Skills

Kier has seen a sharp rise in job applications during the first quarter of 2022. Since the turn of the year, applications to work at the contractor have risen by 20 per cent compared with the previous quarter. Kier group HR director Helen Redfern (pictured) attributes the rise in applications…

The number of construction apprenticeships starting in London has fallen for each of the last three years, research has revealed. Data published by the London Assembly Economy Committee showed that 18 per cent fewer people began construction apprenticeships in the capital in 2020/21 than in 2017/18. This far outstripped a…

Balfour Beatty Vinci (BBV) is looking to fill 3,000 job vacancies in the West Midlands to support the delivery of HS2 over the next four years. The joint venture, which also runs the Balfour Beatty Vinci Skills Academy in Birmingham, said that this recruitment drive was closely tied with upskilling…

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC), National Highways and contractors including Vinci and Skanska have backed the launch of a new tool for construction firms to benchmark their knowledge of fairness, inclusion and respect (FIR). Devised by the Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS), the FIR Growth Assessment aims to help construction…

Construction News and New Civil Engineer are delighted to announce a new partnership and programme of activity to inspire and support women in the construction and engineering sectors. Building on the work of the CN Inspiring Women in Construction programme and its gender diversity pledge, and the NCE Recognising Women…

Sister publications Construction News and New Civil Engineer are joining forces this year to champion the role of women in construction and engineering. The two publications are marking International Women’s Day today with the announcement of their collaboration, called Inspiring Women in Construction and Engineering. The joint initiative builds on…

John Murphy has urged contractors to help prisoners build up the skills they need to find employment on release. The chief executive of construction giant J Murphy & Sons chaired a meeting of an employment advisory board at HMP Berwyn in north Wales, on Friday. Such boards will be in…

Fresh talent and new skills are needed as construction bounces back from recession, but what more can the sector do to promote and develop apprenticeships to help attract and retain the next generation? Our Construction News webinar took place on 24 March and discussed the opportunities and challenges facing employers…

Building materials supplier Travis Perkins has pointed to its “disciplined” handling of materials shortages and cost hikes after reporting a 175.8 per cent rise in its adjusted operating profit. The Northampton-based firm reported an adjusted operating profit of £353m for the year ending on 31 December 2021, which was up…

The number of self-employed workers in construction hit its lowest level for 18 years during 2021. Recently released data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that in the fourth quarter of last year there were 773,000 operatives in the industry registered as self-employed. This was down from 881,000…