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CIC Cascade4 November 2005
1. ConstructionSkills consultation - Construction qualifications framework Are you fed up with workers having qualifications that don’t actually help your business in its day-to-day work? Are you fed up having to keep on supervising colleagues because they don’t have the skills necessary to do the job properly? Are you fed up with how our education system prepares youngsters for their first job in the construction industry? Then read on…. Now’s the time to help us try and sort this out once and for all. We are giving you the opportunity to have your say on what you would like the construction qualification system to do for you and your business. We at ConstructionSkills know all too well that the current system for qualifications is not helping the construction industry as much as it could. At the moment, it’s not giving youngsters the core skills they need to hold down a first job. It’s also not giving existing workers the extra skills that bosses need to help run an efficient business. We know what many bosses are thinking of the current education and qualifications system and this is our chance to do something about it. The Government has given us an opportunity to shape and modernise future qualifications so that people who pass them have day-to-day skills that can be used from day one. We’re going to work with the Regulatory Authorities for England , Scotland and Wales to put together a new framework for how future qualifications should be structured. And we’re going to do this by Spring 2006. But to do this work properly, we need your views. We need to know what bosses up and down the country really want from the qualification system so that it gives them workers who have the necessary skills to be useful day in, day out. Get Involved! To ensure the Construction Qualification Strategy thoroughly meets employer needs we are inviting you, industry, to take part in the consultation programme through regional workshops If you can’t make one of the events, then don’t miss out. Please let us know your views by participating in our online consultation. For more information, please see the Construction Qualification Strategy consultation document. (343kb 2. Dwellings for sale market opens for approved inspectors The ODPM has issued a circular letter opening up the market for all Approved Inspectors to inspect ‘dwellings for sale’, subject to there being a suitable warranty in place to protect house purchasers. This was formerly the province of the NHBC only and has been long awaited by other Approved Inspectors. CIC, who are the body designated by the Secretary of State to approve inspectors [for Building Regulation compliance] have issued new approval documents to all those on the Register, to reflect their revised status. Read the letter issued by the ODPM 3. The future of UK roads: improved public transport or traffic gridlock A new survey by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has revealed that 69% of the public want improvements in public transport to help combat the UK ’s grid locked road network. The research was carried out as part of ICE’s State of the Nation 2005 infrastructure report. Dr Colin Clinton, ICE’s President, commented: "Unfortunately, there’s not one simple solution to combat road congestion. We’re pleased that the public backs improvements in public transport, but the real battle is getting motorists to use it. As civil engineers, we’re not naive enough to expect the end of the car-first culture overnight. However, action must be taken before we can’t drive to work or school in the morning due to permanent traffic jams outside our houses." Road congestion is estimated to cost UK business around £20 billion a year. Employees arrive late for work, which means lost productivity. Freight companies have to allow for longer and unpredictable journey times - increasing the costs of goods and services to the public. Between 1982 and 2003, the number of cars on UK roads rose from 15.5 million to 26.2 million – a rise of 70% - increasing the pressure on the nation’s transport infrastructure. Naturally, car use leads to air pollution; in 2002, 90% of UK transport emissions came from the motorcar. ICE, via its State of the Nation Report 2005, is pushing for:
ICE is calling on the Government to deliver its promise to increase transport funding, as set out in the Future of Transport White Paper 2004. This document seeks to increase funding from £10.4 billion in 2004, to £12.8 billion by 2008. Public transport fares in the UK are more expensive than in other European countries with the exception of Denmark and Sweden. ICE believes Government subsidies to reduce the cost of using public transport is one way to make it more appealing to motorists. Additionally, ICE sees road pricing as an effective way of getting motorists to think about using public transport. In the long term, charging to use the UK ’s roads will make motorists consider whether their journey is really worth paying for. Dr Clinton continued: "Pollution and the continued rise in the number of cars is a damaging scenario for our environment. There will always be essential car journeys, but with a quarter of car trips in the UK being less than two miles, ICE believes the majority of these can be made by public transport, walking or cycling. We’ve got no option other than the carrot and stick. The carrot option is to encourage increased bus, train and tram use, the stick option is to charge drivers to use highways. Ultimately, the future of UK roads is simple – increased governmental promotion of public transport or meltdown." For more information visit www.ice.org.uk 4. RICS Names Best International Buildings The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has announced the winners of its 2005 Awards at a gala event held at the Banqueting Hall in London . The awards recognise excellence, value for money and a commitment to sustainability. With over 170 entrants from around the globe, the full spectrum of organisations and projects worldwide were represented - from small schemes delivered by one person, to extensively funded, globally recognised developments. The RICS 2005 Project of the Year was awarded to the Round Foundry, the first phase of a regeneration project in Holbeck, near Leeds, in the UK. Simon Pott, chairman of the judges, comments: "The Round Foundry epitomises exactly what the RICS awards seek to celebrate. It closely matched the criteria for excellence, value for money and a commitment to sustainability. "With its extensive use of conservation techniques, the Round Foundry combines residential, leisure and commercial uses together with its industrial heritage. The community has clearly taken it to heart, as have new visitors now brought to a previously run-down area of Leeds "This has added significant momentum to the wider regeneration of the area making it the quintessential project at which the RICS awards are aimed." Other winners were:
Full details of the winning and commended projects can be found at: www.rics.org/AboutRICS/RICSAwards 5. Sir Robert McApline Manager wins 2005 Construction Manager of the Year This year’s Construction Manager of the Year Award has been won by Sir Robert McAlpine construction manager John Roper. This was for his outstanding work leading the team who bid for and built the Paul O’Gorman building for the Northern Institute of Cancer Research at Newcastle University. The design and quality of construction of this landmark building has played a major part in creating world-class facilities for cancer drug discovery and application, designed to attract research scientists from around the world. The new state-of-the-art laboratory houses contemporary bioscience equipment and provides facilities for 150 staff, promoting multi-disciplinary, integrated research. The award was presented at a gala dinner at London ’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Tuesday 25 th October. According to the judges he “demonstrated an excellent understanding of how the project could be successfully delivered within a challenging, live, inner city environment”. Chris Blythe, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) commented: “John’s work on the successful bid was so impressive that his employer, and the client, gave him the job of building it. His total dedication to the project resulted in a world class building that exudes quality at every level. Winning a medal, and in particular being named as the overall ‘Construction Manager of the Year’, is a major achievement; John now joins the industry’s elite - an outstanding group of construction managers who have previously won the title.” John Lambert, divisional director, capital development Newcastle University said: “John’s award is thoroughly well deserved, based on his management of this technically very complex project which he delivered on programme and budget and to a high standard of finish.” The CIOB has been running the Construction Manager of the Year Awards for 25 years; it is the only industry event to celebrate the individual achievement and excellence of managers in construction, rather than the projects, processes or design. The awards are widely recognised as a benchmark for the industry and the premier accolade for management in the built environment. To be held in such esteem requires a judging process of the highest standard. It takes over thirty judges five months of meticulous site visits and interviews (including the nominee, client and contractors) before the overall winner can be decided upon. For further information on this year’s Construction Manager of the Year Award please go to www.cmya.co.uk The London Construction Awards, organised by The London Construction Skills Forum, highlight exemplar training and development practice within the capital’s construction and built environment industry. The inaugural ceremony took place at 30 St Mary Axe in London – otherwise known as ‘The Gherkin’ - and awards were recognised in nine categories. Major sponsors, ConstructionSkills and the London Learning and Skills Council, recognised and encouraged all entrants, praising the level of achievement in training – especially from the apprentices and students. Peter Lobban, CITB-ConstructionSkills Chief Executive, commented on the London outlook: he said “Construction skills are going to be in great demand in the capital over the next 5 years. Public sector procurement is likely to top £16bn and even without the transport and infrastructure improvements, the Olympics presents a build programme worth over £1.2bn. But with growth, comes the need for sustained skills development and we are committed to helping the industry rise to the challenge.” Jacqui Henderson, Regional Director of the Learning & Skills Council London, said: “I would like to congratulate all of those involved in these awards and particularly the winners for helping to create a world class and dynamic construction workforce in London.” Award winners include:
Left to right, back row are: Mark Macreath, Judges Commendation, Tom Winter, Undergraduate (Construction & the Built Environment) Sean Mallia, Apprentice of the Year William Wong, Student of the Year Crowley, Contribution to Recruitment & Careers Sandwood Construction Ltd, Employer of the Year (Medium) John Gowlland, Quality Decor London Ltd, Employer of the Year (Small) Left to right, front are: Kelly Kibler, HBG UK Ltd, Employer of the Year (Large) Karen Procter, Women & Manual Trades, Support for Diversity 7. CIC staff leap off Centre Point for charity On the 8th and 9th of October, two CIC members of staff raised nearly £3,000 for the Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB). Kate Dunne and Richard Biggs joined around 125 others to take up the challenge of abseiling some 400 feet down Centre Point Tower in London. See Kate and Richard setting off from the top!
Thanks to everyone who helped them achieve their fundraising targets! 8. Events |
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