CIC Cascade

18 December 2006

1. ConstructionSkills challenges professionals to demonstrate their teamwork skills
2. CIC registrar obtains new CSCS PQP Card
3. Russian Constructors Group visit CIC
4. ConstructionSkills conducts new UK Construction Professional Services Survey 2006/7
5. IPHE hold successful Women in Plumbing conference
6. Events

1. ConstructionSkills challenges professionals to demonstrate their teamwork skills

The CIC's ConstructionSkills team recently organised two Construction Challenge events for the professions in its North West and South West regions. The events were based on an original idea developed by the CIC North West Committee which has been running a similar event for a number of years. The ConstructionSkills team is currently introducing this event into a number of other areas and chose the South West for its first event outside of the North West with more regions to follow in 2007.

The Construction Challenge aims to promote communication and success through teamwork by demonstrating how construction professionals must work together to achieve a common objective. The exact nature of task selected for this year’s events was revealed to teams for the first time on arrival at the venues.

This year teams of 3-5 young professionals from across the two regions were asked to reconstruct a model against a strict time deadline. Only the team’s allocated Project Manager and Site Engineer were able to view the model and no notes could be taken during the visits to the model. These two team members then had to instruct the team’s Quantity Surveyor on the materials which they were required to purchase before the General Foreman could attempt to reconstruct the model under guidance from his team mates. Teams were judged on a variety of criteria including accuracy, cost and time.

The task led to an evening of intense and close competition at both venues. The Bristol event was held on the evening of 29 November 2006 in central Bristol with teams from as far away as Exeter taking part in what was an enjoyable evening for all. Meanwhile the Manchester event was held the following day at Urbis, a museum which investigates city life. CIC was very pleased to welcome a record 14 teams to the North West competition, which as well as being a competitive evening’s entertainment, also provided plenty of opportunity for networking with other regional professionals from a wide cross-section of disciplines.

After much deliberation, the judges finally announced Carillion plc as the winners of the South West Construction Challenge while Arup Manchester beat off tough competition to take the top place in the North West . Congratulations go to both teams who demonstrated good team, leadership and communication skills throughout the evening and were rewarded with annual subscriptions to Building magazine.

The ConstructionSkills team at CIC wishes to thank all teams who participated in the Construction Challenge and made both of these events so successful.

Further events will be held in other regions in 2007. For more information please contact Janette Welton at CIC (Tel 020 7399 7404, Email jwelton@cic.org.uk).

Top

2. CIC registrar obtains new CSCS PQP Card

CIC Operations Director and Registrar, Richard Biggs, has passed the new Higher Managerial Health and Safety test and has applied for the new Professionally Qualified Persons (PQP) card. Richard already holds a black senior manager’s card, having taken the health and safety test as a ‘guinea pig’ for CIC when CSCS cards were first introduced.

The PQP card, issued to professionals who can demonstrate a high level of health and safety knowledge through the achievement of a new Higher Managerial Health and Safety Test, widens the scope of CSCS to cover non-site based professionals who have health and safety responsibilities – such as consultants, clients and engineers – to ensure that everyone in the construction industry can demonstrate competence, qualifications and health and safety awareness.

Those wishing to apply for a CSCS PQP card, visit www.citb-constructionskills.co.uk/skillsdirect for more information.

Top

3. Russian Constructors Group visit CIC

At very short notice, CIC arranged to host a morning meeting for a group of 43 Russian engineers who were in the UK last week. They were mostly top-managers of leading Russian Construction Companies and came to study traditional and modern civil engineering construction in Western Europe and the UK , under the patronage of the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation . The Group had been assembled under the Russian Governmental Project which has been established in order to facilitate exchange of Russian and Western European experience in Construction.

They attended a number of meetings in Scotland , including Transport Scotland & Forth Estuary Transport Authority, which included a site visit to the new Forth road bridge and then came to London in order to meet Construction Industry Council staff to exchange views and knowledge about Russian and British Construction.

Questions addressed included:

• British city planning;
• Public opinion before and during the construction works;
• Use of power-saving technologies in modern projects;
• Natural ventilation application in high-rise blocks in London ;
• Innovation in Construction projects; and
• History of the British Construction industry 

The British panel responding to the visitors comprised:
Richard Biggs, CIC Operations Director & Registrar;
William Hawkins, CIC Policy & Operations Manager, Design Quality; and
John Tebbit, Industrial Affairs Director for the Construction Products Association.

Top

4. Constructionskills conducts new UK Construction Professional Services Survey 2006/7

A major new survey is being conducted by CIC to determine the current size and structure of Professionals Services firms in the UK construction industry in conjunction with ConstructionSkills, of which CIC is a part. The survey follows on from those conducted in 1995/6 and 2001/2, and will begin to establish a time series of data to qualify the size and structure of the UK construction market for professional services. We believe that this survey is the only one which determines the value and output of professional services to the construction industry and the UK economy as a whole.

Responses to the survey will be used to establish key headline data for professional services and disciplines. The results will include a detailed analysis of the market in terms of total annual fee income, broken down by sector, region and type of work. The survey will also detail the employment characteristics of professional services firms.

The CIC urges all recipients to take part in this survey. A high level of response will ensure that the survey can provide an accurate account of the size and structure of the sector. Alternatively, to join the Working Group or for more information, please contact Janette Welton on 020 7399 7404.

Top

5. IPHE hold successful Women in Plumbing conference
The IPHE’s Women in Plumbing Group held another successful conference on 22nd November at the Union Jack Club, London. This is the fourth year that delegates from around the UK have packed out the Gascoigne Room.

In the morning session, Michelle Dow - Resourcing Officer Diversity, British Gas – gave a humorous talk on her experiences in the industry.  She was accompanied by Jennie Dean (recently qualified) and Sadie Barber who had been with British Gas since she was 16.  

Delegates had the chance to discuss a variety of topics in the interactive session, which were based on the common misconceptions of why women may not be suitable to have careers as plumbing and heating engineers.  After lunch Richard Duggleby from Yellow Pages, gave a talk on promoting excellence.

Sandy Rhys Jones OBE, talked about the changing face of the industry.  She told delegates that more women are taking up jobs in construction, but there is still a disparity in pay.

Tina Huelin, creator of Handy Woman Ltd, spoke of her struggle to bring up a family on her own at the same time as starting her fast growing business.

The last speaker, Baroness Fritchie DBE, was inspiring.  The Baroness had also struggled to bring up a family on her own and even though she had left school without qualifications she has achieved so much through sheer determination to better herself. Today she is the recipient of honorary degrees from the Universities of York, Southampton , Oxford Brookes, St Andrews, Queen’s Belfast and The Open University and Hull University and holds Fellowships from the University of Gloucestershire and the City and Guilds.

Barbara Field, Chairwoman for the Women in Plumbing Group said: “Everyone is so energised by these conferences. It’s a great opportunity for people in the industry to find out how beneficial it is to have diversity in the workforce.”

6. Events

The events page of the CIC website is frequently updated visit the events page for details.

Top