Paul Klee took a line for a walk, then Zaha took the surfaces that were driven by that line out for a virtual dance. – Archigram founder Peter Cook

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She was an inspiration. Her global impact was profound and her legacy will be felt for many years to come because she shifted the culture of architecture and the way that we experience buildings. – Stirling prize winner Amanda Levete

zaha-and-her-buildingZaha quote

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Still gasping

Buildingspecifier considers the growing threat to indoor air quality, as well as ways in which it can be controlled and improved.

We frequently hear architects on property programmes referring to big windows “bringing the outside inside” as if they’ve just invented glass for the first time, but how much attention do designers pay to the fact that outside air is what we inevitably end up breathing while we are inside our homes or places of work?

While it might seem quite an amusing parallel to Ben Elton’s “Gasping,” to read of Leo De Watts, 27, selling air collected in the British countryside to the wealthy inhabitants of polluted cities such as Shanghai and Beijing for £80 a jar, the fact remains that air pollution in several areas of the UK is breaching EU safety limits. Alarmingly, 38 of Britain’s 43 air quality zones are exceeding EU safety limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels which will, inevitably, supply the air changes to our homes, schools, shops and public buildings.

Again we are told repeatedly that modern buildings are becoming more airtight, but as physicists have always stressed, “nature abhors a vacuum” so the tiniest change in pressure from inside to out will encourage airflow through all the tiny cracks and crevices which still exist around the building envelope. Even the Retrofit for the Future properties which were generally cocooned in Exterior Wall Insulation, or the super insulated PassivHaus buildings all still exhibit easily measurable air leakage rates at pressures of 50 Pascals.

As is the case with so many aspects of life in Britain, the agenda is being driven using targets set by Brussels, and as recently as last April the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Government should be taking immediate action to address infringement of health guidelines.

Law firm ClientEarth, which last year forced the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to come up with fresh plans to tackle illegal nitrous dioxide levels in British cities, warned that it would seek urgent court action because thousands of people’s lives could be being put at risk if present Government plans were not strengthened.

Not only are swathes of our cities failing European limits on harmful NO2 gases, which are mostly caused by diesel traffic, but the pollution is blamed for nearly 9,500 premature deaths each year in London alone; due to population densities and the number of people living or working near busy roads. According to Public Health England, the percentage of premature deaths attributable to micro particulates known as PM2.5s rose to 5.3% in 2013 in England from 5.1% in 2012. This death rate in London rose to 6.7% from 6.6%.

Under new plans revealed before Christmas, Defra promised Clean Air Zones for five cities by 2020 in addition to one already planned for London. In fact figures revealed that London’s Oxford Street had the worst NO2 levels in the world due to diesel buses; and one has to feel concern for the shop workers breathing in the fumes on a daily basis inside the buildings where most doors remain not just “open all hours” but all year. Hot air curtains might protect the indoor temperature, but not its quality. Furthermore it will still take at least five years to clean up pollution in many cities, including Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh.

The Clean Air Zones will be centred on areas of each conurbation where the air quality problem is most serious. These zones will aim to reduce the pollution in city centres by encouraging the replacement of old, polluting vehicles with modern, cleaner ones. Similar zones in Germany and Denmark have been shown to lead to an improvement in air quality. These zones will not affect private car owners, but will see the most polluting vehicles, like old buses, taxis, coaches and lorries discouraged from entering the targeted areas through imposing charges.

Furthermore, the Government’s scientific advisers on the issue, the committee on the medical effects of air pollutants, are expected to conclude later this year that across Britain up to 60,000 early deaths annually can be attributed to the main two pollutants (ozone and NO2).

The figure would represent a doubling on the current 29,000 from PM2.5s, and would put air pollution much closer on the risk list to smoking, which kills around 100,000 people a year.

It might be seen as ironic that smoking has actually been banned from most buildings – including bars, restaurants, shops, transport hubs and almost all workplaces – when deadly diesel fumes and other pollutants penetrate so many properties, but there are still plenty of measures which can be taken to improve indoor air quality overall.

Indeed there are numerous mechanical and non-mechanical products on the market which will help remove particulates, irritants, allergens and even noxious gases from the air that we breathe.

Interestingly, back in January, Waverley’s editorial team was invited to view the research and development facilities established by building services specialist, Zehnder at its premises in Camberley.
And although the main focus for the visit was the intriguingly named Flat 51 which forms part of the company’s comprehensive ‘visitor experience centre’; the press was also informed that the headquarters stands just a stone’s throw from a significantly large sewage farm. Happily you would never know from any smell inside the building, while the one bedroom apartment which serves as a testbed for some very sophisticated heating and mechanical ventilation systems, is actually named after the firm’s rigid ducting system.

As well as the Paul brand offered by Zehnder, specifiers could look to use one of the MVHR systems produced by Vent Axia, Polypipe Ventilation, Johnson and Starley, Nuaire or others. And of course these can be utilized in tandem with in-line filtration.

Alternatively, positive input ventilation (PIV) – again available from some of the above named companies – can be set to filter incoming air before blowing it into the occupied spaces. This has the benefit of forcing out moisture laden air and thereby helping to combat mould growth in areas like kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms where it contributes to respiratory conditions.

Commercial air conditioning systems normally offer a big step up in standards of filtration from most domestic equipment, but arguably top of the tree are the type of clean-room installations required for medical laboratories, pharmaceutical production and other highly sensitive industrial facilities.

When raising the bar this high in terms of indoor air quality it is essential to call on expert design and build contractors, such as CDC who can advise on what are also sometimes referred to as aseptic suites. And of course those who work in such environments have to wear medical type garb to prevent their own skin cells contaminating the air.

Returning to domestic scale designs, a new ‘hermetic homes’ policy has been thought up by the Department for Communities and Local Government and is now being forced on councils. The hope is to transform Britain’s 1,400 square miles of air pollution zones back into land that is suitable for building. Developers are now being told that they will only get permission to build on specific sites around the country if they work to stop polluted air getting into the building – one way being to specify windows that cannot be opened, along with mechanical ventilation systems as outlined earlier.

One of these sites is right next door to the four-lane A23 Purley Way in Croydon, south London, which is set to house a primary school, to be finished this autumn.

The same site was abandoned as unsuitable for young children five years ago, when the previous education establishments there were closed and moved to a less polluted environment.

However the Harris Federation, sponsoring academy group, has already issued literature publicizing its intention to open on the Purley Way site in September 2016. The school insists it will be able to protect children with the locked windows and filtered air.

Perhaps we should leave the last work to Simon Birkett, founder and director of campaign group Clean Air in London, said it was “breathtaking [sic] that toxic air pollution in the capital had breached the legal limit for the whole calendar year within the first few days of 2016.” He continued: “Worse, several air pollution monitors have been vying for the dubious honour of recording the first officially monitored breach of the NO2 legal limit in the world in 2016. Put simply, diesel exhaust is the biggest public health catastrophe since the Black Death”.

Written by Juliet Woodcock
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Mythbusting the three little pigs

We are all familiar with the fairy tale of the three little pigs; a moral-laden fable about three pigs that construct three houses from different materials. The big bad wolf blows down the first two pigs’ houses, made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig’s house, made of bricks. The story has been told and retold for hundreds of years. However, I think that things have changed…

There have been a multitude of innovations in modern construction techniques of late, so I have decided to take a second look at how affective the pigs’ methods actually were; would the straw and stick homes still fall to huffing and puffing today?

Straw house

With shortages of materials, lack of skills, an ever increasing population and subsequent carbon footprint, there is understandably an enormous demand for a housing solution that won’t cost the earth, both financially and environmentally.

Straw bale construction is one such material that could help achieve this goal. Indeed, a house built from straw goes one step further than helping to alleviate a housing crisis – it can even help the very occupants within that house keep the modern enemy of fuel poverty at bay. Straw bale buildings are so efficiently insulated that they require very little heating, even in the dead of winter.

Where timescales are an issue, straw bale building can also prove to be a worthwhile consideration. Last year saw the first ever straw bale houses hit the market in Bristol. The housing development consisted of seven homes that were erected on site in just nine days, thanks to their precision factory-made panels which slot together perfectly. This speedy turnaround adds to their affordability, of course.

Social Landlord Martin Connolly, responsible for the development, commented on the Bristol homes: “We got into straw bale housing to explore how we could make housing more affordable. What was behind it was concern about homelessness and the environment.”

“In the first instance, we wanted to achieve natural non-toxic house building which sequesters carbon. Hugely insulated and air-tight, the homes produce virtually all the energy they need to run. We are installing rain water harvesting to cut down water and sewage bills, and LED lights, solar panels and an air-source heat pump to reduce light and heating costs. Bath University research shows the running costs can be reduced by as much as 90%. And, as volume of sales increase, we can strive to make the house purchase price even more affordable.”

So, was the first little piggy really that foolish to choose straw over other available materials? Let’s consider the facts; just shy of 4m tonnes straw is produced as a by-product each year by British agriculture. It only takes around 7 tonnes of straw to build a three-bedroom house similar to the Bristol developments. This means that theoretically it would be possible to grow enough straw to build more than half a million new homes each year using straw grown exclusively in British fields. Perhaps not so foolish!?

Stick house

Was the second piggy wrong to build his house from wood? I think absolutely not. Perhaps, considering that the structure fell merely at the exhaling of a wolf, it is his construction skills (or lack thereof) that should be questioned rather than his choice of material. Timber frame buildings are inherently strong, durable and sustainable. Readily available and relatively low in cost, structural timber offers a competitive advantage over many other materials.

Studies suggest that by moving more towards offsite construction techniques, the reputation of the construction industry will improve in the eyes of the younger generation, who above all have a keen interest in innovation, technology and environmental issues. This means that a career within the sector would become a more viable and attractive option, which in turn will help to alleviate the chronic skills shortage currently blighting the industry. Even the second piggy could brush up on his abilities by enrolling in an apprenticeship scheme.

The government report, Construction 2025, highlighted that the poor public image of construction was having a detrimental effect on companies’ abilities to recruit and retain the best talent. The cleaner, safer and more professional setting of a modular construction factory could definitely help attract prospective apprentices and graduates into this relatively new and exciting area of our industry.

Timber is the perfect choice for specifiers who want a precision engineered material that is both cost effective AND sustainable. Structural timber is a low-carbon alternative that offers high structural strength, airtight construction and a traceable supply chain. Therefore it is the perfect choice of material for little piggies with a passion for sustainability and style.

Brick house

Although the hero of the fairy tale is the pig that chose brick above all other materials, the truth of the matter is that there are pro’s and con’s to every material and brick is no exception. Brick homes require very little maintenance and never require painting, caulking or staining. However, this does have a trade-off. Changing the appearance of a brick exterior can be somewhat difficult and expensive.

Homes made of brick are highly energy efficient and therefore remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Whilst this in itself is good for the environment, there are caveats and sadly the manufacturing process of bricks almost nullifies this benefit. The manufacturing processes used to create building materials such as cement and bricks are currently accountable for roughly 12% of all emissions of carbon dioxide in the world.

Brick manufacturing especially is very energy-intensive due to the kilns that are used requiring firing for up to three days in order for the bricks within to become hard and strong. Brick kilns operate at about 1100°C and are often kept hot even when not in use. This immense heat is generated using fossil fuels, which emit significant CO2 when combusted.

Houses constructed using brick are durable, energy efficient, highly fire-resistant and low maintenance. This means that they tend to have a higher resale value than their timber beam counterparts. Homeowner insurance is also a lot lower for these very reasons. So whilst savings can be made in the long term, the initial outlay will be much higher if using brick in your project.

Bricks are much more expensive as a building material than timber or straw. Also, whilst largely low maintenance for the most part, when repairs do need to be made they can be difficult, time consuming, highly invasive and expensive. This renders brick a non-cost-effective option for many home builders, regardless of savings that will be made at a later date.

Summary

It is clear to see that each method of construction has both benefits and draw backs. This means that no one method is a perfect solution to meet 21st century housebuilding demands. If the housing crisis, combined with materials shortages and the skills gap are the modern day “wolf at the door”, then it is only through a multifaceted approach that utilises all of the tools and knowledge in our arsenal that we can succeed and thrive as an industry. It’s impossible to tell which material will come up trumps in the end – but one thing we can all agree on is that modular technologies, offsite methods and alternative material usage will play increasingly larger roles in construction as we go forward as an industry. Expect to see a lot more on the topic!

So in summary, does a fairy tale that was first committed to print in the 1840’s still offer worthy advice to the wise and considerate specifier who wishes to keep the wolves at bay? I say “no, no, not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!”

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Investment in new Midlands cutting centre at Ibstock Brickworks

The UK’s largest brick maker, Ibstock has opened a new state-of-the-art cutting centre for its Chesterton brick works as part of its ongoing investment programme.

The investment has resulted in doubling of production at the site, the installation of the fastest slipsaw in the UK – capable of processing 8,000 bricks a day – and increased staff numbers.

Ibstock’s Chesterton site specialises in custom made brick shapes from the Ibstock-Kevington range of special shapes and prefabricated solutions including Faststack, Fastwall, arches and underslung soffits.

Iain Durrant, operations director at Ibstock-Kevington, says: “Our Chesterton factory is well placed to support the supply of our specials range across the UK.  We know many construction professionals are seeking ways to speed-up build timescales and the investment is designed to support our range of products and solutions which can help to do just that.

“Our site at Chesterton is one of the most efficient factories of its type in the world and the new cutting centre adds to what it offers to meet demand across construction.”

Ibstock is also investing £55 million in its site in Ibstock, Leicestershire.  The new state-of-the-art production facility is set to boost manufacture by an additional 100 million bricks per year – enough to build around 15,000 new houses.

For more information, visit www.ibstock.com or call 0844 800 4575.

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More young people in construction are called for

A South East based office refurbishment, design and build company is calling for a greater push to get more young people into the construction industry.

RAP Interiors, who are based in Kent, serve a number of clients in the South East, also working into London – so a local company with a national service, and have been growing rapidly. Part of this growth has meant that young people have been taken on as Apprentices to fill new important roles.

RAP Interiors Design Director Julie Anderson said “As we have grown, we have been able to take on young people as apprentices to train from scratch. It has been a challenge finding the right people to do this but we have been lucky and found three great employees who are closely mentored and beginning to take on more responsibility.”

“The problem is that many young people are not being made aware of the benefits of getting into work via this route, and perhaps being encouraged to stay on into 6th form and then go to University. Apprenticeships need to be promoted as a good career choice. They offer a greater chance for young people to hit the ground into the world of work, learn a trade, earn some money and hopefully build a career.”

“They also learn about working in a business setting which includes everything from people-skills, answering the phone to talking in meetings and representing the company. This is often missed when young people move on to further education.”

The three apprentices that were recently taken on are now part of the team. Marcus has become a Site Foreman but qualified in a Multi skilled Apprenticeship covering all trades, Conor is training to be a Quantity Surveyor and Estimator and finally, Ryan Clarke, who was taken on as a Digital Marketing Apprentice, has also been appointed Ambassador for Maidstone via training provider 3aaa.

Ryan said that working at RAP and becoming an Ambassador has built his confidence: “I have learned a lot as a digital marketing apprentice at RAP and this has helped build my confidence in the work-place. I am now comfortable talking in meetings and representing the company. I didn’t want to go to university and get into debt or sit around at home playing video games. I was made aware of a digital marketing course at 3aaa. This seemed like a good idea and I applied – which then led to me being taken on as an Apprentice at RAP. Following this I was surprised when the training provider 3aaa offered me the role of apprentice ambassador and I now go and speak to other young people about becoming an apprentice – which I really enjoy.”

A spokesperson from 3aaa said on Ryan’s appointment: “When Ryan first sent his application through to the Maidstone Academy we were impressed with his skill-set and his passion for digital marketing, he was so keen and eager to find an Apprenticeship, and committed to the programme immediately. Ryan has been chosen to be the Ambassador for the 3aaa Maidstone Academy for his continued effort and dedication, he is an absolute pleasure to have in the Academy, he gets on well with his peers and often offers his support to the class.”

Julie from RAP, says there is a real problem with getting the right people in the construction industry.

“We can see that the industry is improving with new construction taking place and more jobs being made available. This is a good sign that the economic climate is getting better. The challenge is that many young people fail to realise that there are a number of careers they can take up in this industry.”

“It is important that we have enough plumbers and carpenters, but it is also just as important to have marketing, IT and Design specialists. There is a huge crisis in the construction industry where there is a lack of people available and the average age is 55 on site. However, this also means it is good news for those who are qualified as they can demand up to £250 a day in certified trades.”

Colleges are some of the key providers of Apprenticeship training. East Kent college support the view that trained workers in construction can earn a good wage.

Jane Hughes, the head of East Kent College’s Virtual Campus, who oversees the apprenticeship offering said: “In Kent the construction industry is a huge employer, providing around 15 per cent of the county’s jobs. East Kent College works alongside business to identify skills shortages, and currently construction is one sector which is crying out for well trained, skilled professionals.”

“In much of East Kent a bricklayer with the correct training can earn up to £180 a day due to shortages in skilled staff. The skills shortage in construction is a growing issue, and one which makes the industry an ideal choice for those who want a good career.”

“East Kent College offers a wide variety of technical, vocational apprenticeship options to help young people break into the construction industry, and build a solid career for their future.”

Another provider, Mid Kent College, have set up the MidKent College JobShop to help. Assistant Principle Peter Webb said: “Many of our construction contacts in businesses across Kent entered their trade through an apprenticeship. As a result they understand the benefits that apprentices bring to their organisations, and recognise the fantastic opportunities that completing an apprenticeship can open up for young people.”

“We set up the MidKent College JobShop to help employers promote their vacancies to our work-ready candidates, and we work hard to promote the full range of career paths available in the construction sector. Construction companies need trade professionals, but also managers, administrators, accountants, customer service representatives and more. We see it as part of our responsibility to help young people appreciate the breadth of options available to them, and to provide them with the right skills and qualifications to make a positive impact at work in whatever role they function.”

RAP Interiors will continue their drive to support young people. Julie said: “The right foundations are being laid to train young people, we just need them to join the right schemes and take notice of the different jobs available in construction. Otherwise the skills crisis will only get worse.”

For further information please visit www.rapinteriors.co.uk.

Rap interiors

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How will YOU vote in EU referendum? The results:

We polled both our twitter following and our database of construction professionals about how they were planning on voting in this coming referendum. Here is what they came back with.

Of the 75 respondents, which consist of building specifiers, contractors, architects and decision makers within the industry, 65% voted to remain in the EU and 35% said that we should leave. What are your thoughts?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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