Integration is setting the pace of construction industry reform
Integration is increasingly playing a central role in construction projects, according to Bruce Bisset, the president of the Building & Engineering Services Association. He was reflecting on the announcement of the new name for the former HVCA two years earlier and said, ‘I think we can justly claim to have been somewhat ahead of our time in stressing the central role that integration is playing, and will continue to play, in ensuring that our industry remains fully fit for purpose in the years and decades ahead.’
The B&ES brand has become firmly established in the marketplace, and the association is fast realising its ambition to speak on behalf of the wide range of specialisms that are included in its membership. Bruce Bisset comments, ‘We are providing a natural home for all specialists in integrated building engineering services.’
In his briefing, he also commented on recent statistics from Government and other sources, as well as anecdotal evidence from the association’s members that things are starting to look up for the industry in general and the building-services sector in particular.
That brighter outlook is causing concern about skills shortages. Sarah Wicks, head of education and training, explained, ‘There has been a huge reduction in the number of people training as apprentices over the last few years, and the industry is still suffering from the 1989 shortfall in apprentice training.’ She is concerned that labour rates for the skills members need to run their businesses will rise.
‘We are trying to make people aware of the risks of skills shortages, and we are working on helping companies take on apprentices,’ says Sarah Wicks.
Aside from craft skills, changes in working methods, such as modularisation and prefabrication, are making it necessary to look at different ways of working and different skills. She says, ‘We are 90% of the way there with building-services skills for BIM; they are about running a project, and we are already there.’
On a positive note, she said, ‘We don’t struggle to attract people to the industry, and have not suffered this problem for the last two years. What is needed is for employers to be prepared to take on those people and make the investment.’
