CITB warns apprenticeship levy to cut funding by 30%

Scottish Company ID Systems Plans to 120 Jobs

ID Systems Ltd, a Scottish firm providing engineering services, announced its plans to provide 120 employment opportunities. This announcement came after the company got a six-figure investment boost from UKSE (UK Steel Enterprise).

UK Steel Enterprise is a subsidiary of Tata Steel and was set up to help companies that operate in the traditional steel sectors.

ID Systems Ltd has offices in Glasgow and Grangemouth. It operates in the commercial utilities and industrial sectors. The firm’s client list includes National Grid, Forestry Commission and Scottish Water.

The company plans to provide new job opportunities in Lanarkshire and Glasgow as part of its expansion plan. The company currently employs 80 individuals.

The expansion plan came after the firm was able to secure several long-term projects, including off-site water booster sets and waste water pumping stations manufacturing projects.

The expansion strategy will be funded by the equity and loan backing from UK Steel Enterprise. A new team will be selected which, together with the UKSE, will manage and have a stake in the company’s shareholding.

Stuart Devine, ID Systems’ finance director, pointed out that with the new funding from UKSE and the long-term projects already under their belt, they will be able to expand smoothly and create 120 new jobs.

Scott Webb, UKSE regional executive, said ID Systems will have the right expansion structure and necessary monetary funding from his company.

For over the last 20 years, ID Systems products have been supplied to different companies across the globe. ID Systems has been recognized for setting benchmarks in both technology and design in order to provide reliability and quality. Our product testing far surpasses standards set by British Regulations in safety, insulation, security and weather rating. Due to this, we are always ahead of our competitors.

We offer our clients nothing but the best fitting services. Our fully trained and skilled installations engineers pride themselves on the quality and reliability of the services they provide.

The post Scottish Company ID Systems Plans to 120 Jobs appeared first on Econ Construction LTD.

from Econ Construction LTD http://www.econconstructionltd.co.uk/scottish-company-id-systems-plans-120-jobs/

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Job cuts would be ‘first nail in the coffin’ for construction

Cutting thousands of construction and housebuilding jobs would be the ‘first nail in the coffin’ for the industry, according to One Way.

An analysis by the construction and rail recruitment specialist outlined that a further loss of jobs would prove critical for the construction sector. This comes at a time when the National Housing Federation has said any slowdown in housebuilding would result in the loss of nearly 120,000 construction jobs over the next decade. The UK’s construction sector has also slipped into recession for the first time in four years, with many commentators suggesting the industry is in turmoil and that the government must do more to support housebuilding.

Paul Payne, Managing Director of One Way, agrees:

“The news that the construction industry has slipped back into recession after four years isn’t particularly optimistic and a loss of jobs on the scale that has been suggested would almost certainly be the first nail in the coffin for the sector. We simply can’t afford to lose any more professionals from both construction and housebuilding and the government needs to do considerably more to support these industries before it’s too late.”

“We all saw the potential impact of job losses in the steel industry and the scale of this for construction would be far greater. We need more professionals operating in the sector if we want it to recover, not less, and the potential impact of these cuts could be devastating if something isn’t done soon. We’ve been very vocal about how the government, employers and trade bodies need to do more to engage with youngsters and promote greater interest in construction, because at the current rate there will barely be an industry left in a few years’ time. Confidence is the only way to get through this difficult period and we need more investment and more projects to be given the green light. If we take a step back and allow programmes to be put on hold and jobs to be cut it could have a hugely damaging effect on the economy and on thousands of peoples’ lives. As Winston Churchill once said, ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going.’

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2016/08/19/job-cuts-would-be-first-nail-in-the-coffin-for-construction/

The Steel Fabrication Process

Nearly everything nowadays is made with steel. Your sinks are made with stainless steel, the building you’re sat in will have been created from steel structures and your car is made of steel. Steel is a strong and durable material that has a complex fabrication process, especially the development of modern steels which have a larger variety of shapes and sizes.

Steel fabrication is the process used to manufacture steel components, which can be assembled and joined together to form complete steel frames which we use in building structures or cars. Frames are generally built en-masse and are readily available from steel stockholders. In some cases the standard frames may not be the correct shape or size for the consumer and new shapes can be created via the steel fabrication process.

The first process for properly smelting steel was invented in 1856 by a British inventor named Henry Bessemer. There are 2 ways in which we can process steel fabrication. The first is the raw material approach which involves the correct materials being heated up, then melted down and mixed into steel. This is called the integrated route. The other process which is quicker and easier is done by using an electric arc furnace (EAF). This method involves putting recycled steel into a furnace and melting it down, once it is melted down it is then mixed with other materials crucial to the steel building process. Strong steel is the end result of this welding process, over a third of steel fabrication general takes place with the EAF method. Let’s go into more detail about the welding process.

Welding is a core actively within steel fabrication to prepare joints for connection with other steel components. The welding process involves using an electric arc to generate enough heat to melt the material in a joint. A separate material that helps the steel to maintain its strong properties is also melted and combines with the melted joint to form a molten weld pool. As welding progresses along the joint, the molten weld pool starts to solidify which fuses the materials which were also melted down into the steel joint. The welding may need several attempts or passes in order to form the correct shape.

Steel & Site are steel fabrication and steel stockholders in the Midlands. Our welders have years of experiences in steel fabrication and we can supply a wide range of RSJ Steel Beams created in our warehouses. Contact our Structural Steel Fabricators Midlands office on 01384 265 747 today for all enquires.

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2016/08/18/the-steel-fabrication-process/

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Construction industry welcomes e-learning to help increase best practice in being a considerate constructor

Construction industry welcomes e-learning to help increase best practice in being a considerate constructor

Over 3600 courses undertaken so far by construction sites, companies and suppliers registered with Considerate Constructors Scheme

The Best Practice Hub – the construction industry’s online platform for sharing best practice – has launched a series of free e-learning courses designed to help raise standards across the industry.

Considerate Constructors Scheme-registered construction sites, companies and suppliers of all sizes can undertake the e-learning courses, designed to improve their knowledge of the Scheme, in order to meet and exceed the expectations of the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice.

The e-learning courses, which are eligible for CPD, were launched to all Best Practice Hub registered users during May, and have since then received a huge response, with over 3600 courses being taken by over 750 individuals across the sector.

Completing e-learning improves users’ understanding of the Scheme’s Monitors’ Checklist, as well as providing a range of ideas to help fully prepare for Monitors’ visits. There are six courses available, five of which relate directly to the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice: Care about Appearance; Respect the Community; Protect the Environment; Secure everyone’s Safety; Value their Workforce, and one which provides an introduction to the Scheme.

Considerate Constructors Scheme Chief Executive Edward Hardy said: “The Best Practice Hub’s e-learning courses provide a great resource for any site manager, contractor, supplier or client looking to improve their knowledge of the Scheme and meet and exceed the Scheme’s Code of Considerate Practice. These easily accessible and practical courses are also helping to achieve the ultimate aim of continually striving to raise standards, and improve the overall image of the industry.”

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2016/08/08/construction-industry-welcomes-e-learning-to-help-increase-best-practice-in-being-a-considerate-constructor/

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Bridge collapse causes rail chaos

Parts of a bridge have collapsed near Loughborough causing travel chaos on trains between the East Midlands and London.

The bridge at Barrow Upon Soar collapsed during the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Trains between Loughborough  and Leicester have been unable to run.

Network Rail engineering teams have been working through the night and today to clear the debris but lines are not expected to reopen until tomorrow.

from The UK Construction Blog http://ukconstructionblog.co.uk/2016/08/02/bridge-collapse-causes-rail-chaos/