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The past two months have seen Chancellor George Osborne deliver his last Budget of the 2010-2015 Parliament, and a vigorous General Election campaign that ended with a surprise Conservative majority. This has ended months of instability for the industry, which is now primed for further growth.

Now that the make-up of the new government is settled, CECA will be working hard to ensure that we make the case for infrastructure to all parties in Westminster, Cardiff and Holyrood, and highlight the danger of allowing

political uncertainty to undermine existing investment in the sector.

This issue carries reports on cost trends, a recent CECA ‘Mock Trial’, as well as articles on carbon reduction, Transport Focus, the London Underground, National Apprenticeship Week and Constructionline. We also celebrate the achievements of our members with reports of regional CECA Awards, the recipients of which are often the brightest and best of our sector, and who are the backbone of the workforce that will be required to deliver the infrastructure the country needs.

Issue 91 • May 2015

2 First Words

3 2015 Budget

5 Cost Trends

6 Mock Trial

9 Carbon Reduction

11 Transport Focus

13 London Underground

15 National Apprenticeship Week

19 Constructionline

CECA Communicates

INSIDE THIS MONTH:

Election 2015: Conservative Majority Secures Stability

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Welcome to the latest issue of Communicates. As we go to print, the Prime Minister is assembling his cabinet after his election victory. This has ended months of instability for our industry, but now that the votes are counted, the sector is primed for growth. CECA is looking forward to continuing to make the case for infrastructure, so that David Cameron’s new government can build on the successes of the past five years, which have seen the industry emerge from recession and act as a driver for growth in the economy.

In this issue of CECA Communicates we explore Chancellor George Osborne’s last budget of the 2010-2015 Parliament, what it means for contractors, and in particular the new powers it has bestowed on cities and the Chancellor’s aspiration of creating a ‘Northern Powerhouse.’ We also report on CECA’s annual Cost Trends Survey (page 5), which shows that 90 per cent of members are experiencing increased costs.

CECA National’s Civil Engineering Director Peter Crosland reports on a hugely successful ‘Mock Trial’ held by CECA, working with the Institution of Civil Engineers. These events are a practical way for members to engage with important legal issues

before they become an issue for their businesses. In this case, and with the assistance of Simpson & Marwick LLP, the participants examined the impact of utility strikes and the steps members can take to ensure they adopt best practice in this regard.

The time of year has come that CECA celebrates the achievement of our members over the past twelve months, and this issue of Communicates carries reports of CECA Awards bestowed in Yorkshire & Humberside (page 7), Scotland (page 8), and Wales (page 17). I would like to take the opportunity of congratulating all the winners, who in many cases represent the future of our industry, and the brightest and best of our workforce.

Also in this issue are an environment update on how reducing carbon in your business can reduce costs (page 9), as well as updates from Transport Focus (page 11), Transport for London (page 13), news of CECA members’ activities during National Apprenticeship Week (page 16), and news of developments at Constructionline (page 19). Finally, we report on the development of a Fairness, Inclusion and Respect toolkit. This will promote a greater understanding throughout our industry that inclusion the workplace helps to

First Words

Think .for all your staffing needsOne of the UK's largest specialist recruitment businesses providingpermanent, contract and temporary staff at all levels from our network ofoffices throughout the UK.

For your cost effective recruitment solution visit

www.mcginley.co.ukor telephone 0845 543 5953Head Office: Ground Floor, The Edward Hyde Building,38 Clarendon Road, Watford, Herts WD17 1JW

CECA Chief Executive Alasdair Reisner

improve employee relations, boosts productivity, and opens up new markets - both at home and abroad.

The past five years has seen CECA make the case for infrastructure to all parties. For the duration of the next Westminster Parliament, we will continue to do so on our members’ behalf.

Best wishes,

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Budget 2015New Financial Freedoms For Cities

On 18 March Chancellor George Osborne presented his final Budget of this Parliament. Although the Budget was less focussed on infrastructure than in previous years, the Chancellor’s speech concentrated on economic growth, aspirations, and building a ‘Northern Powerhouse.’

CECA was particularly pleased with the Chancellor’s decision to allow cities to keep the proceeds of growth, potentially creating funds for future investment in local transport.

The Chancellor announced that Manchester and Cambridge will get to keep 100% of the additional growth in local business rates to spend on local

priorities, with further cities invited to come forward with similar proposals. Greater Manchester will also be allowed to elect a mayor with devolved powers over skills, transport and health budgets.

Commenting, CECA Chief Executive Alasdair Reisner said that the announcements could be key to rebalancing the economy in a manner that CECA has long campaigned for, and that “the revival of the UK economy must not be limited to London. The announcements in the 2015 Budget will stimulate local growth, letting cities get on with delivering their priorities.

“We would expect this to free up further investment in local transport, further accelerating growth in Manchester and Cambridge.”

Other measures CECA welcomed in the speech included a commitment to build on the opening of negotiations on the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, a commitment to build on the concept

Announcements included:

• Moves to build a ‘Northern Powerhouse’, commited to build on the concept of HS3

• Devolution of powers to cities, with pilot schemes announced for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough starting in April 2015 and, subject to approval, Greater Manchester

• Further devolution of power to the Mayor of London, including over planning and skills

• Negot ia t ions to open over City Deals for Cardiff, Aberdeen and Inverness

• Extension of the Humber and Leeds Enterprise Zones

• Government to enter into negotiations for Swansea Bay Tidal Laboon

• British Business Bank to launch a ‘Help to Grow’ programme to increase the supply of loans to firms

• This April government will abolish National Insurance for employing under 21s

• From April 2016, National Insurance will be abolished for employing a young apprentice

• Government to extend Prompt Payment Code to cover wider poor payment practices

• Government to fund a High Speed Rail conference

• Proposals for legislation for competitive tendering of onshore e lect r i c i ty transmission infrastructure

CECA Welcomes New Financial Powers For Cities

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of HS3, and a freeze on the Aggregate Levy for 2015-16.

A number of other measures were aimed at promoting growth in England’s regions. Mr Osborne announced that Transport for the North will publish an interim report which will commit to build on the concept of HS3 and to develop a network of high quality rail connections across the North, the ‘TransNorth Vision.’

Part of this work will include bringing the benefits of HS2 to the north sooner than planned, developing a single smart and integrated ticketing system for across the region, and proceeding with the electrification of the Selby to Hull line, subject to an acceptable contribution from Hull Trains and the publication of a sound business case.

CECA North East Director Douglas Kell was keen to point out that “While Budget pledges have recently been made, and some greatly needed projects are already under way here – such as a new Wear bridge, extended dualling of the A1 in Northumberland and various rail and airport improvements – these must be considered against a previous background in recent years of London and the South East having enjoyed an 80% leap in the capital spend on transport infrastructure, against a mere 6% spend in the North East.”

In Scotland and Wales, the Chancellor announced the opening of negotiations with local partners and the Scottish and Welsh Governments for City Deals for Cardiff, Aberdeen and Inverness. In Inverness, funding is being made available to help progress the deal.

In the capital, Mr Osborne announced a further devolution of powers to the Mayor of London, including over planning and skills. Also announced was £34 million in additional government funding for Transport for London, plus a further £16 million for the development of Croxley rail link.

CECA has argued that as the economy of the South East is the strongest, there is constant pressure on its housing, transport and energy networks. The region is approaching peak capacity, yet significant opportunities for economic and social growth will be available in the north of England if the right infrastructure is put in place. CECA is campaigning for the establishment of a body to plan and deliver a dedicated east-west infrastructure corridor in the north of England, efficiently linking all transport and other infrastructure networks across the region.

CECA members were briefing on the details of the Budget document on the day of its delivery

Following the Budget , CECA provided a briefing document on the announcements highlighted above. If you would like a copy of the briefing, please contact hustongilmore@ceca.co.uk

“You can’t create jobs without successful business. As well as the right infrastructure, businesses also need low, competitive taxes.” - Chancellor George Osborne

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Trends In Costs 2014Annual Report

CECA’s annual special report into cost trends in the industry found that 90 per cent of firms saw costs increase over the course of 2014.

In 2013, a balance of 63 per cent of respondents to the survey reported that costs had increased compared to the previous year. At the end of last year, that had jumped to 90 per cent of firms reporting increased costs.

Cost pressures relating to labour were higher under all four measures in 2014. Wage inflation for engineering staff showed the biggest increase, from 0.7 per cent in 2013 to 3.3 per cent in 2014.

Fuel cost pressures eased considerably compared to a year ago, due to falling global oil prices. Between January and December 2014, the price of Brent crude oil fell from $107 per barrel to

$62, a decline of 42 per cent. DERV fuel inflation was 3.9 per cent in 2013, but at the end of 2014, respondents reported prices had fallen by 2.2 per cent. Similarly gas oil fuel price inflation was reported at 3.6 per cent in 2013 and a fall of 2.4 per cent was reported in 2014 Q4.

Commenting, CECA Chief Executive Alasdair Reisner said: “This data shows the need to remain vigilant in protecting the recovery in the infrastructure sector. While the sector has returned to growth, our members are under pressure to recruit skilled labour and upskill the existing workforce. There is a looming skills deficit in the construction sector that government must take steps to tackle without delay, if our industry is to deliver improvements to the UK’s infrastructure that will be needed in the coming years.”

The Trends in Civil Engineering Costs report is published annually and collects data on the cost pressures experienced by CECA members. In 2014, the number of contractors taking part in the survey totalled 96. Full reports of the Trends in Costs Survey are available in the members’ area of the CECA website at: http://www.ceca.co.uk/media/163790/ceca-special-report-2014-q4.pdf

90 Per Cent Of CECA Members See Costs Increase

Increased by over 5%

Increased by 5%

No change

Fallen by up to 5%

Fallen by over 5%

Above: Costs In 2014 Compared With Twelve Months Ago In Great Britain

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CECA Mock TrialCable Strikes

Protect Yourself And Your Business Through Best Practice

CECA National Civil Engineering Director Peter Crosland writes for

CECA Communicates

• In the UK there are over 60,000 utility strikes every year, with electricity causing the most significant injuries and risk of fatalities

• If the work goes wrong, you could end up in court

• If the company gets it right and there is still a cable strike, the HSE may focus their investigation on the individuals concerned

• It could happen to your company and you

Introduction

On Tuesday 17 February 2015 a ‘Mock Trial’ (based on a real life event) was hosted by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) in the Thomas Telford Theatre, One Great George Street. The evening was also supported by a number of the ICE Panels who talked about the various initiatives around buried services and assets and about mapping.

Peter Hansford, the Government Chief Construction Adviser, gave a key note speech at the beginning of the evening and said that existing level of injuries and fatalities is unacceptable and that government were supporting initiatives that helped with improving safety and ultimately efficiency. He also acknowledged that a lot of good work is being carried out in terms of PAS 128 which was launched in June 2014.

On a positive note, for the first time in the UK, all interested parties realise, and are acting upon, the importance of up-front, pro-active planning of the utility works to reduce the risk of utility strikes/near misses. The aim must be to eliminate these events.

The Mock Trial

The case was against an individual, Roger Taylor, for failing to comply with the Health & Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974. There were Jury Summons sent out as invitations and over 200 jurors responded and attended the trial.

This innovative and engaging session was led by Kirsty Gomersal (Defence) and James Thompson (Prosecutor) of

Simpson & Marwick Solicitors LLP. It provided delegates with an insight into the mechanics of a trial and a chance to see experienced advocates “in action”. It demonstrated the challenges faced by those who have to give evidence in a Crown Court and gave guidance on how to comply with the law.

The delegates were engrossed throughout and played their part by being a jury, eventually acquitting Roger Taylor as the ‘voting’ fell just short of the required 10-2 majority for a conviction. The room was silent during the trial, but extremely animated during the deliberations which gave an indication as to how seriously the exercise was taken.

In the follow up questionnaire CECA asked questions relating to whether attendees might view their work differently as a result of experiencing the mock trial and 67% said they would do something different. It is difficult to know whether this was because respondees felt they weren’t doing enough already, or whether that the additional action was simply a reaction to the event. Either way, if more professionals felt they had to be more proactive around health & safety issues then this can only be seen as positive. Also, slightly more than 60% said they felt that they had an increased personal liability for actual service strikes!

The event generated wide interest across clients, contractors and consultants and I can only recommend that if you get the chance to attend a mock trial – please do so, but be warned, you might end up in the dock like me!

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CECA Yorkshire & HumbersideAnnual Dinner & Awards

If you would like to hear more about CECA Yorkshire & Humberside’s activities, please contact the CECA Y&H office on 0113 2382570 or jayne@ceca-yorks.co.uk.

CECA Yorkshire & Humberside Congratulate The Winners

Bottom middle: Yorkshire Safety Centre Chairman, Alan

Muddiman presenting the Linda Grant Health and Safety Award

to AMCO Rail for Standedge Vent Shaft Refurbishment

Bottom Left: CECA Y&H Chairman, Andries Liebenberg presenting the Most Promising

Apprentice of the Year Award to Chelsea Jayne Lacey of Britcon

(UK) Ltd

Below: Chairman, Andries Liebenberg presenting the award for Contract of the Year (over £2 million) to Kier Construction for

Selby Swing Bridge

Above: CECA Y&H Chairman Andries Liebenberg presenting the award for Contract of the Year (under 2 million) to Mott MacDonald Bentley

for the Baitings Gate Bridge

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CECA ScotlandNew Training Awards

Encouraging Members To Invest In The Future Of The Industry

For more information, e-mail: alan@cecascotland.co.uk

As part of CECA Scotland’s initiative to encourage members to invest in the future of the industry through the promotion of high quality training and development programmes, the CECA Scotland board are supporting the establishment of an annual awards programme to recognise the endeavours of those young people. Three new awards will complement the existing level 2 apprentice award given by the Scottish Building Apprenticeship & Training Council (SBATC).

The three new awards will be;

• Young Technician of the year

• Young Engineer of the year

• Young QS of the year

The winners will each receive an engraved glass plaque, certificate and cheque for £500. The presentations will be made as part of the annual CECA dinner in February 2016.

Awards Timeline

SBATC Civil Engineering Apprentice of the Year Award

The Scottish Building Apprentice Training Council (SBATC) has been operating since 1934 to regulate and monitor the conditions, wages, recruitment and training of Scottish construction industry apprentices. Soon after its formation in 1997 CECA joined the Council and in 2000 offered to develop SVQ Level 2 apprenticeships in a number of civil engineering occupational categories not served by traditional SVQ Level 3 craft apprenticeships.

In 2011 CECA agreed to sponsor a new Civil Engineering Apprentice of the Year award as part of SBATC’s prestigious James Birnie awards.

The 2014 winner was Sean Melville from Morgan Sindall in Inverness. Sean started his career as a Civil Engineering Technician at Inverness College and his employer is now supporting him through a civil engineering degree at Glasgow Caledonian University. He hopes to achieve Eng Tech status with the ICE in 2015.

Above: Sean Melville (centre) with Alvar Kenwell, CECA Scotland Chairman (left) and Derek Mackay, MSP, Minister for Transport and Islands in the Scottish

Government (right) being presented with his award at the CECA Scotland dinner in February 2015.

September 2015: Engage with employers & colleges to call for entries

November 2015: First cut and request for more information on candidates if required

January 2016: Meeting of the panel to select winners

February 2016: Awards made at CECA Scotland dinner

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EnvironmentReduce Carbon, Reduce Cost

The challenge for us all over the next decade will no doubt be around energy reduction – from both a socially responsible perspective but also a business perspective.

With energy prices (electricity) for a medium-sized user predicted to rise by almost 30% in the next 5 years, many businesses are looking to manage future risks by investing in energy efficiency.

Reducing energy use doesn’t always mean spending a lot. Businesses can cut costs through low to medium cost measures such as replacing lights or heating systems or encouraging employees to change behaviour.

How you address reduction in energy consumption will vary from both your ethical view point and also how you perceive yourself as a business – Tier 1, Tier 2, SME etc.

The reason to make this point is down to the fact that many companies see themselves as a particular sized organization and then adopt an appropriate behavior to suit.

For example, a major (T1 or T2) contractor may consider themselves above the threshold of being an SME – however if they look at their operations they may soon realize that in fact they operate dozens of SME organisations - called ‘sites’!!

(As a reminder, the European definition of an SME is guided by the number of employees AND turnover OR balance. The table below is taken from EU recommendation 2003/361).

Company Category Employees Turnover or Balance sheet total

Medium-sized < 250 ≤ € 50m ≤ € 43m

Small < 50 ≤ € 10m ≤ € 10m

Micro < 10 ≤ € 2m ≤ € 2m

As an industry we are committed to reducing greenhouse gases and there are a number of advisory and guidance documents out there from commercial organisations and government bodies.

There is an excellent document published by the Department of Energy & Climate Change which is titled ‘SME Guide to Energy Efficiency’. So even if you consider your organization to be outside the definition of an SME CECA still suggests that the guidance is relevant to site managers responsible for SME sized site operations.

Conversely, it also makes sense to look at the business as a whole, and then to look at how the business operates and across which sectors, looking for commonality and economies of scale. Ideally the approach to energy saving (carbon reduction) should be consistent across all parts of a company – however we know this is not always the case.

The 3 main managerial steps to ensuring required are:-

1. Establish the organisation’s commitment

2. Monitor energy use effectively

Carbon Reduction: Not Just About Renewables - Reducing Carbon Consumption Can Reduce Costs Overall

• Through a robust Policy

• By good use of the website and other modes of communication

• Launch event or announcement

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3. Assign responsibility

However, one of the often quoted problems in seeking to achieve better energy reduction is one of ‘ how do I engage my senior managers’? Getting senior managers to buy into energy efficiency can often be make or break for long term success. Energy efficiency brings a range of benefits, and every company has its own goals so the key is to align the two. Areas to think about:

•

For a company with a 2% profit margin over 3 years, a £200-a-year saving from energy efficiency makes the same profit as £30,000 of extra turnover.

There is no secret to energy reduction so long as the it gets the buy in from all the workforce and is applied across all premises.

The following are some sources that members might find of use:

Energy Technology List

It’s also worth remembering that, if the equipment you are buying is on the Energy Technology List, you could claim extra capital allowances from HMRC, which could provide a cash flow boost of approximately £2,000 for every £10,000 spent (for more details, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/news/switch-to-save-27-billion-up-for-grabs-by-switching-energy-supplier).

Renewable Energy Incentives

If you’re looking to install renewable energy technologies you may be eligible for long-term income via Feed- in Tariff (FiTs) and/or Renewable Heat Incentive Schemes (RHI), making payback periods even shorter. To find out more, go to:

•RenewableHeatIncentive:www.gov.uk/non-domestic-renewable-heat-incentive

•Feed-in-Tariff:www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-programmes/feed-tariff-fit-scheme

Also, for more best practice advice go to;

Carbon Trust: www.carbontrust.com

ENWORKS: www.enworks.com/case-studies

Zero Waste Scotland: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk

• Establish a robust system

• Ensure data is analysed and acted upon

• Dictate who manages the monitoring system

• MD (or similar) to lead the programme

• Key s ta ff to de l iver the programme

• All other staff to carry out basic actions and provide feedback

• Financial savings – turn your opportunities into annual cost savings, you can then show these as a percentage of last year’s profit or the level of sales needed to make the same impact on the bottom line.

• If you are looking to spend money, talk about the payback period and both the annual and total lifetime savings, use todays energy price put point out in the future as prices increase the savings will be more.

• Find some easy wins and share success. Success breeds success, so shout about it, everyone likes to back a winner.

• Use case studies to show what other companies have done, especially your competitors, and what that would mean for your company.

• Point out energy efficiency is lower risk than many other investments and that there are fewer variables. The more efficient your equipment and the longer you run it, the less energy you will use and the more money you will save.

• Remind them that energy prices are increasing so saving energy now will reduce the company’s exposure to higher prices in the future.

• If you supply into the public sector, or you want to, show how this can help improve the strength of your tender submissions and win or retain contracts.

For more information, e-mail CECA’s Civil Engineering Director Peter Crosland at petercrosland@ceca.co.uk

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What is Transport Focus?

On 30 March Transport Focus started work helping to improve and monitor the performance of the Highways Agency.

There are three principles Transport Focus works to: focusing solely on what users experience and want, being useful to those that make the decisions about transport services, and basing its work on evidence.

Transport Focus, the new name for Passenger Focus, will use its many years of experience in representing passengers to work for the interest of all those who use motorways and the most significant A-roads – known as the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

That means working for a range of road users including those travelling for personal and business purposes, and non-motorised users such as cyclists and pedestrians. Chief executive Anthony Smith said: “User satisfaction surveys will allow us to benchmark how different parts of the Strategic Road Network perform. This is a powerful tool for driving change as we have found in public transport.

“We think this is the first time work like this has been done by an organisation representing users. It’s exciting - but we need your help to make it a reality.”

What will it do?

On 30 March the organisation published its first road user research, launched a new-look website, and sent out the first edition of Road User

Voice, its new monthly newsletter. If you would like to stay in touch with Transport Focus’s work in this area, please email communications@passengerfocus.org.uk with the word ‘subscribe’ in the subject line.

A key piece of work wil l be to eventually produce the satisfaction survey that will replace the existing

survey run by the Highways Agency. The agency will become a Government-owned company, Highways England, and has been set a target of 90 per cent satisfaction among users.

Transport Focus next plans to research priorities for improvement to help identify areas where unallocated investment in the current five-year

Transport FocusThe Road Ahead

Improving the Performance of Highways England

Above: Passenger Focus Chief Executive Anthony Smith

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Transport Focus carried out focus groups, accompanied journeys and interviews with a range of road users including those travelling for personal and business purposes, as well as non-motorised users such as cyclists.

For drivers, the positive aspects were mainly cost, convenience and comfort. Some drivers on longer journeys went to great lengths to maximise their enjoyment, planning music playlists, snacks and drinks. Drivers felt a positive experience was one where they had a sense of control over the journey.

The negative aspects of driving on the Strategic Road Network were mostly to do with the external environment and other drivers’ behaviour.

Drivers’ most negative experiences often involved sub-optimal road conditions, delays, congestion, bad weather and poor visibility.

What else changes?

This change was brought about by the Infrastructure Act, which gained Royal Assent in February 2015. Government is reforming the way major roads are run to make sure that the big increase recently announced in investment in the network is delivered effectively, for the benefit of users.

The Highways Agency becomes a Government-owned company called ‘Highways England’ and its efficiency will be monitored by a unit that will sit within the current Office of Rail Regulation, working alongside but separate from Transport Focus’s role as the transport user watchdog.

Roads Investment Strategy and future strategies can make most difference.

Following this, Transport Focus will look at issues in more detail which could include the way roadworks are carried out, information, reaction to extreme weather conditions and how accidents are cleared up.

Transport Focus also hope to work with Highways England on the design and communication of major schemes – how can users be involved and informed of the options and benefits.

What road users want

The first piece of work from Transport Focus is The needs and experiences of road users, exploring how different groups use the Strategic Road Network and what their issues are. It was published on 30 March at www.transportfocus.org.uk.

Who we are working with

This is the first time that road users have a unified voice in Government as consumers . There are many well-established organisations and businesses that speak effectively for different types of road user and we are working closely with them to draw on their experience.

Transport Focus uses hard evidence drawn from real transport users to get Government and industry to make the changes that matter. It’s really looking forward to this new challenge – and in hearing your views in the coming months as we gain momentum.

For more information, visit: http://www.transportfocus.org.uk/

The newly-christened Highways England has set a 90 per cent target of satisfaction among users

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Complex.

Inefficient.

Overly bureaucratic.

These aren’t words that most organisations would want to use to describe themselves. But in at least one area of its operations, London Underground (LU) has put its hands up.

The department that co-ordinates slots for nightly maintenance and engineering work is called Access, and it’s headed by Charles Carter who has more than 20 years’ experience across LU in different areas.

He’s an ardent ambassador for the Tube and the important contribution it makes to city life for Londoners, tourists and to the economy of the capital. But he’s also the first to admit that it’s not perfect, and that when it comes to accessing the railway, change has been a long time coming.

“We became set in our ways,” he says, “and tied up in red tape. Our rule books ran to several volumes that could fill up a library shelf.

“We know that our supply chain find it frustrating to work with us – and that’s one of the reasons we knew we had to change. We want to provide an

efficient railway for the taxpayer, and we want to be the partner of choice for our supply chain.”

These were two of the big drivers behind the impetus to transform access at LU which started in earnest two years ago. But a third was even more pressing – and it wasn’t Night Tube – that came later. It was the sheer volume of work. Up to 10,000 site workers can descend into the Tube on any weekday night.

“We have more work to do than ever in our history, and less time to do it,” says Charles of the continuing investment in modernising the Tube.

London UndergroundOiling The Wheels...

How London Underground Is Increasing Access For Engineering Work In Time For Night Tube

Above: The is points and crossings replacements in April – the biggest programme of works completed over an Easter bank holiday blockade (closure).

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“Between the last train at night and the first in the morning, we have a narrow window of about four hours to carry out all the essential engineering and maintenance work we need to do,” says Charles. “And that’s just an average – in some areas of the Tube it’s more like two-and-a-half.”

A long process of collaboration with colleagues and suppliers identified the way forward, and the “Access Transformation Programme” is now delivering many of those changes.

These changes include more routine maintenance being carried out on stations during the day when the service is running, instead of exclusively at night.

“Our mantra in deciding what we’d change was that it had to be ‘simple, sensible and safe’,” says Charles.

“There’s absolutely no reason why at certain times of the day, and with the right supervision and safety precautions, work can’t happen on station platforms during traffic hours. We’ve started doing it more – and it will be a gradual process, but customers will start to see more of this activity in the day.”

Charles’ team has also improved forward planning with an eight-week ‘Lockdown’ to exploit opportunities where perhaps two work-parties can share the same worksite.

Site-workers are now also being granted access to stations before the last customer has left the station, so they can get down to the platform earlier ready to start work. Charles’ Stations Access team are finding storage space near worksites for equipment, again saving contractors’ time.

The next step is to start trialling a faster way of gaining possession of the track at night, which might deliver up a good 15 to 20 minutes of extra working time per shift. “On its own it might not sound much,” says Charles, “but multiply that by even 30 or 40 work gangs a night and you’re creating hours of extra time.” So the mission to transform access is well underway, and now Night Tube, which launches on 12 September this year, is also on the horizon. Charles says: “Night Tube is an exciting next step in our history, but when it launches we will have five nights of engineering hours available instead of seven. We needed to transform access anyway, but Night Tube has sharpened that focus.”

Above: The Points and Crossings Replacements In Action, April 2015

For more information, visit:http://www.tfl.gov.uk/

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National Apprenticeship Week 2015 ran from 9 to 13 March, celebrating apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy. Events were held all around the country to showcase apprentices and apprentice employers. A great many CECA members were active participants across England and Wales.

On the second day of Apprenticeship Week the CITB hosted ‘Building Futures’, a high-level summit which brought business leaders and policy makers together to identify how construction can drive growth, reduce skills shortages for UK firms and deliver sustainable jobs for young people. Keynote speakers included Nick Boles MP, Nick Raynsford MP and Government Chief Construction Advisor Peter Hansford. CECA Chief Executive Alasdair Reisner was part of a panel that discussed Construction 2025 and winning the race for talent.

The event also saw the launch of the final report of The Commission on Apprenticeships. This recommends a number of measures to increase the quality and quantity of apprenticeships. These include creating better incentives for schools to promote apprenticeships and vocational learning; measures to reassure employers about the value and security of their investment in an apprentice; and measures to drive up the quality of the off-the-job training on offer. The document is available for download at: http://www.demos.co.uk /publications /commissiononapprenticeships. At Crossrail’s Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy in Ilford peers, MPs and employers gathered to discuss some of the key skills and employment

challenges affecting the future of engineering and infrastructure projects. Following a round table discussion, attendees had the opportunity tour TUCA and see a variety of demonstrations which showcased the capability of the facility.

Alongside other CECA Members, Owen Pugh participated in a “Get up and Go” event at North Tyneside Council Offices. The annual event showcases local work, apprenticeship and training

opportunities. Before this year’s event, Jan Elliott commented on the value of attending such events stating “As a direct result of last year’s event we recruited 3 of our current apprentices, 2 technical and one plant operator.” FM Conway invited the Mayor and Councillors from Lambeth to visit their live training site. The event was designed to make apprenticeship opportunities more visible to the local community and inspire young people to consider a career in construction.

National Apprentice WeekOpen Doors

Above: Young people visiting Hinkley during National Apprenticeship Week

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Michael Conway, CEO of FM Conway who attended on the day along with Cllrs Aminu and Hopkins, said: “Apprenticeships are vital to our business and hold the key to solving the ski l ls chal lenge that many industries now face. The Apprentice Live programme is about not only giving our current apprentices the skills they need to develop as construction professionals, it is about promoting the value of apprenticeships to the general public, in Lambeth and across the whole of London. We’re pleased to be able to launch this scheme in Lambeth and are grateful to the council for their on-going support.”

BAM Nuttall ran shadowing activities across the business where managers shadowed apprentices on site and participated in a competitions at Stephenson College.

During Apprenticeship Week former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg commented: “The fact that we’re seeing more women seizing the opportunity is proof that apprenticeships are no longer seen as ‘jobs for the boys’, whilst also marking a positive new era where university is no longer seen as the only option.”(However, the number of women starting an apprenticeship in construction has fallen since 2009.)

Open Doors Weekend is a nationwide initiative which gives members of the public the chance to learn about the construction industry. Leading construction companies all over the country open their most interesting sites for people to take a look around and those who work on the projects are on hand to answer questions. This was the third such event which is the result of a partnership of industry bodies: UK Construction Group (UKCG) and

Scottish Construction Group (SCG), the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Construction News and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

This year’s event was timed to coincide with Apprenticeship Week and took place on the weekend of 6/7 March 2015. It saw over 5,500 people visiting local construction projects. As well having the opportunity to go behind the scenes of some of the nation’s most iconic construction projects, including Crossrail and The Forth Bridge Replacement Crossing in Scotland, the event gives young people the opportunity to explore the exciting career opportunities available to them in the construction industry.

Osborne opened its site at Portesbery SEN School in Deepcut, Camberley, seeing over 60 members of the local community attend the event. Osborne Business Improvement Manager, Andy Burrows, explained, “It was a great opportunity to give some of the local colleges and schools the chance to see a real live working site. It can be difficult for young people to understand the vast array of job possibilities and career

paths that the construction industry can offer. Open Doors has made this connection possible and we’re glad that everyone who attended enjoyed the day.”

Andy Walder, Education, Training and Skills Development Director at CITB, said: ”The opening of construction sites across the UK has proved to be a real hit with young people and their parents. As an organisation responsible for training the workforce of tomorrow, we see the real value in showing rather than simply telling young people about the rewarding opportunities on offer in the industry. Knowing that this year has been a record breaking year in terms of sign-ups is really positive news as it means that as an industry we are engaging and potentially encouraging even more young people to pursue a career in construction.”

For more information, e-mail CECA Southern’s Head of Training Briony Wickenden at BrionyWickenden@cecasouth.co.uk.

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CECA Wales is proud to continue its tradition of recognising new entrants into the industry, those that are learning their trade and profession, and those that have served the industry well over the years.

Three separate awards were presented at the CECA Wales Annual Dinner and Awards event held at the Marriott Hotel, Cardiff on 17 April 2015:-

Skills shortage is a predominant issue within the construction industry today, with the impact of the recession still being felt by clients, designers, consultants and contractors alike. One report published recently suggests that around 31,000 people have been lost to the industry in Wales since 2008. That’s equates to a massive 25% to 30% of the total workforce. This is why continuing the training of new entrants into the civil engineering industry is so crucial if it is to survive and prosper into the future.

It is to CECA Wales member companies’ credit that the industry itself has set about creating those opportunities, identifying potential, nurturing talent, and supporting and encouraging those that wish to enter and develop a career in this industry of ours.

CECA WalesIndustry Awards

As in previous years CECA Wales sought evidence of their development and potential, their capacity and their hunger, and we have all that in abundance in the award winners. The awards were presented by Peter Crabtree, the incoming CECA Wales Chairman.

The joint runners-up in the CECA Wales Most Promising Apprentice of the Year 2015 award were:-

Ronia Griffiths , Apprentice Site Engineer, Alun Griffiths Contractors, Tom Jennings , Apprentice Plant Fitter, Alun Griffiths Contractors, and Jonathan Bird, Apprentice Plant Operator, Jones Brothers Ruthin.

The runners-up received a certificate and cheque for £100.

The winner of the CECA Wales Most Promising Apprentice Award 2015 was:-

James Malloy, Apprentice Quantity Surveyor, Lafarge Tarmac

He received a certificate and a cheque for £250.

The joint runners-up in the CECA Wales Most Promising Trainee Engineer of the Year 2015 award were:-

William Morgan, Graduate Engineer, Alun Griffiths Contractors, and Dafydd Nicholas, Graduate Engineer, also of Alun Griffiths Contractors.

The runners-up received a certificate and cheque for £100.

The winner of the CECA Wales Most Promising Trainee Engineer of the Year 2015 award was:-

Cy le T h o m a s , 4 t h y e a r Tra i n e e Surfacing Supervisor, Lafarge Tarmac.

The winner received a certificate and a cheque for £250.

CECA Wales is delighted to once again recognise a Lifetime Contribution to the Industry in Wales Award.

There are many people who have made an immense contribution to individual companies over many years, be that in the engineering domain, or in the many other areas of activity that enables those companies to function on a day to day basis. Companies were invited, in this instance, to consider any trade

Most Promising Apprentice of the Year

Most Promising Trainee Civil Engineer of the Year

Lifetime Contribution to the Industry in Wales Award.

Awards for the CECA Wales Most Promising Apprentice & Trainee Civil Engineer of the Year and for the Lifetime Contribution to the Industry in Wales Award

Above: CECA Wales Most Promising Apprentice James Malloy (Lafarge

Tarmac) is presented with his award by incoming CECA Wales Chairman

Peter Crabtree.

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or discipline whatsoever, and required that any candidates submitted should have made a worthy contribution to the overall well-being of the company and the industry in Wales in some capacity or another. The third winner of this award satisfied the criteria to its absolute limits.

Those that supported the submission acknowledge that:-

“ H e h a s m a d e a n i m p re s s i ve contribution to the civil engineering and road surfacing industry over the past 40 years with his involvement in the construction and maintenance of many of the major roads and local authority highways across South Wales.

He followed his father and elder brothers into the industry, starting with Alun Griffiths Contractors as a 17 year old, moving to Robert Hobbs Road Surfacing, and then Wimpey Hobbs as a Foreman in 1982.

He worked on many high profile surfacing contracts including the M4 second Severn Crossing, and following the Tarmac / Wimpey asset swap, he completed a number of years’ successfully supervising the City and County Swansea and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils’ term maintenance contracts.

Between 2007 and 2009 he supervised the largest surfacing job let in Wales, the M4 between Junctions 29 and 32, laying over 225 000 tonnes on programme and to quality and safety expectations. He is currently employed on the A465 Heads of the Valley Section 2 contract.

He is a family man, and is one of three brothers who have completed 110

years of service with Lafarge Tarmac. And the family link continues with a nephew who has completed 17 years’ service with Lafarge Tarmac, and a son who is an engineer with Costain.

He is estimated to have either laid or supervised over 2 million tonnes of tarmac during his career to date! He deserves recognition for his loyalty, commitment and hard work throughout his career.”

Martin Clifford, Surfacing Supervisor, Lafarge Tarmac, became the third recipient of the CECA Wales Lifetime contribution to the Industry in Wales award.

Martin received a bottle of champagne and a cheque for £250.

CITB Cymru Wales’s support of the CECA Wales Awards is acknowledged.

Above: CECA Wales winner of the CECA Wales Most Promising Trainee Engineer of the Year 2015 Cyle Thomas, Trainee Surfacing Supervisor, Lafarge Tarmac (Left), with Martin Clifford (right), the third recipient of the CECA Wales

‘Lifetime Contribution to the Industry’ Award

For more information, e-mail CECA Wales Director Rhodri-Gwynn Jones at rhodri.jones@cecawales.co.uk

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Capita plc has announced its plans to invest heavily in Constructionline to maximise the value the service is able to offer its members and the construction industry as a whole following its acquisition earlier this year.

Constructionline, the UK’s leading procurement and supply chain management service, has been successful in its mission to create increasing levels of savings and e f f i c i e n c i e s fo r c o n s t ru c t i o n contractors, consultants and material suppliers, particularly SMEs. It now has over 24,000 fully registered suppliers with many thousands looking to join each year. The service is popular amongst the public sectors, with organisations including Local Authorities, Housing Associations and the NHS. And most recently it has been attracting many of the UK’s largest main contractors such as Kier, VINCI Construction, Bouygues and Wates to begin using Constructionline to help manage their supply chains.

Constructionline’s Director Philip Prince commented: “Constructionline’s driver is always to provide value to our members. Opening up the service to more new buying organisations and in particular beginning to see large main contractors utilising Constructionline to manage their suppliers is one clear way to achieve that benefit. As a result 90% of our members renew each year.”

“Constructionline regularly speak to construction suppliers plus various trade associations and understand the broader context of supplier and buyer relationships. As a consequence we have added in additional services such as our highly successful free ‘Meet

the Buyer’ events which can attract up to 50 Constructionline Buyers providing a great prospecting and business development day both for Constructionline members and non-members.”

“Our other key focus is supporting wider industry initiatives such as Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) and the Government’s standard question set, PAS91. Progress is being made with SSIP. It is the most common search criteria that our Buyers use when looking for Suppliers in the Constructionline database and over 50% of our members hold an SSIP certificate.”

“The planned investment programme is aimed at furthering Constructionline’s mission to aid the construction industry. The programme incorporates plans such as IT developments. This will both enhance the service’s flexibility

enabling Constructionline to continue to attract new Buyers, and improve the user experience of Suppliers.”

N e a r l y o n e t h o u s a n d c i v i l engineering companies currently use Constructionline to promote their businesses to the services registered buyers, comprised over 8,000 procurement professionals from 2,500 organisations. Civil engineering companies that have a supply chain can use the service to source suppliers, manage their supply chain and advertise their work contracts to relevant suppliers.

ConstructionlineCapita plc to invest

For more information about Constructionline, visit www.constructionline.co.uk or e-mail constructionline.marketing@capita.co.uk

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If you have any comments about this issue of CECA Communicates, would like to commission an article or advertise with us, or if you are a CECA member with an idea for an article, please contact

Huston Gilmore on 020 7340 0453 or e-mail hustongilmorececa.co.uk.

Fairness, Inclusion & RespectCECA Developing Toolkit

For more information on Fairness, Inclusion and Respect, visit www.citb.co.uk/employer-support/fairness-inclusion-and-respect/, or e-mail CECA Southern’s Head of Training at BrionyWickenden@cecasouth.co.uk

CECA is leading on an initiative to develop and roll-out a Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR) Toolkit. The toolkit will include both e-learning programmes and more engaging and interactive tool box talks together with some face to face interventions and a resource library to support the construction industry’s fairness, inclusion and respect agenda.

Once developed, the learning resources will be made freely and openly available, targeting all those working in construction and the built environment and supporting the aim of improving the image of construction.

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) identified in their Industrial Strategy document Construction

2025 that “change is required in the construction industry itself and in how the construction industry is perceived by the public”. The toolkit will promote a greater understanding that inclusion in the workplace helps to improve employee relations, productivity and performance and opens up new markets, including public sector work, both within the UK and internationally. Additionally, equality and diversity requirements are being written into more procurement processes, in particular in the public sector, and clients expect their supply chain to meet their expectations.

Major clients, including Network Rail and HS2, will be joining industry experts on the steering group. CECA has asked Action Sustainability to help

develop and deliver the toolkit because of their experience and expertise in developing similar learning materials for the Supply Chain Sustainability School. Clients, CECA members and Partners of the School will be hosting training events in a number of locations throughout the UK during 2015 and the project has been part funded by the CITB’s Growth Fund.