INDUSTRY NEWS UK CONSTRUCTION JOBS VACANCIES CONTINUE TO SOAR Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect, has said that the company is continuing to see the number of available UK jobs rising, as the sector and economy as a whole recovers from the pandemic. The latest data shows that there were 43,000 construction job vacancies between July and September, by far the highest it’s ever been, and the first time it’s ever risen to over 40,000. “This is a huge increase of 7,000 vacancies from June to August, which, at the time, was another record for the industry, showing a definite trend,” he says. “These large increases in vacancies suggest that the industry is confident about the sector’s future and is investing in manpower to tackle upcoming projects. However, with the number of jobs available continuing to increase, it appears that some companies are struggling to find staff to hire. “Unfortunately, the sector also saw unemployment numbers rise by 9,000 to 62,000, the highest figure since December to February (70,000) earlier this year. “This corresponds with a large increase in redundancies over the same timeframe, rising from 5,000 between May-July, to 9,000. This is the first time that redundancies have risen since February-April this year. “This new data shows that there is still plenty of movement in the industry, and that will likely continue, with vacancies and redundancies both rising. Whilst unemployment remains high in construction, the sizable increase in new jobs provides hope for the future that this figure will fall once again, as long as companies are able to attract new staff.” IronmongeryDirect, ironmongerydirect.co.uk
ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY MAKES CLIMATE COMMITMENT BEAMA has announced the publication of its industry climate commitment, which has been signed by 37 leading UK manufacturers. This is a commitment for the delivery of sustainable products and operations for the long-term, aiming to mobilise action across its supply chain. This represents a major step in progressing industrial decarbonisation in the UK. There are three key parts to this commitment: • ‘As domestic and international businesses we commit to reducing our emissions, as well as meeting the needs of the supply chain for the transition to net zero by 2050’ • ‘We support the application of the most rigorous science-based approach to setting targets in line with a 1.5C future’ • ‘We commit to the delivery of sustainable ‘cradle-to-cradle’ products in our marketplace by 2050’
NEW GUIDANCE SET TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS The Electrical Safety Roundtable has presented its new guidance on How to Manage Electrical Systems in Higher-risk Buildings to a wide range of industry stakeholders. The online event, held in October, saw over 50 organisations join the ESR in sharing its 106-page document. Higher-risk Buildings (HRBs) present a unique challenge when considering the correct, or best way to manage electrical compliance and risk. This is due to the nature of the asset as it houses multiple tenancies and multiple areas of risk which need to be independently managed. This guidance has been created to generate consistency within the industry and provide a user-friendly overview for those who may not be experts on the subject of electrical safety management and compliance within HRBs. It will present an opportunity for organisations to look critically at their current electrical safety management policy and see what more could be done and help those new to the industry, or those coming into new roles. Electrical Safety Roundtable, electricalsafetyroundtable.co.uk
As a sector manufacturing low carbon technologies for the future, BEAMA’s climate commitment and sustainability practices are at the heart of what the organisation does. BEAMA says it cannot do this alone and as a community of manufacturers it commits to support the wider industry in delivering effective climate action. BEAMA CEO, Dr Howard Porter, says, “This an important moment for our industry and I am proud to see so many of our members supporting this target and leading this work to develop collaboration across industry and ensure industrial decarbonisation can be achieved in the UK and globally.” BEAMA, beama.org.uk
MOVERS & SHAKERS… Dr Neale Foster has been appointed CEO at INDRA, the innovative British electric vehicle charger and renewable technology company. Dr Foster’s appointment is a key part of INDRA’s ambitious growth plans in the smart energy and EV industry. Previously CEO of Access Europe, Dr Foster has a proven track record in the automotive industry and brings a wealth of experience to INDRA at a crucial time for the company.
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Dominick Sandford has been promoted to Managing Director of Manutan’s Traders Division businesses, IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect. Having been at the company for over five years and with a broad background in category management, supply chain, sales and marketing, Dominick is well positioned to drive the two businesses forward and continue their ‘trusted to deliver’ ethos.
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Gary Anderson, the Independent Chair of Certsure, has announced that Richard Orton will be joining the organisation from January 2022 as the new Managing Director. Richard is a Director and member of the Senior Leadership team at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) where he has lead its activities with policy makers, regulators and the investment and business communities globally, helping to shape sustainable strategies and cultures.
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21/10/2021 11:45