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Andy Marr, Tender and Bid Manager at Thorn Baker Construction attended this year's Autumn conference and he rounds up the day for you below. In 1919 The National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) successfully began representing and promoting Shopfitting and Interior contracting sectors. 2019 is the centenary of this excellent trade association so it was with much anticipation my colleague Sid Choudhury and I arrived at the historic County Hall overlooking the Thames to hear on plans to celebrate 100 excellent years. The morning started with an excellent breakfast and the chance to network, which with so many familiar and friendly faces from contractors and other associated members in the room was a pleasure sharing news from across the sector combined with how good or not our respective football teams where performing. Proceeding to a brilliant mixture of guest speakers, an unexpected movement of people between tables to mix everyone up and encourage conversation with people you would not perhaps get the chance to talk with and an announcement on planned activities to celebrate the associations 100th birthday. This included two fantastic initiatives in helping charities and local communities and recognising young talent. The centenary marks a significant anniversary and a turning point in the history of the association, with exciting news of a new Director joining in January 2019. #NAS100 Charity Challenge: Target 100 companies to raise £100k in cash or in kind NAS are asking members and associates if they can you make a difference in there local communities or for a charity that individual teams would be willing to support? From 10th to 22nd June 2019 members are being asked to take part the NAS Charity Challenge by either raising some funds, volunteering some time or do something to help a good cause or community project. A large number of members in the room immediately pledged to participate in the challenge creating a solid base on which to build in hitting the magical 100 companies target. #NAS100 Nationwide Apprentice Competition: Nurturing the best emerging talent in the Shopfitting and Interiors sectors. The 2019 National Association of Shopfitters Skills Excellence Expo will take place from 19th to 21st June 2019 and is open to all apprentices, of any age who have recently completed or are nearing completion of their training in the craft of Bench joinery or its related activities. The competition will challenge Apprentices from member organisations of the NAS as well as the British Woodworking Federation (BWF). Taking place at Leeds College of Building, competitors will be sent a design brief prior to the competition and will be challenged to make the piece at the college on Thursday 20th June. More details on these two fantastic events can be found here Lunch was again another excellent opportunity to mix among the members and with a large number opting to enjoy the strong autumn sun glowing across the capital city. The morning had been positive, upbeat and the welcome sunshine added to the occasion. Lunch was excellent and I’ve got to compliment the County Hall caterers on a superb selection of choice. It may have been Friday afternoon but the spirit and energy in the room from the morning flowed into the post-lunch segment with several more announcements and a very enlightening presentation on technology. I’m amazed by how the industry has changed and made huge steps forward since I came into it back in the 1980s. The day rounded off with a final chance to talk to other attendees and as the event came to an end Sid and I departed having had a brilliant day meeting people we knew, striking up new friendships and plenty of business cards shared. Roll on 2019 and let the association 100 years celebrations begin. If you would like to know more about the National Association of Shopfitters they can be found here Don't forget to subscribe to all your latest Construction news here:

Earlier today The Construction Index reported that the Government has confirmed that there will be no changes to the environmental assessments required under the planning laws. Although much of the legislation originally derives from pan European Union authorities, Britain is keeping it after Brexit. The government has now published statutory instruments in relation to environmental assessments and the planning regime, ensuring nothing changes. Developers will still be required to undertake an environmental impact assessment, to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account at the development consent stage of the planning process. They will still be required to undertake a strategic environmental assessment, to ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account at the strategic plan-making stage of the planning process And they will still be required to take into account hazardous substances regulations in land-use planning. The government said that it was “committed to maintaining the highest environmental standards after we leave the EU, and will continue to uphold international obligations through multilateral environmental agreements”. Don't forget to subscribe to all of your latest Construction news

The Construction Index reported today about an analysis of the accounts of more than 1700 construction companies has shown that average annual profit before tax has grown from 11.5% to 17.1% over the last three years. The construction firms delivered a 40% increase in dividends and a 38.5% increase in retained profits since 2015. Gross profit margins have grown by a steady 0.5% a year, while annual turnover growth has slowed from 7.6% to 6.7%. The study was conducted by accountancy firm MHA using company accounts information from 2015 to 2018 published by credit reporting agency Experian, for 1,708 construction firms in England, Scotland and Wales with an annual turnover of between £5m and £230m. Despite the slowdown in turnover growth, incomes rose 14.8% over the three-year period across all sizes of construction firms in the report. Average gross profit margins grew a total of 1% over the same period across all sizes of firms; smaller firms seeing a marginally higher rate of gross profit margin growth. ​ Most companies saw declining turnover growth over the three-year period. The only two groups bucking this trend were companies with turnovers of £5m-£10m and £100m-£150m. However, given inflationary pressures on labour and construction material costs, any real-term growth from comparatively low turnover increases will be limited, the authors said. MHA’s analysis of the Experian company data showed either very modest growth or slight reductions in executive salaries in the sector, with firms in the £10m-£150m turnover brackets showing a slight decline in senior pay in the most recent year of accounts. The largest salary rises were recorded in the £150m-£200m turnover bracket; the smallest and largest groups (turnover of £5m-£10m and over £200m) recorded only small increases in directors’ remuneration. Average employee numbers of the firms analysed has dipped from 125 to 123 over the past three years. MHA seemed reluctant to attribute this to improved efficiency, instead describing it as “one of the potentially more concerning indicators in the data”. Robert Dowling, head of construction and real estate at MHA, said: “Britain’s construction industry has traditionally been seen as a bell-weather for the wider economy, and there are some worrying trends in this report. Falling turnover growth coupled with flat or declining employment levels may well slow or even reverse the upward trend in profitability in the coming months. “Whilst there remain some positive markers for the sector in the report, the prevailing sense is that the continuing uncertainty in the UK economy is affecting business confidence in the construction industry.” Don't forget to subscribe to all of your latest Construction news

Looking for work? We've listed out below our top 5 tips that you can make your job search easier on our new website: 1. Register on the website: This will give you access to your own personal dashboard, it only takes a few minutes and it gives you access to all of the great features... You can do that here 2. Upload your CV to your profile: Make your job application super easy and make sure that we know all of your latest experience. 3. Sign up for job alerts: Let us do the work for you! You can set the alert to go to you as much or as little as you'd like. 4. Suggested jobs: This feature will suggest live jobs that are suited to you, another great feature that will make your job search quicker and easier. 5. View your applications: Sometimes it's easy to lose track of which jobs you've applied for... we can solve that problem for you! In your personal dashboard you'll be able to see all of the jobs that you've applied for saving you time. Creating your own personal dashboard is super quick and easier - create yours here today You can contact your local Thorn Baker Construction office here Don't forget to subscribe to all your latest Construction news

Key findings from this months IHS Markit / CIPS UK Construction PMI are showing that all three sub-sectors recorded a loss of momentum since August. UK construction companies indicated a sustained increase in business activity during September, but the rate of expansion slowed for the second month running. At 52.1 in September, down from 52.9 in August, the seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI® ) signalled the weakest upturn in output for six months. Civil engineering was the worst performing subcategory of construction work, with activity declining at a slightly quicker rate in September. House building and commercial construction continued to increase at a solid pace, although the latest survey indicated weaker growth than in August. A number of firms suggested that subdued economic conditions so far in 2018 remained a factor holding back business activity growth. In contrast to the trend seen for construction output, latest data pointed to a faster rise in new business volumes. The rate of new order growth picked up to its strongest since December 2016, which firms attributed to resilient demand and an upturn in new invitations to tender. A robust rise in staffing numbers was reported in September, helped by another improvement in new order books. The latest increase in employment was the fastest since December 2015. Sub-contractor usage also increased at the fastest pace for over two-and-a-half years. Survey respondents noted that their own payrolls had been boosted by a larger than usual intake of trainees and apprentices in September. There were also some reports that tight labour market conditions had led to a strategic focus on long-term hiring policies. Delivery times for construction products and materials continued to lengthen in September. Intense supply chain pressures were attributed to stock shortages at vendors and stretched transportation capacity. That said, the latest downturn in vendor performance was slightly less marked than the three-and-a-half year low seen during August. Tim Moore, Associate Director at IHS Markit and author of the IHS Markit/CIPS Construction PMI® commented: “UK construction firms experienced softer output growth during September, with house building, commercial and civil engineering all losing momentum. A lack of new work to replace completed projects meant that civil engineering saw an overall decline in activity for the second month running and remained the main laggard. “There were mixed signals in terms of the near-term outlook. New order books strengthened to the greatest extent since December 2016, which indicates that construction workloads remain on an upward trajectory. Rising demand and tight labour market conditions led to robust job creation, with survey respondents commenting on a larger-than usual uptake of apprentices in September. “However, latest data showed that overall confidence about the year-ahead business outlook was among the lowest seen since the start of 2013. Construction companies continued to note that political uncertainty acted a key drag on decisionmaking, with Brexit worries encouraging a wait-andsee approach to spending among clients. The main areas reported as likely to see a boost in the coming year were construction work related to large-scale energy and transport projects.” Duncan Brock, Group Director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: “Despite the biggest rise in new orders since December 2016, the sector remained in a downbeat mood with business optimism at its second lowest level since the beginning of 2013. “A cause of this malaise pointed to increased cost burdens with both fuel prices on the rise, and acute shortages in raw materials, as supplier delivery times have lengthened to an extent not seen since 2015. The Brexit blot on the landscape was still in evidence as housing activity slowed to a pre-April growth rate and clients hesitated to place orders. Civil engineering was hit the hardest however and under 50 for the second month in a row, which points towards another contraction. “Workforce planning was not held back however, as the sector kept an eye on the future and increased operating capacity with the biggest rise in job creation since December 2015. Though the struggle for talent remained and many of the opportunities were for entry-level apprentices. “This tale of feast and famine offers little in the way of reassurance and is more about holding on to stable growth than a sprint to the finish. The weakest overall activity in six months shows that caution and Brexit concern remain roadblocks to strong growth.” Don't forget to subscribe to all of your latest Construction news

The latest Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI report has show that commercial building was the best performing area of construction output in August 2018, followed closely by residential work, the latest monthly survey of industry purchasing managers reveals. The latest expansion of housing activity was the weakest since March, though, and civil engineering workload decreased for the first time in five months. A number of survey respondents cited a lack of new work on infrastructure projects. Overall, August data pointed to a renewed slowdown in output growth across the UK construction sector but positive signs included an increase in new business and employment growth maintaining the recent peak level seen in July. At 52.9 in August, the seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) eased from July’s 14-month high of 55.8, but remained above the crucial 50.0 no-change mark. The latest reading signalled a moderate overall rise in construction output, with the rate of expansion the weakest since May. Anecdotal evidence cited resilient client demand and supportive economic conditions, but there were also reports that Brexit-related uncertainty continued to hold back investment spending. Higher overall workloads encouraged additional staff recruitment across the construction sector in August. Survey respondents noted tight labour market conditions and shortages of suitably skilled candidates to fill vacancies. Purchasing activity increased for the eleventh consecutive month in August, although the latest upturn was the weakest since March. Low stock and labour shortages among suppliers continued to impact on delivery times for construction products and materials. The latest deterioration in supplier performance was the greatest seen for almost three-and-a-half years. Despite stretched supply chains and rising energy-related costs, latest data indicated that input price inflation edged down to its lowest since July 2016. UK construction companies are optimistic that business activity will expand over the coming 12 months, but the degree of confidence eased to its weakest since May. Survey respondents cited confidence about achieving organic growth through new project wins and geographical diversification, while Brexit uncertainty remained the main factor cited as holding back sentiment. Tim Moore, associate director at IHS Markit and author of the IHS Markit/CIPS Construction PMI, said: “The construction sector slipped back into a slower growth phase in August, with this summer’s catch-up effect starting to unwind after projects were delayed by adverse weather at the start of 2018. “Civil engineering was the worst performing area of the construction sector, with output in this category falling for the first time since March amid reports citing a lack of new work on infrastructure projects. House building saw a particularly sharp slowdown since July, meaning that commercial construction was the fastest growing sub-sector in August. “There are some encouraging takeaways from the latest survey, especially the resilient degree of new business growth in August and a strong upturn in staff recruitment. Survey respondents noted that they are confident about achieving organic growth at their businesses in the coming 12 months. The degree of optimism reported in August remained constrained by external factors, including domestic political uncertainty, stretched supply chains and shortages of suitably skilled labour.” Duncan Brock, group director at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, said: “Cracks in the construction sector’s masonry were beginning to show again this month, and the house building sub-sector was hit the hardest as it reported the poorest performance since March this year. “Civil engineering saw a drop off in larger infrastructure projects and found itself in contraction territory. Levels of new work held moderately steady overall, but with any significant growth held back by Brexit uncertainty. It was also the logjams in supply routes that hampered work in hand where material and skills shortages meant vendor performance deteriorated to its worst level since March 2015. “If there is anything positive to note from this month, it would be that the rate of hiring remained strong. However, persistent pressures from skills shortages and slow rates of new orders will continue to hit business optimism still trailing below the survey’s average. “The sector is hovering too close for comfort to the no change mark, which makes it a contender for more disappointment next month. Though the path to Brexit is paved with good intentions, without significant progress the sector will soon be building castles in the air rather than on solid ground.” Don't forget to subscribe to all your latest Construction news

A recent article from the Construction Enquirer discussed how Barclays has teamed up with Homes England to offer smaller house builders access to a £1bn pot of loan finance to tackle England’s housing shortage. This is great news for the Housing and Residential sector, is your project pipeline be growing? Competitively-priced loans ranging from £5m to a maximum ceiling of potentially £100m, will be on offer to house builders with the necessary experience and track records. They will be made available to existing and new customers and are designed to cover up to 80 % of costs or 70% of the value of the project. Under the new arrangement, Barclays is putting up £875m, while Homes England will release £125m. A key priority of The Housing Delivery Fund is to support small and medium-sized businesses to develop homes for rent or sale including social housing, retirement living and the private rented sector, while also supporting innovation in the model of delivery such as brownfield land and urban regeneration projects. Launching the fund, John McFarlane, Barclays’ Chairman, said: “There is a vital need to build more good quality homes across the country. “This £1bn fund is about helping to do exactly that by showing firms in the business of house building that the right finance is available for projects that help meet this urgent need. ‘We are very pleased to be working with the government to get the country building more homes, more quickly.” Housing Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire, added: “My priority as Housing Secretary is to get Britain building the homes our country needs. This new fund – partnering Homes England with Barclays – is a further important step by giving smaller builders access to the finance they need to get housing developments off the ground. ‘This is a fantastic opportunity to not only get more homes built but also promote new and innovative approaches to construction and design that exist across the housing market.” If you need any additional support on your Housing and Residential sites contact your specialist recruiter today Don't forget to subscribe to all of your latest Construction news

An article by Building last week discussed how the construction industry feels sidelined by the government in its vision for Brexit, complaining that ministers just aren’t listening. But is the sector itself partly to blame for failing to present a clear and unified voice? You can read a summary of the article below. In less than seven months the UK will sever its formal ties with the EU after more than four decades of close co‑operation – some would say too close – in order to “go it alone”. Ever since Article 50 was triggered 18 months ago, UK government negotiators have been in locked in talks with their opposite numbers in Brussels over what will be the terms of the country’s relationship with Europe come Brexit Day on 29 March next year. But these discussions have been tortuously slow and seem to have yielded little. With the clock ticking, there urgently needs to be more meaningful progress towards a deal on which all sides agree. Have you discussed of Brexit will affect your sites, do you have a plan in place? While there have been calls in certain political circles for a “no-deal” exit, the construction industry is clear that leaving the EU without a deal would be disastrous for the sector – with a worsening of skills shortages just one of the likely negative effects. “While we’ve had some good conversations, there isn’t much coming out the other side” Alan Vallance, Riba So with only months to go before the UK economy steps into the unknown, the charge is that ministers have not acted adequately to enable construction firms to plan for the outcome of Brexit and reassure them that leaving the EU – deal or no deal – won’t leave them out of pocket, bereft of the investment, staff and the materials they need in order to build the homes the country needs and the infrastructure to go with it. ​A sense of abandonment The results of Building’s survey of more than 600 individuals suggest many feel abandoned by ministers, with 65% believing the government is not interested in getting the construction sector a good deal. Just one in 10 thought it was. Depleted workforce Don O’Sullivan, Galliard Homes’ chief executive, agrees, not least because of fears of a depleted industry workforce from next March. “Brexit will trigger an employee shortage in the construction sector as European workers won’t be replaced and others may leave as we exit the EU. No one in government is advising us,” he says. Government engagement The government says that while freedom of movement will end, the UK will still welcome the brightest and best to its shores. This may cater for university-educated high-flyers or those with a few million pounds to invest in the UK, but it’s less clear where this leaves site workers from eastern Europe coming here to help us build the new homes, schools, hospitals and infrastructure the country needs. Unclear position Suzannah Nichol, Build UK’s chief executive, says: “Every meeting and discussion we have with government is framed by Brexit. My team at Build UK works closely with the CBI and the heads of the other major sectors, as while there are some sector specific issues the majority of concerns are shared across the business community. We are pushing ministers and officials hard for certainty and clear policy that will help our members keep Britain building.” Ann Bentley, global board director of Rider Levett Bucknall and a CLC member, agrees that the CBI – Common sense Others take a less proactive, but perhaps more pragmatic view. Redrow chief executive John Tutte says he and others “would like to see some clarity as to where we are at, and while you have uncertainty, you always have caution. “We don’t want a really bad deal, but you have to have a point where you need to be in a position to get up and walk away. You would hope common sense will prevail. The EU needs a deal as well.” And Colin Lewis, chief executive of Chesterfield-based housebuilder Avant Homes, acknowledges the level of detail from government has been inadequate, but wonders what ministers are supposed to do. “Yes, I want to see more clarity but I also appreciate that the government doesn’t want to give too much away when negotiating.” Lewis thinks the House Builders Federation has done a “cracking job” of representing the sector’s interests when dealing with Whitehall, but he also believes ministers might have more on their plate than worrying about what housebuilders think. “That said, I share the concern around the level of uncertainty and I’m very supportive of a drive for greater clarity about what’s going on. But honestly, I don’t think the government knows either.” You can read the full article here Don't forget to subscribe to all of your Construction News

UK Construction Online recently featured an article speaking to Simon Crowther, Founder and MD of Flood Protection Solutions, about housing infrastructure in the UK and whether it can cope with another million homes within the next few years. Population change over the last decade has called for a greater number of homes to be built every year, but the UK is already one of the most densely populated countries in Europe, so where do we put everyone? To make matters worse, we have been subject to more flooding than ever in recent history, and planners must understand that an increase in impermeable surfaces will only exacerbate this further by increasing overland flow and reducing infiltration into the ground. To solve one problem may only create another, so both need to be addressed in harmony. Do you agree with this? The Government set a target in 2015 to build 200,000 houses a year, so that by 2020 one million new homes would have been built. Incredibly, this target was deemed too small and in 2017 it was increased to 250,000 homes a year with the suggestion that the target should rise to 300,000 a year. The problem being seen in the UK is where to put all these houses. Recently, councils have seen increased pressure from government to stop avoiding targets or adopting ‘not in my back yard’ approaches to housebuilding. In fact, Sajid Javid, the former Communities Secretary, told councils that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government would be ‘breathing down their neck’ to make sure targets were met (Khan, 2018). This pressure, and sense of building quickly to meet targets, poses a real problem to flood risk. According to Know Your Flood Risk, one in six homes in the UK at present is at risk of flooding. There is no doubt that the UK has seen a rise in flooding issues in recent history, with climate change and land management practices driving an increase in events. One factor that has contributed to the rise in flooding is the increase in impermeable surfaces with rapid urbanisation. Higher impermeable cover leads to increased surface runoff, a driver of flooding. More and more houses being built will only increase the percentage of impermeable cover, which will continue to exacerbate the issue. The land can no longer absorb rainfall if it is built over; instead, water runs off impermeable surfaces into drains which can become overwhelmed, and into rivers, increasing the flood risk in multiple areas. It is unlikely that old drainage systems will be able to cope with the increased burden, and thus sewer and surface water flooding will be more prevalent. Floodplains continue to be built on despite understanding the associated risks, a trend that is set to continue. Floodplains are viewed as attractive by developers due to their flat topography, but the nature of them, and their natural function, means any homes are very likely to be hit by flooding in their lifetime. Building more homes will naturally put greater pressure on our infrastructure networks. You can read the full article here Andy Marr, Construction Key Account Manager, shares his thoughts on this with you; “The government’s current £2.5 billion investment programme aiming to improve defences against all types of flooding is well underway. Any innovation would be welcomed which not only helps sustain the current levels of new homes being built across the UK but protects existing property and infrastructure.” ​Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

A recent article from the Construction Index has spoken about an apprenticeship scheme has been developed by construction contractors specifically for those seeking a career in health & safety management. The safety, health and environment apprenticeship scheme (or SHE) has been developed to provide a pipeline of trained staff to manage the risks in the workplace. It is designed to address the impact that changes in technology and innovation are having on business working practices. Have you thought about having apprentices within your business? The creation of the new qualification was spearheaded by a working group comprising contractors including Costain, Skanska, Balfour Beatty, Mitie, Morrison Utilities and Sisk, along with client organisations such as HS2 and Thames Water. Their work was supported by the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health, the Unite trades union and others. The first 20 apprentices have started their apprenticeships in a range of companies, including those in the working group. A further 160 are due to start in the coming months. Two will be working with Costain on its A-one+ Joint Venture in Kent starting in September. The SHE apprenticeship is a level three qualification which is the equivalent of two A Levels and allows apprentices to learn while they earn – 20% of their time will be spent on additional off the job training. Ian Nixon, Costain’s highway and nuclear sector SHE manager, said: “Technological innovation is transforming the workplace across every industry. Every business is placing a premium on those employees who have the expertise and abilities to assess the operational risks of these new technologies and implement steps to ensure that staff can manage them safely and securely. That is why, in partnership with colleagues from across many different sectors, we have developed England’s first SHE apprenticeship. “This new scheme will equip trainees with the knowledge, expertise and skills needed to mitigate safety risks and help businesses manage any areas of potential harm to employees.” Andy Marr, Construction Key Account Manager, shares his thoughts on this with you; “This is a fantastic new vocation for those seeking a career in health, safety and environmental management. The challenges remain the same and industry is constantly evolving, therefore, having apprentices working with contractors in achieving this qualification to meet 21st-century technology and innovation is an excellent scheme.” Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

The Construction Enquirer reported last week that the Confederation of British Industry is calling on Theresa May to drop post Brexit immigration targets or risk construction sites grinding to a halt. The CBI wants an “honest and open debate” about a new migration system which doesn’t wrap workers up in red tape over non EU visa rules. How could this affect your future projects? Its report Open and Controlled calls for “shifting away from controlling numbers to assessing contribution and by investing in local public services where demand has been increased by migration.” The CBI also wants to “replace free movement with an open and controlled immigration system for EU workers.” Josh Hardie, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: “The needs are more complex than only ensuring that the UK can attract the ‘brightest and best’. “Housebuilding needs architects for design, labourers to dig foundations and electricians to help finish the job.” The report highlights how overseas workers fill roles across the full range of skill levels within the construction industry – from general labourers (40%), to technical and vocational skilled tradespeople like carpenters (11%), plant and machine operatives (7%) and bricklayers (8%), through to graduate level roles including architects (16%) and civil engineers. It added: “As migrants progress within the industry many move into management positions, with almost 5% now being directors, managers or supervisors. “Workers within the construction industry at all skill levels are often independent contractors or self-employed. “The new migration system must enable European workers to move swiftly and easily between working on different projects, often for different clients. “Replicating a sponsorship model linked to an individual employer, or having to carry out a new resident labour market test each time a worker from the EU moves to work on a new project, will not meet the needs of the construction industry.” Suzannah Nichol, Chief Executive of Build UK, said: “UK construction must have access to skilled people to create the infrastructure and homes that build communities. “The industry has committed to recruit, train and retain home-grown talent but a clear and sustainable migration approach that focuses on key occupations is urgently needed so we can bridge the gap.” Andy Marr, Construction Key Account Manager, shares his thoughts on this with you; “The National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline report, published in December 2017, estimates there will be around £600bn of public and private investment in infrastructure over the next decade. To deliver this will require a large and capable workforce which needs to be transient and able to move from project to project as required. A sensible approach to having these skills readily available could be the difference between world-class projects being delivered on time, massively delayed or postponed ” Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news ​

The latest REC/Markit Report on Jobs showed that permanent placement growth had softened to a nine-month low, while temp billings increased at a faster pace. In addition, it highlighted that staff vacancies expanded at the quickest rate since last November, there was a decline in candidate availability but there was a rise in permanent staff appointments. Have your recruitment needs been affected by the candidate shortage? Permanent placements continued to rise sharply in July, though the rate of expansion was the softest recorded since last October. Temp billings also increased strongly, with the rate of growth picking up from June’s recent low. ...as supply of candidates continues to drop markedly Recruitment agencies indicated that candidate shortages weighed on permanent staff appointments. Notably, the supply of both permanent and temporary candidates fell sharply in July, despite rates of decline easing to the weakest in three months in both cases. Staff vacancies rise at quicker pace... Demand for staff strengthened further in July, with overall job vacancies expanding at the quickest rate for eight months. Growth was led by the private sector, with demand for both permanent and temporary workers continuing to rise at rates that comfortably outstripped those seen in the public sector. ..maintaining upward pressure on pay Low candidate availability and robust demand for staff led to a further steep increase in salaries awarded to permanent starters. At the same time, temp pay rates rose at a marked and accelerated rate that was close to April’s two-year record. Regional variation Permanent placements rose at faster rates in the Midlands and the South of England, but growth softened in the North of England. In contrast, permanent staff appointments fell slightly in London. Growth of temp billings was broad-based across the four monitored English regions during July, with the sharpest rate of increase seen in the North of England. Sector variation July data indicated that demand for staff continued to increase at a considerably stronger pace in the private sector than in the public sector. The strongest increase in staff vacancies was seen for permanent private sector workers, while the weakest rise was signalled for public sector permanent roles. IT & Computing was the most in-demand category for permanent staff in July. Nonetheless, steep increases in vacancies were also registered in the remaining nine job categories. The slowest rise in demand was reported for Retail workers. Temporary staff vacancies rose across all of the ten monitored job categories in July, with the sharpest increases seen across Blue Collar and Nursing/Medical/Care. The slowest, but still marked, rise in short-term roles was signalled for Executive/Professional. Sophie Wingfield, REC Head of Policy says: “The rise in interest rates for only the second time in a decade may leave some people feeling the pinch. But a new job is one way people can ease the burden on their finances. With our data showing starting salaries continuing to rise, the latest official government figures suggest that we are finally seeing the effects of a tighter labour market feed through to pay. “Following a period of turbulence and big name closures, the World Cup and heatwave had retailers enjoying a ‘summer bounce’ and basking in the sun with demand for temporary staff on the up with many businesses positively revising their hiring plans. Right now students on their summer break can make the most of these opportunities and cash-in while gaining valuable experience and new skills.” Paul Jackman, Thorn Baker Group CEO comments: “There’s nothing in this report that would come as a surprise to any forward-thinking business who are recruiting, it’s a basic supply and demand issue that’s exacerbated by the rate of change in some of the more advanced industries. If clients want to grow in the near future they’ve got a battle on two fronts. Firstly, retain your good people – and that’s not just about remuneration, they’ll need to be engaged, developed and treated well, with sufficient opportunities for progression; if you can’t retain them you’ll do well to maintain headcount. Secondly, when looking to expand your workforce you need to be able to communicate a compelling reason why someone should join you and be able to back it up with a substance that goes beyond even the most powerful brand. Our client’s benefit from what we call recruitment ‘Know-how’ – our ability to effectively give employers access to the type of individuals that will give them a competitive advantage if you’d like to discuss further contact your local team today.”

The Dragon Boat Challenge took place on Sunday 5th August 2018 and the Thorn Boaters were among the 50 crews battling it out over the 200m race course on the River Trent at the Victoria Embankment watched by thousands of spectators. Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition and the fastest growing water activity in Britain today – as well as the most fun! We had 10 people paddling our 30’ boat with a drummer (Samie) at the front beating time and our helm at the tail steering a straight course. The day is always a popular event for our staff and this year was no exception, with lots of food (Aqsa our IT Systems manager has the best chicken recipe!) lots of sunshine and team building we might not have won but we definitely all had a fantastic day! Managing the day Gable Events joined with Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People for the 10th dragon boat challenge to be staged as part of the Nottingham Riverside Festival, this year we helped to ise over £11,000 which is amazing. Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People Rainbows is the only hospice in the East Midlands that provides vital care and support to children with life-limiting illnesses from across the region. They also look after the wider families – mums and dads, brothers, sisters and grandparents – because life-shortening illnesses affect everyone. The money raised will help allow these families to make the most of the time they have together, making precious happy memories they can treasure forever. ​Tom Stanyard, Corporate Partnership Fundraiser at Rainbows said; “The Dragon Boat Challenge is an amazing event. With up to 50 companies competing for a number of prizes the day has a great atmosphere. More amazing than the event however is what Rainbows is able to do with the fundraising support we receive from the crews taking part. With only a small amount of guaranteed funding, your support at events like this makes it possible for us to help and care for those families who need it most.”​

Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) has announced the cost of CSCS skills cards is to rise from £30 to £36 from 1st September 2018. Also the operators of a construction industry skills certification register have closed a loophole that had left the scheme open to abuse. Have you experienced any problems with SKILLcards on your sites? Managers of the engineering services SKILLcard scheme were alerted to the fact that a number of people working in the thermal insulation industry had managed to secure heating and ventilating (H&V) installer cards to gain access to construction sites. As a result, site managers were in danger of being duped into allowing workers without the right qualifications onto their projects. SKILLcard and the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) have now removed scope for abuse and confusion, they say. The SKILLcard and TICA programmes are both affiliated to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) that help clients check whether workers have the right qualifications and suitable health & safety training. For thermal insulators, this means holding qualifications that lead to competency as defined by the Sector Skills Council (SSC). More than 60,000 people working in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration industry hold an engineering services SKILLcard, which also covers building engineering services supervisors and managers. The TICA skill card competence is different to the SKILLcard scheme but, as things stood, thermal insulation operatives were able secure an engineering services card on completing an NVQ Level 2 course as a standalone qualification, getting on site through the back door. This was described as “a blatant abuse of the competence system” by Rachel Davidson, director of certification schemes at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), which manages SKILLcard. “As soon as we were alerted, we closed this loophole in line with our responsibility to uphold professional standards and provide quality assurance to construction clients.” She said it was clear this loophole was being exploited knowingly because the applicants felt they would not immediately qualify for a TICA skill card. Read the rest of the article by The Construction Index here The cost of CSCS skills cards is to rise from £30 to £36 from 1st September 2018 The Construction Index posted this week about the 20% price rise increase applies to all cards administered directly by the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). The last price increase was in 2010 but costs associated with running the scheme have increased significantly since then, CSCS said. Chief executive Graham Wren said: “We have managed to maintain the current card price for the last eight years however inflationary pressure, together with increased costs associated with combatting fraudulent activity, have pushed our costs up to the point where the current price is not sustainable. In addition, with our current contact centre provider CITB having served notice to exit the service contract the CSCS board have agreed to invest in new technology and systems to ensure the application process is modernised.” CSCS is a not-for-profit organisation owned by three employer organisations and two trades unions. Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

The Builders Merchants Federation is warning that its members face a £1bn Brexit bombshell if they are forced to pay 20% VAT upfront on European building materials. Has this been a debate in your business yet, how will this affect your projects' budgets? The Construction Index has reported about Parliaments vote this week to ban the UK from raising taxes bound for the EU unless the EU also collects tax for the UK. If the UK exits the EU without reciprocal customs arrangements, UK businesses face having to pay 20% more for imports from the EU and will have to do this upfront before goods can leave EU ports. Building supplies will be particularly impacted, the BMF says, with a knock on effect on costs of construction and, potentially, the UK housing market. Cashflow, costs and prices will all take a hit, given that the UK is heavily reliant on imports for materials such as timber, bricks and paint. 60% of timber used in UK building comes from the EU, mainly Sweden, Finland and Latvia, and the added costs are £1bn. For bricks, imported mainly from Belgium and Holland, the post Brexit changes would add costs of £160m, while for paint, which comes from across the EU, added costs are estimated to be around £80m. BMF chief executive John Newcomb said: “Merchants already face significant cost increases due to rising world prices and currency fluctuations involving Sterling. Paying 20% more due to VAT rules will hit builders’ merchants hard.” Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news ​

A report from the House of Lords’ recently has said that a radical overhaul of the construction sector is needed or the UK will struggle to meet its housing and infrastructure needs. With many of you working within the Housing sector do you agree with this? An FM World article this week reports that the construction sector as it currently operates cannot meet the UK’s need for housing and may struggle to meet the need for infrastructure. And given that the UK already lags behind other countries in construction productivity, and is facing a labour shortage, the government and the construction sector must urgently find solutions. Are you facing these problems within your own business? In Off-site Manufacture for Construction: Building for Change, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee says that off-site manufacture (OSM) can help to increase productivity in the construction sector while reducing labour demands, improving the quality and efficiency of buildings, and reducing the environmental impacts associated with traditional construction. However, take-up of OSM is varied and somewhat limited across the sector because it is working with “outdated and unsustainable business models that are not conducive to OSM for construction”. OSM requires collaboration between clients, designers and contractors from an early stage, but much of the evidence the committee received painted a picture of a construction sector that is fragmented and lacking in trust. These barriers must be addressed by the sector itself and strong leadership is needed from the Construction Leadership Council. While OSM could lessen the labour shortage, the different skills required for manufacturing are currently lacking in the UK labour market and must be developed. OSM will require a combination of skills involving site implementation, digital and procurement. The government must therefore ensure that young people entering the workplace are equipped with the digital skills needed for modern methods of construction, including off-site manufacture. The government’s Construction Sector Deal and its stated “presumption in favour” of OSM, have shown a strong commitment to investing in this area and the committee welcomes many of the initiatives. It recommends that the government should develop and publish a series of key performance indicators against which the success of the ‘presumption in favour’ can be assessed. Where the presumption in favour is set aside and a project goes ahead that does not use off-site manufacture, the government should publish a statement explaining why it has not been used and justifying that decision. In many cases, OSM is suitable for the construction of important social infrastructure such as hospitals and houses. The committee heard evidence that if the government is to achieve its aim of building 300,000 houses a year by 2020, OSM would be the only way to meet this target because traditional construction methods do not have the capacity to build enough homes. The government must set out what conditions it will attach to the extra financial support for housing to drive the uptake of off-site manufacture and other innovative technologies. Committee chairman Lord Patel said: “The construction sector’s business models are no longer appropriate and are not supporting the UK’s urgent need for new homes and infrastructure. The construction sector needs to build more trust and create partnerships so that companies can work together to improve the uptake of off-site manufacture, and the Construction Leadership Council should provide the necessary leadership. “The role of the government and the wider public sector is pivotal in a move to greater use of off-site manufacture. The report sets out actions that the committee thinks the government should take including implementation of the Construction Sector Deal, committed execution of the ‘presumption in favour’ of off-site manufacture and a greater move to procuring for whole life value rather than lowest cost.” The Construction Sector Deal would be “bringing together the construction, manufacturing, energy and digital sectors to deliver innovative approaches that improve productivity in construction and accelerate a shift to building safer, healthier and more affordable places to live and learn that use less energy”. The report is available here. Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

This week we have been celebrating our 30th Birthday, and it’s been a great one… From Monday's office decorations to Tuesday's breakfast and day-long raffle, 'Cake' Wednesday, Thursdays lunch and TB Quiz through to today's afternoon drinks and extra day’s holidays - it's been a great week. We’re rounding up the week with a big thank you to all of our staff for all of their hard work in helping us to reach this important milestone. Celebrating success has always been important in our business and this week has shown just that. Our Group Chairman, John Robinson shares his thoughts with us about reaching this important milestone; ‘I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone for their efforts this week in helping to celebrate our 30th birthday and of course for playing a hugely important part in our journey as a business. All businesses are only as good as their people and I'd like to say thanks again to everyone for your contribution to our success. We have always tried to 'do the right thing' by our people and to create an enjoyable environment and culture and I am immensely proud that a good many of you have been here a long time - indeed many shared our 20th anniversary too! I've seen many changes in recruitment over 30 years of course but despite of the transformation in how we do business and the 'speed to market' we all now enjoy, the fundamentals of what we do continue to be the same - understand the needs of candidate and client, treat them all with honesty and respect and deliver a great service to meet the need. Whatever comes our way in the future, I'm sure that these will still be the foundations of our business for the next 30 years too. Thanks once again and I hope you’ve had a great week.’​

Tarmac’s Ultigrip anti-skid road surfacing material, said to last three times longer than traditional asphalt, has been laid on the A64 in York. Is your business already looking to use Ultigrip for your clients? A recent article from The Construction Index has reported that Ultigrip resurfacing was used by Highways England contracting joint venture A-one+ on a section close to Bramham roundabout on the A64 where additional grip was required. It formed part of a £2.3m scheme to resurface a total of 97,610 m2 of the road between Bramham roundabout and Askham Bryan. It is anticipated that the material will reduce future maintenance needs as well as improve road safety. According to Tarmac’s 2016 brochure: “Bauxite aggregate and a durable clear binder combine to give a tough, textured finish and long term skid resistance, even on heavily trafficked sites.” Tarmac Contracting commercial director Nick Shires said: “Working collaboratively with A-one+ and Highways England the use of Ultigrip helped to drive improved productivity on the A64 project. In addition to lasting typically three times longer than similar surfaces, Ultigrip can be laid in a single pass. This means that teams do not need to spend as long on site, making the works more efficient and minimising disruption to the public.” Tarmac Contracting has also used its Ultigrip previously on: the A628 Woodhead Pass project (also for A-one+), a section of the A52 between Nottingham and Grantham, and on the M876 junction one sliproad at Bonnybridge, for Amey. A-one+ Area 12 general manager Brian Statham said: “We were looking for ways to improve safety for drivers especially at busy junctions and on slip roads. Working with our supply partner Tarmac we developed the innovative Ultigrip as a design solution to give tough textured finish and long-term skid resistance. “Ultigrip requires less maintenance which means fewer closures, it is good for our road workers and our customers as well as creating savings for the taxpayer by reducing whole life costs. And, the improved surface grip makes for a better, safer journey.” Andy Marr, Construction Key Account Manager, shares his thoughts on this with you; "The A64 is a very busy road and the Bramham Roundabout junction a critical artery in the North Yorkshire traffic network. Any product that can help improve road safety is going to benefit all users whilst reducing future maintenance and being laid in a single pass could ease financial budgets. As a regular user of the A628 Woodhead Pass, I know that Ultrigrip is certainly tested for durability during the harsh winter months." For the science behind Ultigrip, see The Construction Indexes previous article Get a grip. Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

The Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI came out yesterday The report is showing that Construction output growth reached a seven-month high in June – our clients are definitely representing this with all of our teams flat out to ensure that you have the very best workers on your sites. A summary of the report for you below but you can read the full report here The key findings from the report are: House building remains the best performing area of activity. New orders rise at the fastest pace since May 2017. Input cost inflation accelerated in June. The report summary tells us that: June data revealed a solid expansion of overall construction activity, underpinned by greater residential work and a faster upturn in commercial building. There were also positive signs regarding the near-term outlook for growth, as signalled by the strongest rise in new orders since May 2017 and the largest upturn in input buying for two-and-a-half years. Improved demand for construction materials resulted in longer lead times from suppliers and the most marked increase in input prices since September 2017. How has this affected your business? Have you seen an increase in tender enquiries? The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) posted 53.1 in June, up from 52.5 in May and above the 50.0 no-change value for the third month running. The latest reading pointed to the sharpest overall rise in construction output since November 2017. Residential work remained the best performing area of activity. Commercial building also contributed to the stronger overall rise in construction output, with this category of work expanding at the fastest pace since February. At the other end of the scale, civil engineering activity rose only slightly in June, with the rate of growth easing to a three-month low. Survey respondents noted that a general improvement in client demand had helped to boost construction workloads in June. Reflecting this, latest data indicated a solid rebound in new order volumes following the decline seen during the previous month. The rate of new business growth was the strongest for just over one year in June. Higher levels of new work contributed to faster increases in employment numbers and purchasing activity during June. The pace of job creation accelerated to its strongest for one year, while the latest rise in input buying was the steepest since December 2015. Construction companies noted that greater purchasing activity reflected new projects starts and, in some cases, forward purchasing of inputs to mitigate forthcoming price rises from suppliers. Average cost burdens increased at a sharp and accelerated pace in June. The latest increase in input prices was the steepest for nine months, which construction companies attributed to greater transportation costs and higher prices for metals (especially steel). Meanwhile, vendor lead times lengthened again in June, driven by low stocks and capacity constraints among suppliers. UK construction companies indicated a rebound in business optimism from May’s seven-month low, although the degree of positive sentiment remained much weaker than the long-run survey average. Survey respondents cited infrastructure work as a key source of growth in the coming 12 months. Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

The Construction Awards Season 2018 is upon us, across the summer we will see the very best projects from across the country be honoured for their achievements. Have any of your projects been nominated for an award? Michelle Smith, Regional Manager rounds up the Construction Awards for you… The awards recognise the highest performing companies and suppliers which have demonstrated excellence within their fields, and it’s a privilege to know that we have supplied staff to many of you on these sites. So far we have seen: Celebrating Construction Awards East Midlands FIS Awards Lunch 2018 Constructing Excellence North East Constructing Excellence South West Click the links to see which fantastic projects being delivered across the construction spectrum won, were you amongst the winners? Still to come we have: North West Construction Awards – 6th July Constructing Excellence Yorkshire and Humber – 12th July British Demolition Awards – 20th July NAS Design Partnership Awards 2018 – 13th September Construction Enquirer Awards – 9th October British Construction Industry Awards – 10th October The awards are rounded off with UK Construction Week 2018 – it’s the UK’s largest built environment event which this year will feature nine shows: Timber Expo, Build Show, Civils Expo, Plant and Machinery Live, Energy 2018, Building Tech Live, Surface and Materials Show and HVAC 2018. From all of the team at Thorn Baker Construction I’d like to say big congratulations to all of the winners so far and the very best of luck to everyone who has entered the upcoming awards. We’re all looking forward to seeing who the winners will be. Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

The Construction Enquirer reported last week that Crossrail contractors are struggling to find M&E workers for the last-minute push to get the project completed because so many sparks have moved to the Spurs stadium site. Will the shortage of Mechanical and Electrical workers affect your projects completing on time? The Enquirer revealed that electricians on the new Tottenham stadium job are being paid up to £400 a day. And that is hitting sites across London which are facing a shortage of skilled workers. How will competing with these rates affect your project budget? The Enquirer understands that the Costain/Skanska joint venture is currently trying to recruit more M&E workers at its Bond Street Crossrail site. But it is struggling to find sparks because of a glut of work in the capital. One project source said: “There are still hundreds of electricians working on Crossrail and they are looking for more on some sites. “You always need more M&E resources at the end of big infrastructure jobs like this but loads of workers have upped and gone to Spurs where they are paying big money.” Crossrail said the total number of M&E workers across the whole project is winding-down as the scheme approaches completion by the end of this year. But a spokesperson confirmed that recruitment was underway at Bond Street for fit-out work. The new central London Crossrail stations are due to open in December. Andy Marr, Construction Key Account Manager, shares his thoughts on this with you; ''Available Mechanical and Electrical candidates are at a premium and understandably so in a bull market and this, of course, brings huge challenges across the industry, which is another blog entirely. My biggest concern is how we get the younger generation more interested, engaged and wanting to work in the construction industry? This was brought home to me by a family member who decided to pursue a career in construction and spent two years learning a Plastering trade. To cut a long story short, towards the end of his second year he started to lose interest in the industry and ultimately completed the course but decided to work in a different industry. Fair play to the lad, he found and secured a role in the food industry where training, development and progression have begun. I started in Construction recruitment back in 1985 and as I’ve gone through the years the number of good tradesmen that worked with me back in the 1980s and 1990s have started to decrease as those excellent skills and experience retire. My biggest worry is how those trades are replaced and the next generation of construction workers begin their career journey and keep the industry progressing well into the future. Construction is a fabulous industry to be in and those young people who decide to take this particular journey will learn so many great skills and have the opportunity to work on some of the iconic projects of the future.'' Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news

Your latest Construction newsletter is out now It's been a busy month for the Construction sector with the peak season starting, weather causing lots of problems on sites and a Housing growth boost - have these had an impact on your business? Rob Ford, Construction South Director rounds up the last month for you... ''Construction is always the same this time of year for everyone - steady, steady, steady! Then Bang! You're looking for more trades and labour. Whilst there has and will be changes to embrace before the peak season gets fully in the swing (like the minimum wage increase and GDPR), one of the biggest challenges that seems to have hit you all is the unseasonable weather! Thankfully this seems to be on the turn at last and I'm sure that everyone is keen to get their works schedules back on track and make the most of the great weather.'' ​Read your news in full by clicking here What else has been happening in the Construction sector? Outlook brightens for civils contractors. Civil engineering contractors say that their workload was marginally down in the first quarter of 2018, overall, but orders were up. Was this the same for you? CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner said: “While the first quarter of 2018 has proved a challenging period for many of our members, we believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that industry will act as a platform for secure growth in the coming years.” Concrete sales figures reveal softening markets. First-quarter sales of mineral products were down this year, with the weather being cited as the cause. Has the weather affected works on your sites? The Mineral Products Association (MPA), which collates the data, said that weak sales volumes in the first quarter of the year could be partly explained by the impact of the unusually severe weather in the UK in late February and early March. Housing drives construction activity recovery in April. Construction buyers reportedly saw a modest recovery in construction output following the weather-related disruptions seen during March. House building experienced robust growth in April while underlying demand across the construction sector remained subdued, with total new work rising only marginally last month. The increase in new business was the first recorded by the survey so far in 2018. Read your news in full by clicking here Make sure that you don't miss out on any of the latest Construction news