In today’s post, we look at how the Jobcentres helped get 1,000 women into construction. Rolls-Royce makes a list of possible locations for the SMR factory. More building delays have struck the Carillion collapse hospital. As construction companies prepare for more price increases, Edinburgh has been named the second most expensive city in the UK to build in.

Jobcentres help 1,000 women get jobs in construction

Original Source: Jobcentres back 1,000 women into construction

DWP and Women into Construction partnered to hire 1,000 women in construction and engineering.

Hundreds of women have construction and engineering jobs because to DWP’s cooperation with Women into Construction. Latest numbers show there are approximately 2 million more women in work since 2010.

Amanjeet from Birmingham participated in the programme and has subsequently advanced at HS2. Using her internship experience and skills, she can design, direct, and organise one of the country’s largest engineering projects, a key aspect of the government’s leveling-up strategy.

Amanjeet struggled to find work after graduating from Wolverhampton University with a civil engineering degree. Her DWP Job Coach suggested her to Women into Construction, a charity that promotes work experience for women in construction.

Amanjeet secured a 4-week virtual programme with HS2 that included training and job experience despite the pandemic.

After finishing the programme, she completed additional training to access a development site, giving her the skills and expertise she needed to land a job with Balfour Beatty.

After her placement, she became an Assistant Project Manager at HS2 in November 2021, leading a significant engineering project that will connect Birmingham to other UK cities.

Mims Davies, Minister of Employment:

It’s great to see women ascend the ladder, especially in construction, and jobcentres offer support.

Our Work Coaches focus on getting people into jobs, but they also help them increase their hours, income, and growth.

Birmingham’s Amanjeet:

My DWP employment coach introduced me to the Women into Construction Virtual work experience project, where I learned so much about myself and HS2. After that, I was offered a position and finally got to apply my Civil Engineering degree and do a job I liked.

Without Women into Construction, I wouldn’t have had the skills and experience to become an Assistant Project Manager on HS2.

Jacqui Wordsworth, Women into Construction’s Business Development Director:

Seeing Amanjeet’s talent grow is inspiring. We’re happy of the women we’ve helped excel in construction and engineering through our partnership with DWP.

Working in construction is a great opportunity for everybody, regardless of gender. We’re devoted to Changing the Face of Construction by helping more women enter the industry and excel via training, mentoring, and job experience.

Women into Construction has partnered with DWP since 2008 to help unemployed women into construction. Women into Construction helps DWP jobseekers who wouldn’t normally consider a career in construction explore their possibilities in a supported atmosphere.

Since then, Women into Construction has supported hundreds of women in London, Birmingham, Cambridge, Norfolk, and Essex.

Rolls-Royce makes a list of possible places for the SMR factory

Original Source: Rolls-Royce lists potential sites for SMR factory

Rolls-Royce has shortlisted potential locations for its first nuclear power plant parts facility.

Sunderland (Durham), Richmond (North Yorkshire), Grimsby (Lincolnshire), Deeside (Wales), Ferrybridge (Yorkshire), Carlisle (Cumbria), and Stallingborough (Lincolnshire) are all viable industrial sites.

It will produce ‘heavy vessels’ for SMRs, decreasing project risk and timelines.

The shortlist of venues was chosen from more than 100 proposals from LEPs and development agencies.

Rolls-Royce is in talks to build nuclear power plants.

Construction of the first factory will commence after Rolls-Royce SMR secures permission to build SMRs in the UK.

It will be 23,000 square metres (three football fields) and cost £100m-200m, providing 200 permanent employment.

Two factories will make civils and MEP modules. These will be assembled into nuclear power plants.

These locations will be chosen from the list of entries, offering all places a chance to host a Rolls-Royce SMR facility.

Rolls-Royce SMR CEO Tom Samson said, “The response was outstanding and illustrates the UK’s ambition and appetite to build and manage a fleet of SMRs, which will deliver affordable, low-carbon electricity for generations to come.”

The ultimate location will result in major investment, long-term high-skilled jobs, and help the UK government’s leveling-up goals.

The UK engineering company expects to build 10 SMRs by 2035 and the first one by 2029.

SMRs are smaller than typical nuclear power stations and could be cheaper to develop, hence the government backs them.

If these SMRs go forward, Sunderland, North Yorkshire, Deeside, Lincolnshire, and Carlisle could be at the vanguard of manufacturing British-made IT components.

SMRs might provide faster and cheaper low-carbon nuclear power, and today’s news highlights the potential for new jobs across the country.

Carillion collapse hospital faces more development delays

Original Source: Carillion collapse hospital hit by more construction delays

Before Carillion collapsed, the super-hospital in Smethwick was supposed to be finished in October 2018.

Balfour Beatty was hired to perform the construction in 2019, with aspirations of finishing this year.

The new hospital won’t open until spring 2024, according to Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

The epidemic has affected the supply chain, staff, and supplies, the trust stated.

In light of current fire safety rules, the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems have been redesigned.

Balfour Beatty’s UK Construction Services CEO Mark Bullock: “We remain committed to finishing this significant project.”

“In the coming months, we will continue to work closely with Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and the new hospital programme team to build this long-awaited healthcare facility.”

Sir David Nicholson, Trust Chairman, said, “I am thrilled that we have reached this level in the development and can declare with confidence that we will open as soon as possible following finished completion of the building, which will be handed over to the Trust by the end of 2023.”

“Balfour Beatty and the Trust teams have worked hard to advance the building work over the past two years, and it’s great to see so many departments and clinical areas nearing completion to a high quality.

“We thank the new hospital programme team for ensuring we have the resources and experienced expertise to finish this new hospital, which will serve Sandwell and West Birmingham for at least 50 years.”

Edinburgh is now the second most costly city in the United Kingdom for building, as the industry braces for inflation

Original Source: Edinburgh named second most expensive UK city in which to build as construction braces for further inflation

According to the International Construction Market Survey (ICMS) for 2022, there are few indications that industry inflation will abate in the majority of the 88 locations surveyed.

London is classified as the most expensive city in the United Kingdom to develop in and the tenth most expensive city in the world, down from third in 2019, while costs remain high at $3,910 (£2,890) per square metre.

Edinburgh (25th at $3,016; £2,293 per sqm), Manchester (28th at $2,956; £2,247), and Birmingham (30th at $2,889; £2,197), with Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, and Newcastle close behind in the top 40, contributing to the United Kingdom’s high average cost as a market.

The study reveals rising inflationary pressure in regional cities, which could impede the government’s efforts to raise the country’s standard of living through public and private investment.

Inflation in Leeds is anticipated to hit double digits this year (10 percent), up from 5 percent in 2021. Significant investments in build-to-rent complexes and the expansion of student housing are major contributions to this explosive rise.

London, Manchester, and Birmingham are projected to have inflation rates of 9.0 percent and 9.0 percent, respectively, in 2022, trailing Leeds by a small margin. Edinburgh and Glasgow are expected to have the lowest cost increases among the UK’s big cities this year, but they still face a hefty inflation rate of 7.5%.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 1.3 million vacancies in the United Kingdom from March to May 2022, a nearly 70 percent rise from the 765,000 vacancies registered the previous year. According to data compiled by Turner & Townsend, the average cost of labour in the United Kingdom has reached $44.19 (£33.60) per hour, while in London this figure jumps to $52.28 (£39.75).

Labor for the installation of solar power, heat pumps, and insulation schemes is particularly expensive due to the high demand for “green collar” workers as a result of government and commercial efforts to reach net-zero goals. In London, the hourly rate for these employees exceeds $68.39 (£52.00).

The impact of the war in Ukraine and the continuous complexity of regulating cross-border trade with the EU continue to exacerbate the supply chain issues that arose in the wake of the pandemic. In Manchester, for example, the average cost of brick has climbed by 11.3% to $789 (£600) per 1,000 units over the past year, while in Leeds the price of structural steel has increased by 43.3% to $3,946 (£3,000) per tonne.

Martin Sudweeks, UK managing director for cost control at Turner & Townsend, stated, “According to the data, London remains the most expensive city for construction in the United Kingdom. This is a result of the confluence of significant demand for new private and public sector development in the wake of the epidemic, along with continued supply chain difficulties exacerbated by Brexit and the impact of the conflict in Ukraine.

“However, regional cities continue to experience significant cost rises. This is most evident in Leeds, due to the release of build-to-rent developments and the increase in student housing investment. This year, it is anticipated that inflation will grow across all major markets in the United Kingdom. As a result, businesses will need to focus on cautious planning, ensuring contracts are created pragmatically to account for prospective price increases and, if appropriate, to distribute risk equitably. To mitigate the effects of inflation, an in-depth review of the supply chain and good connections with reputable suppliers will be essential.”

The analysis by Turner & Townsend identifies similar issues in global markets, most notably in the United States, which tops the list of most expensive areas to construct. The most costly market is San Francisco ($4,729; £3,596 per square metre), followed by Tokyo ($4,667; £3,547), Osaka ($4,559; £3,468), and New York ($4,517; £3,434), with nine of the top twenty most expensive markets located in the United States.

Neil Bullen, global managing director of Real Estate Turner & Townsend, stated, “We are facing challenges on numerous fronts in the global construction industry and the broader international economy.” The ongoing interdependence of markets is more evident than ever before, as we observe near-universal inflationary patterns based on construction labour shortages, demand surpassing supply, and supply chain disruptions impacting programme prices and expenditures.

“Companies must embrace a broader, global perspective of their building supply chains in order to manage the volatility in the coming months.”

“In addition to this, clients must manage other important concerns, such as the push to net zero, as we anticipate a tightening of standards and criteria for green capabilities and sustainably sourced materials. Such actions may exacerbate stress if not adequately planned and handled. In order to be successful in addressing all of these global concerns, businesses will need to develop innovative ways to improve their procurement, delivery, and management of projects.

Summary of today’s construction news

Overall, we have discussed that Jobcentres have hired 1,000 women into the construction industry. Several locations in the United Kingdom have been suggested by Rolls-Royce as potential locations for an SMR factory. More building delays have struck the Carillion collapse hospital and won’t open until spring 2024. Edinburgh was ranked as the second-most costly city in the UK to build in as the industry prepares for continued inflation.