Category: People
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Breaking the silence on mental health
The construction workforce is at risk if we don’t have more open and honest conversations about mental health. Content warning: this article contains references to suicide, ill health and surgery. There is a darkness plaguing the construction industry that many people don’t want to talk about. The challenges we face today are multi-faceted, encompassing personal,…
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Changes to skilled visa rules announced
The UK government has revealed its plan to reform the immigration system, including higher skills standards for graduates and workers. The immigration white paper, published today (12 May), outlines new requirements for employers to increase domestic training, which the government hopes will end the reliance on international recruitment. Titled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, the…
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A discreet onsite campaign to support mental health
More than 20,000 stickers with QR codes have been fitted on welfare cabins across the UK to help support mental health. Construction has a mental health problem. That’s not news. What is news is how little is done about it, especially in a sector where suicide claims more lives than falls from height. For an…
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more work to be done despite ‘positive shift’
Daisie Barnett, policy development manager at CIOB, said there has been a clear, positive shift in the amount of mental health support construction companies offer to their employees since the pandemic. She added: “Our research shows more than 75% of employees have been encouraged to get involved with awareness events like Mental Health Awareness Week,…
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Youth mobility scheme: an opportunity for construction?
The UK construction sector continues to grow, supported by increased investment in infrastructure and housing developments. With demand on the rise, the need for skilled labour is becoming more apparent. The CSN Industry Outlook 2024-2028 estimates that 251,500 additional construction workers will be needed in the UK by 2028 to meet demand. While vacancies have…
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New website champions black construction professionals
Diversitas has unveiled a new website to help promote and encourage increased leadership among black professionals within the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and across the built environment. The umbrella body was launched in 2023, with support from CIC under the direction of past chair Justin Sullivan. The new digital platform will provide a central hub…
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New website champions black construction professionals
Diversitas has unveiled a new website to help promote and encourage increased leadership among black professionals within the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and across the built environment. The umbrella body was launched in 2023, with support from CIC under the direction of past chair Justin Sullivan. The new digital platform will provide a central hub…
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Construction employers claim nearly £130m in CITB grants
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has released the year-end figures for its Grants Scheme, which provides support for construction employers and learners. During the 2024-25 financial year, CITB allocated nearly £130 million in grant support. Of this funding, £71.4 million was provided through various apprenticeship grants, supporting more than 30,000 learners and 10,000 employers,…
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Building Canada’s international talent pool
A Few Good Lads founder Matt Roberts is helping foreign workers navigate Canada’s construction industry. By Ian Weinfass. Canada’s construction industry is currently bracing itself for the impact of US president Donald Trump’s tariffs – but it’s also wrestling with a skills shortage, and needs another 85,000 workers by 2033, according to industry body BuildForce Canada. Like…