The Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) has announced the launch of a pilot for an online invigilation service for the ECS Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Assessment as well as other new assessments through the ECS digital platforms. Responding to concerns regarding increased travel to assessment centres, especially as some have been closed due to Covid,…
UK Power Networks has launched a new online portal that is making it quicker and easier for installers to connect clean technologies to homes and businesses. Smart Connect will give many technology companies an instant decision on whether they can connect domestic electric vehicle charge points, heat pumps, battery storage or solar PV, to the…
Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, said: “Despite an incredibly challenging year, the latest ONS employment data indicates that the construction industry has performed comparatively well against other industries. “For example, construction was one of the few industries that has not seen an annual fall in the number of vacancies since the beginning of the pandemic, indicating that jobs have remained available in the industry throughout most…
In an encouraging milestone for the construction industry in Scotland, an interim assessment of theScottish Construction Leadership Forum’s (CLF) long-term Recovery Plan for the sector is showing steady and consistently-improving progress. The Forum, a collaboration between Construction Scotland, industry partners, the Scottish Government and other industry stakeholders was established in March 2019 to develop and…
The UK’s net-zero carbon target for all homes by 2050 is unlikely to be met without a major overhaul of the current system, warn MPs. The House of Commons environmental audit committee estimates decarbonising UK homes by 2050 will cost £342bn – way above the government’s estimates of between £35 to £65bn. Environmental audit committee…
In a new initiative in its wider agenda for change, the Scottish Construction Leadership Forum is reaching out to every part of the industry to seek its views on training provision and the intractable problem of skills shortages. The Forum, a collaboration between Construction Scotland, industry partners, the Scottish Government and other industry stakeholders, is…
Leading specialist trade suppliers, IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect have launched new brand identities, both featuring a new customer focused strapline – Trusted to deliver, to reflect the businesses ongoing dedication to delivering an exemplary customer experience. The bold, new look for IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect has been designed to refresh and develop the branding that customers have…
The Trades’ Coach, Alison Warner, has been named as UK’s Best Business Woman for her pioneering work transforming trade and construction businesses. Alison was recognised for changing the fortunes of businesses across the UK, coaching owners to come off the tools and dramatically increase their turnover. Alison is also founder of the UK’s first online…
Nearly one in six small business owners (14 per cent) say that stress caused by legal matters has led to a physical or mental health condition, according to new research from Direct Line business insurance. More than four in ten (41 per cent) UK small business owners say they have found staying on top of…
A leading builders merchant has stepped in to help transform the Solihull home of a dad-of-four left paralysed after a fall. The Solihull branch of Selco Builders Warehouse has donated thousands of pounds worth of materials to help Rob Lamb, whose life was turned upside down when he suffered a severe spinal cord injury after…