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Looking for the latest construction news and trends? This blog is great for busy Civil Engineering, Housing and Build professionals who need a quick roundup of the latest construction community news. It’s been another busy month in the construction community - there's still uncertainty and plenty of talk around Brexit. Gender equality is a hot topic as well as a new licensing scheme designed to clean up constructions (at times) dodgy image. Below is a quick round-up of the hottest topics that Civil Engineering, Build and Housing Professionals like you (and our team) have been talking about this month. Rhian Newman, Construction Professional Business Manager Tender prices to rise faster once Brexit dust clears. Construction consultant Arcadis have said that any hope of a rebound in the UK construction market after the UK finally leaves the EU is looking increasingly unlikely. Although growth in construction output was flat in 2018, activity remains close to record levels, Arcadis notes. However, political uncertainty has resulted in delays in converting pipeline work into turnover. This is adding competitive pressure to the market. In a previous blog (Brexit and Construction: What is The Latest News?) we looked at how Arcadis had said that a 'soft Brexit' could boost UK construction Read about Arcadis’ forecast of 4% tender price inflation by 2022 here Construction Licensing Task Force to develop a mandatory licencing scheme. The UK construction industry could be missing out on £10bn-worth of business due to its poor image, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). A new Construction Licensing Task Force, headed by former British Property Federation boss Liz Peace, will map out the licensing scheme. The FMB said the perception of build quality was a major factor in its research around a proposed licensing scheme. It said it had found nearly a third (32%) of homeowners were reluctant to undertake major home improvement work for fear of recruiting someone dodgy. You can read about the scheme by clicking here Gender equality in UK construction is still a distant dream. Construction trade union GMB has estimated that it will take almost 200 years to achieve gender equality in the UK construction industry. There are an estimated 60,972 more women in the construction industry than there were in 2009, but as a proportion of the overall workforce, women increased by just 2.1%, from 10.4% in 2009 to 12.5% in 2018. Jude Brimble, GMB’s national secretary, said: “Our analysis is a sobering reminder of the scale of the challenge facing the industry. As a union, we are committed to advancing the cause of gender equality in all industries.​'' Want to know more about the Hinckley Point summit? Click here We all know a lot can happen in a month - especially in the construction community. The above is just a small range of topics we've been discussing this month with our clients and candidates. We work with businesses like yours who struggle to hire every day, understanding what a business needs is what makes us great at what we do. If you'd like to discuss your current recruitment needs you can contact your local team here Want the latest Construction industry news, jobs and updates? Subscribe here