Skills

National infrastructure goals are being undermined by the construction sector’s reluctance to modernise, a leading industry figure has warned. Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) chief executive Nick Smallwood said the industry had not changed in 40 years and actively resisted the adoption of new technologies as it was “paid the…

The New Year Honours List has recognised five industry stalwarts for their contribution to construction. Bill Robertson (pictured), the founder and executive chairman of construction giant Robertson Group, has been knighted. Robertson, who was already a CBE, was made a ‘Sir’ for his services to the construction industry and charity…

Laing O’Rourke has pledged to report information about the long-term physical and mental health of its workforce after securing leadership status through the government’s Disability Confident scheme. The contractor has been accredited as a Disability Confident Leader, meaning it has committed to encourage other employers to join the programme and…

More than a third of students have ruled out a career in construction, research has revealed. A poll of almost 4,000 people over the age of 16 and studying at school, college or university found that 37 per cent would not even consider going into the building industry. When they…

Average weekly earnings for September reached a six-month high of £722 and construction vacancies have risen again, latest figures show. Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed that this was a 4 per cent jump on weekly pay packets from the previous month, and a 5.4 per cent jump from…

Seventy-five per cent of contractors have issues recruiting skilled operatives, according to a new survey from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA). Meanwhile, a separate survey for net-zero skills among supply chain firms found 96 per cent of firms affected by skilled labour shortages. CECA chief executive Alasdair Reisner called…

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) faces a potential bill of £10.3m after it revealed it had claimed government cash for its apprenticeship scheme without the required evidence. The CITB set aside £5.9m in its most recent accounts for possible repayments after errors were discovered in an audit of the…

A leading industry advocate has called for a national retrofit body to be established after “pitiful” figures showed the UK has less than 2 per cent of the skilled workers it needs for a residential energy-efficiency drive. A report published by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) this week revealed that…

Lendlease’s £325m restoration of Manchester Town Hall is facing a significant £17m overspend. Work on the Grade I-listed building, which is halfway through the construction phase, is facing shortages of steel, plaster, stone and timber, in addition to uncertainty around energy costs and a “flight” of specialist labour. In a…

The construction workforce is at risk of shrinking by more than half a million people by the end of the decade, a report has warned. Advances in automation and technology, adopted by industries such as construction, could see many roles become obsolete, according to the latest workforce study by Arden…