Skills vital to growth of construction industry
INVESTMENT in skills is vital for the construction industry to continue bouncing back and strengthening the economy, an industry leader has highlighted.
James Wimpenny, regional director for construction heavyweight BAM’s North East division, which is headquartered in Yorkshire, says that skills is one of the big difficulties in the sector, as it looks to continue its upturn.
“When there is a downturn, the work isn’t there, so people go out of this industry,” Wimpenny said. “Now we have to look at how we get people back into it and make it an industry where people feel they can have a long-term career. As part of the economic upturn, we are really starting to see the skills shortage.”
BAM, which employs around 145 staff in its Leeds-based office, has recently launched a skills academy at its Thorpe Park offices to encourage people into the industry.
“It’s not about the short-term issues of the recession, it is about the long-term issues now,” he said. “And a lot of that is around the skills shortage.”
BAM works with the local authorities and acts as the facilitator between schools and colleges for example. BAM also visits schools to talk to young people about construction and attract them into the industry.
“It’s about going out and engaging with young people,” Wimpenny added.
BAM is working on a number of projects in the region, including Bradford College’s £10m Advanced Technology Centre, which forms part of an accommodation strategy designed to create one of the leading colleges in the UK, the 15,000 sqm new office in York for Hiscox, the insurer’s largest office outside of London, and the £25m replacement 23,000 sqm facility for Airedale International, whose Leeds factory was partially destroyed by fire last year.
Looking at the industry, Wimpenny said he is cautiously optimistic about the upturn in the construction industry, but did say that this year, there has definitely been more work about.
“For the first time in four to five years, we have had to say we can’t bid for everything we have had the opportunity to tender for. There has definitely been an upturn in the amount of work in this patch over the past 12 months. There is a sense that there is something improving, yes, but I am still cautious if this is just short-term though. We are not on a massive recovery, we are on a slight upturn which is good, but we have to look beyond that,” Wimpenny said.
Looking at the market, Wimpenny said the region is very public sector biased in terms of construction work. However, he added that the commercial sector has started to move “a bit” with more office developments on the horizon.
BAM North East will turnover £125m this year and is targeting £135m next year.
“Our biggest opportunity will be with universities going forward. The university sector is starting to pick up and for us, next year is going to be very much about education projects,” Wimpenny said.
Wimpenny said he believes there are a number of positive things on the horizon for the Yorkshire construction industry, such as the impact of Hull becoming the 2017 City of Culture and the opportunities this will bring to the region.
