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Mental health, migrant workers and gender equality dominated the news agenda for 2023
- Wellbeing portal launched to support workforce mental health
Launched last summer, the Make It Visible Taskforce’s welfare and wellbeing portal is free for construction workers to access.
The hub – based on research and development carried out by the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity – features sections on emotional, physical and financial wellbeing.
Read more here.
- Construction project management salaries rise by 10%
Project managers in construction have become some of the highest paid professionals in the UK.
The 2023 Association for Project Management (APM) Salary and Market Trends Survey shows the average salary for project professionals in construction has increased by 10% since 2021.
Read more here.
- Government announces crackdown on migrant labour
In December, Home Secretary James Cleverly announced new measures that aim to cut annual net migration by 300,000.
As part of the plan, the government will replace the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary List, which includes skilled workers such as bricklayers and chartered surveyors.
Read more here.
- UK ‘risks losing workers to Saudi Arabia’
The number of internet searches in the UK for construction jobs in Saudi Arabia has soared by 293% year on year, according to online tradesperson marketplace Rated People.
It warned that “a better quality of life and enhanced career opportunities are driving UK tradespeople to seek work abroad”, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a possible destination of interest alongside Australia.
Read more here.
- Prince William highlights suicide in construction during site visit
In September, Prince William visited a Mace construction site in west London to discuss the prevalence of suicide in the industry.
The royal visit, which followed World Suicide Prevention Day, highlighted the crucial need to focus on prevention, rather than crisis management, when it comes to mental health support.
Read more here.
- Construction leaders call for more immigration to tackle skills gap
Months before the Home Secretary’s pledge to cut annual net migration by 300,000, the Construction Leadership Council called for the government to make it easier for the sector to employ migrant workers under the points based immigration system.
Read more here.
- CIOB announces #PPEthatfits campaign
The #PPEthatfits campaign was launched to drive awareness around the lack of inclusive PPE in the market.
A new dedicated website was also unveiled, which includes a global directory for buyers looking to purchase inclusive PPE.
Read more here.
- CIOB launches new membership grade for technical experts
Following a successful pilot programme, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) launched its TechCIOB membership, which is targeted at technical specialists within the construction industry.
Read more here.
- Why tier 1 contractors no longer ‘do construction’
Stuart Green, a prominent UK professor of construction management, spoke to the 21CC podcast and shared his views on why the construction industry is broken.
Read more here.
- Gender gap: new index ranks construction firms’ performance on equality
For the first time, the Equity Index 2022/23 ranked employers in construction according to their performance on achieving gender equality.
The Index uses official data on average salaries, bonuses and pay at every level to provide insight into more than 10,000 companies and organisations.
Read more here.
