Skills

Construction material prices have soared by more than a fifth since the start of this year, according to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), which has warned of further “significant” rises to key products in 2022. Average inflation for products so far this year has reached 23 per cent, the CLC…

Labour shortages in the construction industry are a bigger headache than disruption to materials, suppliers have warned. Speaking at CN’s ‘Decarbonising Construction’ event earlier this month, Structural Timber Association (STA) chief executive Andrew Carpenter said the problem with stocks of materials was not as great as long-term issues surrounding the…

More than a quarter of a million extra construction workers will be needed by 2026 to meet growing demands on the UK sector, a Construction Skills Network (CSN) report reveals. The paper shows that the built environment requires an additional 266,000 workers to meet projected UK construction demand over the…

A total of £3m is being pumped into Scottish construction to support new workers and improve retention levels. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is investing the money to support those at the beginning of their career, with the Scottish Academy for Construction Opportunities (SACO) using it to support workers…

FM Conway has named a new group chairperson. Joanne Conway has taken over the family firm, following the death of her father and former chairman, Michael Conway, who died from illness in March. Her appointment makes the Kent-based firm a third-generation business. It was founded by her grandfather 60 years…

A fire that broke out at a construction site in Derby on Saturday evening was started deliberately, police investigations have revealed. The work in progress is part of a £200m redevelopment to build a 3,500-capacity performance venue called Becketwell Performance Venue. The site was being run by demolition specialists Cawarden…

Construction workers driving concrete mixers should have mandatory training to reduce rollover incidents and prevent potential fatalities, an expert has warned. Mark Cowan, director of transport, logistics and concrete at the British Aggregates Association (BAA), told Construction News that it was “only a matter of time” before a serious rollover…

An accelerated cladding installation qualification is being piloted to help ease the critical shortage of trained professionals that threatens vital remediation work. Awarding body ProQual and digital-first training platform provider Tequ have joined forces to pilot a job-specific rainscreen-cladding installation qualification, which aims to train 100 professionals by the autumn.…

The CITB has revealed plans to dip much deeper into its cash reserves than expected over the next three years as it ramps up investment in construction skills. The industry training board said it would fill gaps between income and expenditure levels up to April 2025 with £46.4m from its…

At least 33 companies ‘unwittingly’ paid an organised criminal gang that placed hundreds of Romanian victims onto construction sites. A report by the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner revealed that a criminal gang placed up to 500 victims on building sites in London and the South East between 2009 and 2018. The…