CIOB: Industry bodies come together to “open doors” to construction this autumn

Friday, 20 April 2012 7:40 AM

A weekend of Open Door events inviting members of the public to visit working construction sites is being organised for the autumn by the UK Contractors Group (UKCG), the Industry Training Board and Sector Skills Council, CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

The collaborative initiative is the first of its kind for the sector and intends to raise the profile of the industry, challenge stereotypes and encourage greater engagement with the public and local communities to attract talent into the industry.

The events will provide a unique opportunity for members of the public to witness first-hand the scale and complexity of major construction developments and also demonstrate an industry-wide commitment to welcoming a wider, more diverse range of talent into the sector.

Steve Geary, Director of Skills Strategy at CITB-ConstructionSkills said: “Construction is undergoing rapid change as an industry and needs a wide range of high level skills to meet these challenges. Nowadays construction is more about careers than jobs and the expected increase in demand for management roles in the next few years means that we need quality talent entering the industry now to fill these future positions.

“‘Open Doors’ is a unique opportunity for the industry to display the complexity and scope of modern construction projects and give people a taste of what it’s really like to work in the industry – It’s certain to challenge their preconceptions.”

Rachel Done, Deputy Director, UKCG said: “Open Doors is an opportunity for the industry to come together. Whilst UKCG members open up their sites throughout the year, Open Doors will be one weekend a year where many sites across England, Wales and Scotland will be opened to the wider public. The aim being to demonstrate the importance of construction to both the national and regional economies, whilst assisting in dissolving some of the myths around construction and showcasing the industry in an engaging and interesting way”.

Chris Blythe, Chief Executive at the CIOB said: “This is a fantastic initiative to re-engage the industry with the public. By lifting the lid on what actually happens in modern construction there is a real opportunity to attract potential talent outside the industry. Construction doesn’t need to be shy about what it does - it should shout about it. And we hope this campaign inspires others to get involved.”

Edward Hardy, Chief Executive of the Considerate Constructors Scheme said: “One of the Scheme’s core principles is to encourage construction sites to become better neighbours by communicating and interacting with their local communities. This initiative is an excellent opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the industry and the wider community, and will allow sites to show their efforts towards improving the image of construction. The Scheme is delighted to be involved in the Open Doors initiative and looks forward to working with the other organisations to make it a great success.”

Construction’s Open Doors is scheduled to take place on the 2nd and 3rd of November this year and is expected to become an annual event. For more information contact Rachel Done at rachel.done@ukcg.org.uk.

ENDS

CITB-ConstructionSkills is the Industrial Training Board (ITB) for the construction industry in Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales). We are working to ensure that construction employers have the right skills, in the right place, at the right time by investing funds and providing a wide range of industry-led skills and training solutions.

We are also a partner in ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the UK construction industry, and we are raising employer engagement in training, providing labour market insights on future skills needs and developing standards and qualifications for the sector.

As an ITB and SSC, CITB-ConstructionSkills is providing vital support to a sector which is central to the UK economy. For more details on our work please visit www.cskills.org

The UK Contractors Group (UKCG) represents leading contractors operating in the UK on construction specific issues.

Its mission is to represent contractors’ interests to government and key clients and to encourage contractors to work together to promote change and best practice, especially on health and safety and environmental issues. UKCG also works closely with the CBI Construction Council to ensure that contractors’ interests are properly reflected in the wider business agenda.

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) represents for the public benefit the most diverse set of professionals in the construction industry.

Our Mission is to contribute to the creation of a modern, progressive, and responsible construction industry; able to meet the economic, environmental and social challenges faced in the 21st century.

We have over 47,000 members around the world and are considered to be the international voice of the building professional, representing an unequalled body of knowledge concerning the management of the total building process.

Chartered Member status is recognised internationally as the mark of a true, skilled professional in the construction industry and CIOB members have a common commitment to achieving and maintaining the highest possible standards within the built environment.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) is the national initiative set up by the construction industry to improve its image.

Sites and companies that register with the Scheme are monitored against a Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements.

The Scheme is concerned about any area of construction activity that may have a direct or indirect impact on the image of the industry as a whole. The main areas of concern fall into three categories: the general public, the workforce and the environment.



 

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