Budding engineers given diploma boost - 20-12-2007 - 11:51

Young people attempting to start engineering careers have been boosted after it was announced that vocational diplomas will be given the same value as three and a half A-levels by universities.

Engineering is one of the subjects that will be available to be taken as a diploma, which start next year.

Martin Temple, director-general at manufacturers' body the EEF, told Personnel Today: "Industry will applaud this announcement as a welcome recognition by the universities that the new diplomas will have sufficient prestige. This is one more step on the road towards bridging the divide between academic and vocational routes into higher education."

People looking to get construction jobs have also been boosted by the news that a vocational diploma will be available in that subject.

Students will get 420 Ucas points for achieving top marks in all parts of the diploma.

The EEF works on behalf of over 6,000 companies in manufacturing, engineering and technology.

Scheme launched to encourage more women in construction - 14-12-2007 - 14:28

A specialist housing service provider has launched a CD to help companies in the construction industry recruit more women.

Stonham has aimed the CD, called "Gender on the Agenda", at managers and human resources staff in the construction sector.

Andrea Butler, Stonham area business manager, said: "Ensuring diversity in your workforce is vital to success. Diversity isn't a campaign, an initiative or a set of boxes to tick. It's the way to attract the largest possible number of potential staff or customers. A business that encourages a diverse culture attracts people and helps the organisation perform at its best."

The CD provides firms with guidance on recruitment and was funded by Equal, a European Social Fund scheme.

Only ten per cent of the construction industry's workforce is female, according to ConstructionSkills.

ConstructionSkills represents every part of the construction industry in the UK. It covers all areas of the skills agenda.

New construction recruitment initiative launched - 14-12-2007 - 09:55

Emap Construction has launched a construction recruitment initiative which will aim to find the industry's management executives of the future.

The scheme is designed to find exceptional young talent in the four categories of architecture, construction, engineering and quantity surveying.

Young professionals in the sector are being encouraged to enter and they will be tested in three stages to find an eventual winner. The stages consist of a written submission, a challenges stage and an interview.

Emap's industry publications including Construction News and the Architects Journal, will be promoting the event.

The 40 applicants who make it through to the final stage will be invited to a celebratory event and party on March 28th. The deadline for entries is December 21st.

The initiative has been created in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Building and ACE.

Emap Construction is a network of magazines that are aimed specifically at the construction industry.

CIC highlights lack of construction professionals - 07-12-2007 - 10:42

The biggest problem facing the construction industry is a shortage of construction professionals, according to the Construction Industry Council (CIC).

In the CIC's Professional Services Survey it was revealed that the industry is lacking in graduates coming through for architecture, surveying and engineering jobs.

With one in five construction professionals due to retire in the next year, the report highlights the need for young people starting out on their construction careers.

Over 50 per cent of firms said that they were anticipating difficulties in recruiting enough people in the next year. Firms are blaming the lack of recruitment on applicants not having a high enough level of skill.

Between 40 per cent and 53 per cent of companies with professional services say that they have vacancies that are hard to fill, according to the research.

Housing minister Yvette Cooper recently announced that local councils will be given £732 million to help them construct new homes.

Scaffolders and architects are 'highest paid construction jobs' - 04-12-2007 - 09:10

Scaffolders and architects have the highest paid construction jobs, according to a report by the GMB union.

The figures show that scaffolders had the highest average salary out of trade workers, while architects' average salaries of £40,845 made them the highest paid profession in the industry.

Paul Kenny, GMB general secretary, hit out at the imbalance of wages across construction jobs and the entire economy. He said: "There are some people at the top earning 40 and 50 times those at the bottom. GMB want to see the tax system used to even out the rewards and the GMB want the national minimum wage to rise to £7 per hour to help those at the bottom."

Quantity surveyors earn on average £36,455 a year, more than civil engineers who make £29,608.

GMB is a general union that has almost 600,000 members in every part of the economy and has 25,000 union representatives.