CITB launches new campaign to help get more young people on the tools
With 168,500 construction job opportunities being created by 2023, CITB has launched a new campaign to help change young people’s minds about construction.
The industry needs to change the hearts and minds of under-25s to address the skills shortage, as 71% of them are currently turned off by construction jobs according to CITB research. So, Future Made is a new campaign to change their perceptions of construction – but if you’re reading this, you likely won’t see Future Made. Instead, social media influencers will be posting content on their platforms to show young audiences their adventures in trying out bricklaying, roofing, painting and decorating and more as part of the campaign. Day-in-the-life videos of inspirational young bricklayers, carpenters, painters and decorators will also be promoted to young people on their favourite social media. Anjali Pindoria, 24, is a project surveyor with Avi Contracts and has submitted one such clip to the campaign. She said: “I absolutely love coming on site. Not only do I learn new carpentry and joinery elements but I also get to learn about construction in general, you get to see the different parts of the logistics and you just get to be inquisitive about what is going on on site.” Billie-Jo Judd is a 22-year-old plasterer who also has made a Future Made video. She said: “It’s always something new, I just love it, it’s amazing, it’s probably the most therapeutic job in the whole world. The reaction from the customers is probably the best feeling ever.” Watch Anjali and Billie-Jo, as well as Mimi-Isabella Nwosu, Verse Abudar, Lauren Holland and more on the Future Made content hub. During a small-scale test phase last autumn posts received over 88,000 views in one month, with over 16,000 engagements. Content showing the positive experiences in the industry of their peers will attract young people, before being directed to detailed information on applying for apprenticeships and to local training providers on Go Construct.Supported by industry
Future Made is backed by the CITB Nation Councils for England, Scotland and Wales, made up of representatives from construction companies of a range of sizes and trades. Diane Bourne, managing director with Eric Wright Civil Engineering, said: “Through my member seat on the CITB Nations Council for England, I am delighted to be involved in this campaign. My career has enabled me to support my passion for the profession of civil engineering together with a desire to help and nurture talented young individuals of the future and Future Made is both timely and necessary. “The Eric Wright Learning Foundation, partnered with Preston’s College, is also a great example, delivering vocational training for 14+ year olds to support and guide them in choosing a career within the wider construction and civil engineering industry. We also have a great career ambassador programme within Eric Wright Group and I am looking forward to sharing my own passion with other members of the CITB Nations Council to encourage other young people into our industry.” Perception changing takes time, so the Future Made campaign will take place throughout the next three years with annual results evaluated through surveys of young people’s attitudes to the industry.Careers strategy
Future Made is just one component of CITB’s construction careers strategy, which also includes:- Giving young people the right information and routes to join the industry through Go Construct
- Supporting the national SkillBuild competition to inspire potential entrants
- Research to inform a better provision of work experience, nationally
- Grants to support construction employers of all sizes to take on apprentices
- Recruitment from under-represented groups through initiatives such as Pathways into Construction
Budget 2020: Chancellor Backs Businesses
Chancellor Rish Sunak has announced a £30bn spending package to help mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus on businesses.
The new Chancellor outlined his £30bn response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Westminster yesterday. £7bn is directly available to small and medium-sized businesses. The response comes as Sunak warned that up to 20% of workers could be off work at any one time. Self-employed workers will now be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit for workers having to self-isolate. Sick notes will be available by contacting the NHS 111. Construction companies with less than 250 employees will be able to claim back funds paid out for statutory sick pay from a £2 billion government fund. A new temporary £1bn coronavirus business interruption loan scheme will also see banks offer government-backed loans of up to £1.2m to small businesses to ease cash flow fears.Tax
Self-employed people and small businesses can ask HMRC for more time to pay taxes during the outbreak by calling a dedicated HMRC helpline. Changes to the national insurance contribution threshold means workers will be £104 better off a year, and self-employed individuals £78 a year. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) said: “Understandably, the Chancellor has delivered a ‘first aid Budget’ to overcome the short-term crisis caused by COVID-19. But he has missed an important opportunity to announce interventions that would support the sustainable, long-term recovery construction needs. The autumn Budget must include measures to cut VAT on repair and renovation, and a National Retrofit Strategy to promote decarbonisation and create jobs and growth.” “Builders are increasingly concerned about the impact COVID-19 will have on their businesses. Today’s package of measures to support SMEs through refunding Statutory Sick Pay, making temporary loans and grants available, and support for the self-employed will provide welcome relief to small building businesses and their workers alike.”Coronavirus scare on two North Sea platforms
The Mariner platform in the UK North Sea has confirmed it is responding to a suspected case of Coronavirus on board.
Its Norwegian owners Equinor said it has mobilised emergency response support and has undertaken its “isolation procedure” with the suspected infected worker. According to reports, the worker reported mild symptoms yesterday morning. ScaffMag understands that the Mariner A platform which is located approximately 80 miles east of Shetland is on total lockdown. No workers are getting on or off the platform. On Tuesday the same company revealed a confirmed case of COVID-19 on its Martin Linge platform located in the Norwegen section of the North Sea. Measures to prevent further contamination for offshore installations has been introduced.New TG20 Guidance on the digital horizon
The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) and CADS are working on the next version of TG20 which is set to be released in February 2021.
The NASC is again working with scaffolding software experts from CADS to produce the very latest version of TG20. CADS who are the makers of the SMART Scaffolder software created the original groundbreaking TG20:13 eGuide. It was one of the biggest changes within the UK scaffolding industry in recent times when it was officially launched in February 2014. The fast and user-friendly eGuide software was specifically designed to reduce the amount of bespoke engineering design work to show a scaffold structure was compliant and up to standard. The new suite of Technical Guidance which will be aptly named TG20:21 will be very different from previous versions. According to the trade body, only a small number of TG20 books will be published opting instead for a totally new digital offering.Web Portal
The TG20:21 Operational and Design guide will be published via a new web and mobile ‘portal’ with a range of new apps including a brand new eGuide. Its also expected all future sets of guidance over the coming years from the NASC will be published in this new ‘portal’. Being an online app the deployment will allow the TG20:21 suite to be accessible on any Windows, Mac, iOS or Android device with a modern web browser. It’s unknown at this time how its members and non-members will be able to access this new web and mobile portal, although it’s assumed some form of subscription service will be active.What to expect with the new TG20:21
It’s still early days with the development but sources suggest the range of standard designs are set to be extended to include several more scaffold types. Compliance sheets are also set for an overhaul, in TG20:21 all compliance sheets will be double-sided with a more representative illustration of the scaffold to be built.
Scaffold training centre closed due to Coronavirus
Overseas training providers Simian Skill has closed its doors with immediate effect to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.
The international scaffold training provider based in Dubai has been shut down. All schools and training establishments in the UAE has been ordered by its Government to cease all forms of training until at least the 4th of April. In a bid to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, the UAE’s Ministry of Education took the decision to close all schools and training centres for 4 weeks as a preventive and precautionary measure. Its understood all closed facilities will be deep cleaned during the closure. Health officials have said so far, the total number of confirmed infections in the country stands at 45. Ian Fyall, Managing Partner at Simian Skill said: “The closure announcement came as a surprise to us. We are still taking bookings, but we feel the postponement is the best form of action across the country to try and stop the spread.”Coronavirus and its impact on the scaffolding industry
As the Coronavirus spreads across the globe like wildfire how is it going to potentially impact the scaffolding sector?
There have now been nearly 100,000 cases worldwide of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) confirmed and as Scaffmag went to press, 90 people in the UK have caught the highly infectious disease. The government who is obviously anxious to slow down the spread of the respiratory disease, on Tuesday, laid out some potentially drastic measures if the situation gets any worse. Possible action includes closing schools, cancelling events, banning large public gatherings and working from home. Which is not something that’s possible within the scaffolding and wider construction industry. According to reports, it’s possible that up to 80% of workers could be unable to work during the forthcoming peak weeks of the outbreak. Evidence shows the COVID-19 virus has already penetrated into the industry after energy firm EDF who are building two new nuclear reactors said yesterday one of its workers on Hinkley Point C had contracted Coronavirus.
Supply of Materials
Supply chains are also expected to be somewhat impacted as a result of many scaffolding materials like tube and fittings are imported from the Coronavirus epicentre country China. George Roberts, one of the UK’s largest supplier of scaffolding for hire and sales is already seeing the repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak. The firm is currently taking additional steps to increase stockholding by spreading purchases across geographical locations to hopefully reduce the potential impact of shortages. Matt Johnson, External Hire & Sales Executive at George Roberts (NW) said: “We are extremely aware of the current global situation, as always we carry vast stocks of equipment and have been in close communication with our supply chain. At this stage it remains fully operational, additional steps have also been taken to increase stockholding and mitigate the potential impact by spreading purchases across geographical locations. We are also using remote solutions to monitor and ensure product quality along with strict quality checks in the UK upon arrival of goods.” “However, nobody can forecast how this situation will develop so we continue to monitor things daily and take positive action to do all we can to prevent stock issues and support our client base.”Business as usual
How to avoid catching or spreading coronavirus
The NHS suggests the following:- Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds.
- Always wash your hands when you get home or into work.
- Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
- Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards.
- Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.
BrandSafway elevates U.S. construction site safety
BrandSafway has introduced the only fully compliant temporary public access stairs and ramp in North America.
In partnership with Universal Manufacturing, BrandSafway has launched temporary public access stairs and ramp constructed from scaffolding that meets the International Building Code (IBC) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Mathieu Grumberg, director of product development at BrandSafway said: “This combined solution is one of the safest available in North America.” According to BrandSafway IBC and ADA standards are more stringent than the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards used for construction stairs. “Before we introduced this combined temporary public access solution, there were no true IBC- or ADA-compliant products constructed of scaffolding available,” Grumberg added. “The industry was using construction-grade stairs and adding wood and guard rails to try to make it as safe as possible and bring it up to code.” After nearly eight months of rigorous testing and design improvements, the stair system was introduced to help minimize disruption to the public and provide safe access as needed during construction and renovation projects throughout the U.S. The access ramp, which is generally custom designed based on site-specific needs, meets the even stricter ADA requirements for safety and accessibility. “The stairs and ramp need to meet a very high load capacity for emergency situations or events where a large number of people are using them at one time,” Grumberg said. “We used our expertise in safety and breadth of experience in developing solutions for a diverse range of industries to help Universal improve the design and meet all standards.” “Our products don’t get approved for use without first getting an independent engineering seal of approval to ensure we are bringing the safest solutions to the market,” said Mike Bredl, national sales manager for Universal. “We know there isn’t a solution in North America that comes close to offering the safety that this stair tower and ramp provide, and we’re excited to help meet this critical safety need in the construction industry.”Enigma to undertake end to end charity motorbike ride
Enigma Industrial Services is set to take part in a charity motorbike ride spanning a massive 984 miles.
The nationwide access service provider is asking for support for its employees and partners who are undertaking the ultimate endurance challenge. On the weekend of Saturday 27th June 2020, its fundraising team will ride motorbikes from Lands End, Cornwall to John O’ Groats, Scotland. The firm is aiming to raise awareness and funds for Combat Stress, a Veterans Mental Health Charity who help former members of the armed forces and their families with invaluable support for issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. The “End to End Charity Motorbike Ride 2020” challenge will fully test the riders spirit, strength and stamina throughout the fundraising journey. Enigma has said their team would welcome support, donations and encouragement whilst travelling along the epic route. Enigma Industrial Services have recently signed the corporate covenant which is a public pledge demonstrating its support for the Armed Forces community. With the British Armed Forces Covenant setting out the relationship between the nation, the government and our Armed Forces. You can help raise funds for Combat Stress a Veterans Mental Health Charity and pledge a donation via this official Virgin Money Giving Event page.New digital service for work experience on building sites
