Skills

Jane Atkinson is executive director of engineering, automation and projects at Bilfinger UK Many of us have campaigned for years to bring more women into the sector. But, sadly, the improvement has been marginal at best. The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data tells us that just 13 per…

Andrew Eldred is director of workforce and public affairs at trade body ECA This month saw the publication of a new report on installer competence. It was prepared on behalf of Working Group 2 (WG2), which is charged with establishing a new, post-Grenfell competence regime for installers, which Dame Judith…

Tracy Burrell is senior HR business partner at Ramboll Talented professionals may choose to pause their career for a variety of reasons, but returning to work after a prolonged absence can be a daunting prospect, with unclear pathways for doing so. Research from AIG Life found that women are three…

Simon Harris is senior director of operations at Randstad UK, Construction & Property Leo Quinn, the boss of Balfour Beatty, recently told the FT that he believes Britain is in for a decade-long infrastructure boom. He has a point – the government forecasts £650bn worth of investment in infrastructure over the…

Graham Harle is chief executive of Gleeds Worldwide One of the most memorable scenes in Jaws reveals the size of the fearsome beast, triggering the movie’s most famous line: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” The same could be said of the construction industry as we face the rather more…

Next steps for embedding an inclusive and welcoming culture across the sector were explored at a Construction News roundtable, sponsored by Copper Consultancy. Steve Dale reports

Vicky Savage is group director, development and sales, at L&Q What do you think of when you think of the construction industry? Despite progress in recent years, for many the typical construction worker will still be an older, white male, and the average site a harsh environment fraught with safety…

Scaffolding firms have faced unprecedented challenges and opportunities from Brexit and the pandemic. Chronic labour shortages worsened as EU workers returned home and COVID-19 sent a shockwave through the industry. The cost of timber and steel – the two core materials of the trade – became unusually and unpredictably priced,…

After a pandemic-induced lull in gender pay-gap reporting, and following dramatic changes to some firms’ working practices, James Wilmore explores whether the industry is making progress towards pay equality

Andy Chamberlain is director of policy at self-employment association IPSE   Over the past year, there has been a forgotten crisis affecting self-employed workers in the construction sector: IR35. Introduced in 2000, the aim of IR35 is to prevent businesses from gaining a tax advantage by disguising employment as a…