Construction workers are convinced that their profession is the most fulfilling in the UK according to a survey of employees across a range of sectors conducted by specialist recruiter Randstad Construction, Property and Engineering.

The research conducted for the 2014 Randstad Fulfilment@Work Report found that more than a third (34%) of construction workers consider their own sector as the most fulfilling career, more than double the next most highly-regarded occupation – telecoms, media and technology with 15%.

Health and social care (12%) and hospitality (9%) were the only other sectors to register a significant score from construction workers.

While the high esteem with which construction workers regard their own sector is admirable, the perception is not shared by UK employees in general, with just 3% perceiving construction as the most fulfilling sector to work in.

The general populace vote went to health and social care with almost a quarter (23%) of those polled regarding it the most fulfilling sector to work in, followed by arts, entertainment and publishing (12%) and education (11%).

Owen Goodhead, MD of Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering, said: “It makes perfect sense that construction workers are so proud of their profession as it is incredibly fulfilling to see projects move from planning stage to fruition as a result of your own hard work.

“The results are also down in part to the renaissance the UK construction market is enjoying at present with the recent Markit/CIPS UK Construction PMI showing the sharpest expansion of construction output for eight months and levels comfortably above the nadir witnessed in 2008/9.

“With more than 10,000 workers involved in huge current projects like London’s Crossrail and a number of future developments outside the capital such as planned transport improvements between Lancashire and Yorkshire and Liverpool FC’s stadium overhaul requiring substantial manpower, there will be plenty of opportunities for employees from labourers to quantity surveyors and site managers in the coming months and years. Hopefully this steady level of activity will help keep construction workers regarding their own sector as the most fulfilling to operate in.” 

Choosing a career

Another part of the research where construction workers stood out from their peers is the percentage of respondents who said they ‘fell into’ their current career. Just over half (53%) of construction workers said that was how they became involved in their current profession, closely followed by individuals working in legal (50%) and property (48%). At the other end of the spectrum, just 16% of doctors and nurses accidentally embarked on their calling.

Why did you choose your current career?

Percentage who ‘fell into it’, by profession:

• Construction: 53%

• Legal: 50%

• Property: 48%

• Tech & IT: 45%

• Finance: 39%

• Social care: 36%

• Education: 35%

• Engineering: 24%

• Allied health professionals: 21%

• Doctors and nurses: 16%

In terms of the other reasons construction workers gave for choosing the career they did, 23% said they felt it matched their strengths, 13% thought they would enjoy it and 11% thought it suited their personality. The least popular option was a parental recommendation.

The numbers of new homes in England has risen by 10% over the past year – the highest percentage increase in 12 years, new figures today show.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis welcomed the news, which means the government has now delivered over half a million additional new homes since 2010.

It comes as the numbers of first-time buyers remain at their highest level since 2007, while new figures show the numbers of repossessions are now at their lowest since records began in 2008.

Building the homes communities want and need

Housing is a key part of the government’s long-term economic plan.

Today’s figures mean the net supply of housing is now at its highest since 2010.

The vast majority of the new homes delivered over the past 12 months have been newly-built, and it means that since 2010 the government has delivered a net increase of over 530,000 new additional homes across England.

The government has introduced a range of measures to get the country building. These include:

• reforming the planning system, putting power back in the hands of residents through local and neighbourhood plans – meaning over the past 12 months planning permission was granted on 230,000 new homes

• investing £19.5 billion public and private funding in an affordable homes programme – since 2010 over 200,000 new affordable homes have been delivered

• introducing schemes like the Help to Buy, which have helped over 54,000 households onto the property ladder with a fraction of the deposit they would normally require, while at the same time leading housebuilders to build more homes in direct response to this increased demand

But the government has also tackled the deficit it inherited, helping to keep interest rates at their record low and mortgages more affordable.

As a result, new figures published today by the Council of Mortgage Lenders show the number of repossessions at 5,000 for the third quarter of 2014 (July to September). Latest forecasts also anticipate repossessions falling in 2015 and 2016.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: “I’m determined that we do all we can to get the country building and help hard-working people into home ownership.

“Today’s figures show how our efforts are delivering real results, with the net supply of new homes up 10% over the past year and over half a million new homes delivered since 2010.

“But it’s also about helping people to buy and stay in their own homes – and by tackling the record deficit we inherited we’ve kept interest rates low, the numbers of new homeowners at their highest since 2007 and the numbers of repossessions at their lowest level since records began in 2008.”

Crossrail has received the go-ahead from the Royal Borough of Greenwich to build nearly 400 new homes above the new Woolwich Crossrail station.

The major new residential development will consist of approximately 490,000 sq ft in five high quality buildings of varying heights landscaped gardens.

The Armourer’s Court design by architects TP Bennett was reviewed by Design Council CABE and created in consultation with the local community, Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greater London Authority and English Heritage.

It draws upon the heritage of the nearby Royal Arsenal buildings, with brick, metal and glass façades.

Crossrail will market the Armourer’s Court site to potential development partners in the coming year and aims to commence construction once the station has been completed in 2018.

It is part of Crossrail’s strategy to develop three million sq ft of new commercial and residential space above stations, returning funds to the Crossrail budget and regenerating urban areas all along the line.

At the same meeting, Greenwich Council also granted consent for the external appearance of the Woolwich Crossrail station.

Ian Lindsay, Crossrail’s Land and Property Director said: “The successful development of this site will be another major step forward in the regeneration of Woolwich. This is part of our ongoing efforts to breathe new life into areas above and around our new stations. Crossrail is helping to boost the supply of new homes across the capital.”

The Woolwich area has enjoyed a renaissance thanks to the opening of Woolwich Arsenal DLR terminus in 2009, improvement of public areas and the impending arrival of Crossrail. Since 2008 there have been 13 planning applications within a kilometre of Woolwich Crossrail station, equating to 4,286 new homes, over 70,000 sq ft of new office space and 114,000 sq ft of new retail space.

Enterprise zones are playing a vital role in driving forward the country’s economy, creating thousands of new jobs and paving the way for tens of thousands more, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced today.

The 24 enterprise zones are at the heart of the government’s ambitious long-term economic plan with latest figures showing they have created 12,530 jobs, attracted 434 new businesses and generated over £2 billion worth of private investment since opening for business.

The government-backed sites are providing top-class fiscal incentives and world-class infrastructure, promoting growth across a range of key industries, including the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and renewable industry sectors.

They are also providing a significant boost to the UK’s construction industry and wider supply chain.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Enterprise zones are proving that our long-term economic plan is on track, creating thousands of jobs, attracting billions of pounds of investment and proving Britain is a great place to do business.

“This is just the start. We have worked hard over the past few years turning shovel-ready sites into job-ready sites. That work is now done and we are seeing more and more investors sign deals that will create tens of thousands more jobs over the coming years. That’s great news for local communities and great news for the economy.”

The government opened the zones in April 2012 as part of a 25-year project to rebalance the economy, offering tax incentives, simplified planning and super fast broadband to companies.

That vision has provided a major boost to the UK construction sector with work already carried out to redevelop 85 hectares of land and deliver more than 47,000 square metres of new or refurbished floor space.

Changes to the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) mean that from Spring 2015 Registered Social Landlords will no longer be required to have a Green Deal Assessment in order to apply for the innovative RHI scheme.

If social landlords already have Energy Performance Certificates for their properties, and these are less than two years old, they will be able to apply to the scheme without requiring a Green Deal Assessment.

Amber Rudd MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Climate Change, said: “Renewable heating is a win-win for everyone – landlords, tenants and the environment.

“Social landlords often provide homes for some of the most vulnerable people, by making the RHI more accessible to them, we hope more of their tenants will be able to enjoy warmer homes and lower bills.”

Latest statistics on fuel poverty show there are 2.28 million fuel poor households in the UK, and 365,000 of them live in social housing.

Fuel poverty can be exacerbated for some if they need to pay upfront for their heating as is the case for many with oil fired systems.

Ralph Retallack, Energy Efficiency Project Manager at Coastline Housing Ltd in West Cornwall, already has over 200 properties using renewable Air Source Heat Pump heating systems, 130 of which have so far been accredited under the domestic RHI.

Mr Retallack said: “Where we have installed air source heat pumps in our properties the feedback from tenants has been very good. Those who were previously unable to afford oil to heat their homes say it has transformed their properties.

“The upfront cost of oil is the problem – the minimum order is 500 litres which costs from around £270 up to £370 depending on market fluctuations.

“Electricity is required to run the air source systems, but our tenants can budget weekly for heat and hot water which is preferable, and enables them to enjoy a comfortable living environment at an affordable price.

“Our tenant customers have much warmer homes and lower bills – and Coastline receives the RHI payments to offset the cost of installation, so it works well for everyone.”

Andrew Burke, of the National Housing Federation said: “These changes to the RHI will reduce the unnecessary bureaucracy and costs for Social Landlords applying for RHI but the real benefit will be for their tenants, who will have warmer homes and lower energy bills. Renewable heating makes a big difference by reducing fuel poverty in off-gas grid areas.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced an action plan dedicated to boost manufacturing supply chains and deliver a multi-billion pound lift for the British industry.

Huge efforts have been made by government and industry to work together and implement Industrial Strategies that will boost economic growth and create new jobs in the trades.

The ambitious action plan, to be published from the New Year, will encourage and support UK manufacturers to work together with British companies to produce the parts they need, rather than relying on overseas manufacturers.

The government will work in partnership with leading employers to develop the plan in keeping with our approach to Industrial Strategy.

It will build on the work that the government has already done to help secure the growth of the manufacturing industry – including through the Regional Growth Fund, the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative, Reshore UK, the Manufacturing Advisory Service and greater support for employer-led skills training.

Renewable energy

By 2020, it’s estimated that there will be around £40 billion worth of renewable electricity projects in the UK and it’s been projected that the offshore wind sector alone could support 30,000 supply chain jobs by 2020 – yet only around 20% of the components needed to build our offshore wind farms are being sourced right now in the UK.

The Confederation of British Industry estimates that the UK could unlock around £30 billion and generate up to 500,000 more jobs over the next decade by supporting and strengthening our domestic supply chains through concerted action. .

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “Every successful company is only as good as its supply chain. The last four decades have seen the UK’s manufacturing base increasingly forced to compete with low-cost economies for investment, jobs and growth.

“Some businesses have struggled and it has resulted in a hollowing out of the UK’s domestic supply chains with over half the supplies used in British manufacturing coming from overseas.”

Professionals in the building engineering trades are seeing some of the strongest gains, with average salaries rising by four times the cost of living, according to a survey published this week.

The survey, by the specialist recruitment company Hays, has shown that of over 10,000 employers and employees indicated that employers are confident their business activity will increase over the next 12 months.

This will result in greater hiring, with 70% of employers planning to increase headcount over the next year, paving the way for new jobs and boosting the trades.

However, 80% of employers are already concerned that they will encounter a shortage of suitable candidates which is already driving wages, with salaries for many professions rising in double digit percentages.

Nigel Heap, Managing Director of Hays UK & Ireland, said: “Although salary increases aren’t yet widespread, there are definite pockets of very significant rises, which have been fuelled by skill shortages.

“To date the greatest salary increases have been highest in sectors suffering from skill shortages where there simply aren’t enough people to fill the gaps.”

Gary Swan earns £95,000 to £100,000 a year and says that since he joined Pimlico Plumbers four years ago he ‘hasn’t looked back’.

The 38-year-old from Sidcup, Kent, told the Financial Mail on Sunday that after qualifying he worked for himself but found things ‘got rather sticky’ during the last recession as prices came down and work dried up, so he joined Charlie Mullins’ team.

‘Working for them takes a lot of the hassle away,’ he says. ‘You don’t have to deal with quoting for jobs, chasing invoices, people calling you all the time. You’re just left alone to be a plumber.’

Gary gets paid by the hour for smaller jobs and an agreed day rate for big ones, but says the hours can be ‘shocking’.

‘It’s 8am to 6pm in theory, but you often start at 7.30am and are working till 8pm or later,’ he says. ‘I also work one night a week and do the odd weekend, but I don’t mind. I could work 50 rather than 70 hours a week, but I’m making hay while the sun shines.

‘I think it will continue, as there just aren’t enough tradesmen around. It suits me because it means my wife doesn’t have to work and can look after our four children.

‘I’m much better off than my dad when he was working. We’ve never had it so good.’

English Cities Fund (ECf) has appointed contractor Bowmer & Kirkland to deliver One New Bailey, a 125,000 sq ft, eight-storey office development situated on the banks of the River Irwell.

Funded by Legal and General, the development marks a key milestone in the New Bailey scheme, which also includes a 615 space multi storey car park, currently under construction, and a 143-bed Premier Inn.

The Ralli Courts building, which formerly occupied the One New Bailey site has now been demolished and work started on October 20th 2014.

One New Bailey provides large floorplates of up to 17,212 sq ft and will be developed to the latest BREEAM Excellent standard. There are a number of leisure opportunities to the ground floor for a vibrant mix of cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as an enhanced public realm to the exterior in the form of a new public square, extensive landscaping and an outdoor events space, which can be accessed by the existing pedestrian bridge from Spinningfields.

Neil Brook, Bowmer & Kirkland North West Regional Director, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed on the next phase of the New Bailey development and look forward to furthering our relationship with ECf on what is a very important project being the first office development.”

Phil Mayall, development director at ECf, said: “Appointing a contractor on One New Bailey is another giant step forward in developing this exciting scheme, which will deliver much-needed, high quality office space in an excellent city centre location.

“We are very pleased to have appointed Bowmer & Kirkland on One New Bailey as they have already completed the Premier Inn to the agreed timescales and budget. We look forward to continuing to work with the team going forward.”

Buro Four is the contract administrator and DTZ and JLL are joint agents on the scheme, which is due for completion in spring 2016.

ECf is a joint venture between Muse Developments, Legal and General and the Homes and Communities Agency.

An initiative to redevelop brownfield sites to build 14,000 new homes across London and the South East has been welcomed by developers.

National Grid plc and the Berkeley Group have announced the establishment of a new Joint Venture to develop major residential and mixed-use development schemes that will create thusands of jobs over the next 15 years.

The partnership, to be named as St William Homes LLP, will bring together access to a significant portfolio of brownfield land owned by National Grid Property in key areas of the capital.

In its first phase, St William aims to develop more than 7,000 new homes, including over 2,000 affordable homes.

Development at this scale would also deliver 5,500 jobs, 2 new schools and 22 acres of public open space, transforming 84 acres of former industrial land and contributing over £150 million to local infrastructure and amenities.

The joint venture will have funds available of up to £700 million, making it one of the top ten house-builders in Britain by turnover.

This is new capital which will deliver additional homes and help tackle the housing crisis. It aims to commence development activity on its first site in 2016, with the first homes being delivered in 2017.

Steve Holliday, the Chief Executive of National Grid, said: “By bringing together Berkeley’s development expertise with National Grid Property sites, we hope to transform redundant land that was once at the heart of the industrial revolution to meet the housing and commercial needs of the 21st century.”

Rob Perrins, Managing Director of the Berkeley Group, said: “This is good news for homebuilding. St William will take these sites and turn them into new communities. I am delighted to be working with a partner like National Grid which shares our values and has such a strong pipeline of land and assets.”

Joint venture bmJV, consisting of BAM Nuttall and Morgan Sindall, has been appointed by the Highways Agency to the largest ever framework for the improvement of England’s motorways and major A roads.

The bmJV joint venture is one of five contractors to be appointed to Lot 3b – high value construction work (scheme values between £100 million and £450 million).

The framework, which will run for four years with the potential to extend to six years, is estimated to be worth up to £150 million per annum to bmJV.

The joint venture will initially target the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement scheme and tranche one of the smart motorways programme which consists of three schemes (M5 J4-6 / M1 J16-19 / M6 J16-19).

Gary Crisp, Highways Director at bmJV, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to participate in this next evolution of collaborative working.

“The Collaborative Delivery Framework will build on the successes of the previous National Major Projects Framework as well as the collaboration and integration that delivered major schemes and saw the development of the Smart Motorway Programme.”

We are looking forward to developing a delivery approach that brings the best experience and skills in the industry into an arena of aligned objectives and incentives to deliver highway infrastructure enhancements quicker and more efficiently than ever.”