FEMALE APPRENTICES The increase in the number of women completing construction apprenticeships since 2018 has increased by 67 per cent, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), with a 2023/24 total of 2,420. Lucie Wright, head of careers strategy at the CITB, said: “We need more women in construction.…
Don't miss your chance to have your innovation recognised at this year's TechFest Awards. Powered by Construction News and sister title New Civil Engineer, the TechFest Awards 2025 spotlight the most groundbreaking projects, teams, and innovations driving digital transformation in the built environment. They exist to recognise and reward those…
A roofing contractor who was filmed on a doorbell camera illegally disposing of asbestos has been ordered to pay more than £3,500 in costs. Stephen Wilks, trading as S Wilks Roofing, of Fernley Road, Mile End, Stockport, pleaded guilty to breaching asbestos safety regulations at Ashton-under-Lyne Magistrates Court on 28…
PAYING UP Construction sector wages increased by 6 per cent in the year to November 2024, the latest Office of National Statistics data shows. This was a decrease on the 6.9 per cent rise in the 12 months to October 2024, but still the highest growth since August 2023. David…
MARGIN WOES Forty per cent of Northern Irish contractors reported worsening profit margins in 2024, in the latest Construction Employers Federation (CEF) Survey. CEF chief executive Mark Spence said: “Our Construction Survey’s results reflect a period of increased challenge during the second half of 2024. Chiefly this was seen through…
TRAINING UP 5,000 additional new construction apprenticeships were announced by the government on 22 November. Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at the Building Cost Information Service, said: “In terms of the numbers, 5,000 apprenticeships a year will not be enough to cover those expected to retire/leave the industry annually, so…
This webinar took place on Thursday 27 March 2025 Watch the webinar now The potential of digital twins and AI to revolutionise the construction sector has been widely discussed. The recently released Information Management Initiative from the Construction Leadership Council and Nima aims to harness “sector-transforming capabilities in applying emerging…
PLANT GROWTH Tech-enabled plant could add £417bn to the UK economy by 2050, according to a study by Costain. Jonathan Willcock, the firm’s managing director of transportation, said: “Connected and autonomous plant has the potential to transform the productivity of construction activities and, in turn, give a significant boost to…
A Fareham-based company has been fined £120,000 after a worker broke his leg while adjusting a solar panel on a house in Salisbury. The incident occurred on 16 December 2022, when a 23-year-old employee of EE Renewables Ltd fell approximately four metres from the roof of a home. According to…
The collapse of the UK’s sixth-biggest contractor, the Grenfell Inquiry phase two report and the change in government all had a massive impact on the industry this year – and will continue to do so in 2025 How will the construction industry remember 2024? Perhaps it will go down as…
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