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At Intersect Global we are working hard to encourage and promote fairness, inclusion and respect in the workplace. We have a link on our website with our new helpful handout that we give to all our contract workforce. We believe this gives clear and simple advice about how to improve the working culture within the construction industry. https://intersectprod.wpengine.com/about-us/diversity/
We have recently become members of fantastic organisation called WISE; a campaign to promote women in science technology and engineering. In future we need to be looking at a wider pool of talent if we are to fill our clients vacancies.
We have been inspired by the dedicated approach that our client Skanska has taken on this subject. They recently hosted a fantastic debate entitled ‘The changing face of construction’ that was attended by more than 250 people – a mixture of clients, competitors and the supply chain, along with many other industry representatives.
Skanska’s vision is to be a truly diverse and inclusive organisation that mirrors the societies in which it works. They are leading the way towards a more diverse and inclusive culture in the construction industry and Intersect Global are dedicated to supporting them and all our clients in this area.

The chief executives and leaders of UK contractors must set out to their employees what the consequences of a vote to leave the EU would mean for their business, the president of the CBI has told Construction News, warning the impact could be similar to the financial crash of 2008/09

Paul Drechsler, previously chief executive of Wates and now the president of the CBI, warned UK contractors that if they cared about the outcome of the referendum, they should “do something about it”.
“That means make sure that people who work for you understand what it means for your business.”
He said construction leaders should spend the next week talking about the issue at “toolbox talks, site talks, talks in the office”.
He warned that if Brexit led to staff being laid off in two months’ time they would ask why they had not been warned beforehand.

Mr Drechsler also told contractors to be clear with their suppliers about what the consequences of a vote to leave would be.
”Your supply chain has to understand what it means for you.
”If your customer thinks it’s very important for them, it should be important for you if you care about your customers.”

He warned that the Brexit would cause a “very significant shock” to the UK economy.
”The last time that happened was in 2008/09 and on the surface it was quite a straightforward issue [a bank failing] but nobody ever understood what that would mean.
”What it meant was years of significant job losses for the UK construction industry.”
He said there was no upside in the short to medium term.
“I think for the construction industry it would be more of what we have just been through and some are still recovering from.
”That’s why people should be talking about it.”
In the event of a vote to leave the EU, the first area of construction to be hit would be the commercial sector, he said, followed by housebuilding as the economy lost confidence and public sector and infrastructure projects as tax receipts fell.
The UK construction industry was reliant on the free movement of labour from across Europe, he said, because it needed to access talent from its other 27 member countries. Projects such as the Olympics would not have been built on time without it, he added.

Stansted Airport’s operator is set to lift the wraps on plans for a £600m long term upgrade of its terminal infrastructure.
Stansted. Manchester Airports Group, which owns the airport, is to host a suppliers day next month for the industry’s large contractors turning over more than £100m.

Its planned programme of improvements includes expansion of the arrivals infrastructure, additional car park capacity and modifications to the existing departures, landside and airside infrastructure.

The latest plans signal a forthcoming boom in airport construction work.

MAG is already planning a major £1bn expansion of Manchester Airport, while Luton airport is about to start its own £100m terminal upgrade with plans to build a £200m ligh trail link to speed up journeys from London.

Gatwick and Heathrow Airports are also both planning major investments, the scale of which depends on the Government’s Heathrow third runway decision later this year.

Luton Airpot has also recently announced a large investment in their infrastructure by way of a new rail line that will connect with London Kings Cross and drastically reduce journey time from Central London.

Crossrail will be renamed the Elizabeth Line from 2018, it was confirmed today.
The line, which will be purple on the TfL Underground Map, will be named after Queen Elizabeth II, who visited Bond Street station to mark the announcement today.
The line is due to open in December 2018, at which point it will be renamed.

Once operating, it is expected to carry half a million passengers each day.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: “Crossrail is already proving a huge success for the UK economy, and as we move closer to bringing this transformative new railway into service, I think it’s truly wonderful that such a significant line for our capital, will carry such a significant name from our country. As well as radically improving travel right across our city, the Elizabeth line will provide a lasting tribute to our longest serving monarch.”

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “This is an example of British engineering at its best and will transform the way people travel across London and beyond from 2018, bringing better and faster journeys, while boosting jobs and driving economic growth.”
Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan said: “Construction for the new railway is now over 70 per cent complete and is being delivered on time and within budget.
”The Crossrail project is one of the most ambitious and complex infrastructure programmes ever undertaken in the UK, the scale of engineering being delivered under the capital is quite incredible. The opening of the Elizabeth line in 2018 will be a significant moment for London.”
Trains will start operating on the Elizabeth Line in five phases: Liverpool Street to Shenfield – May 2017; Heathrow to Paddington (main line platforms) – May 2018; Paddington (Crossrail platforms) to Abbey Wood, through the new central tunnels – December 2018; Paddington (Crossrail platforms) to Shenfield – May 2019; and a full through service (including services to Reading) – December 2019.

Almost eight million British employees will resolve to leave their job in 2016, according to a new report.

The survey, carried out by CV Library, found that one quarter of the current 31.2 million workers in the UK will make the New Year’s resolution to find a new career, and quit their current role. What’s more, the report also found that vowing to go to the gym has been seemingly replaced with more work-related hopes as 54% of the 3,300 employees surveyed claimed they planned to make a job-related promise.

46% admitted they were ready for a new job in 2016, which is hardly surprising since almost one third of workers questioned said they return to work after the Christmas holidays feeling unhappy about their employment.

Lee Biggins, Founder and Managing Director of CV-Library, explained what these results could mean for the UK jobs market. He said: “Businesses need to be prepared to pull out all the stops in 2016.

“They’ll need to work hard to hold on to talented employees, as well as fighting to draw in the best new candidates.

“With workers choosing to leave their jobs in 2016 in the knowledge that they hold all the cards, employers have a challenge ahead of them when it comes to January. However, ensuring that workers feel valued and supported is a good place to start.

When you have a spare three minutes this video Crossrail have released is worth a watch its fascinating.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=65ok77gPdXo&feature=youtu.be

Construction in central London has added billions of pounds to the UK economy, new research commissioned by some of the city’s most powerful property developers has revealed.

According to the study by consultancy Deloitte, construction activity in 11 inner-London boroughs added around £6.2bn to the economy in 2013.

The report, Supporting development, enabling growth, pinpoints further contributions of £3.3bn in ‘indirect’ effects from demands on supply chains, and £2.9bn from ‘induced’ gains from increased household spending as a result of construction.

“Property development is a major activity in London, drawing in investment and producing new architecture,” London School of Economics professor Tony Travers writes in the report.

“The economic sectors which depend on the strength of construction extend from developers and architects through to crane manufacturers and brickmakers.”

The research has been commissioned and released alongside a list of demands by the Westminster Property Association and the City Property Association, whose members claim 85 per cent of construction activity in inner London.

In their “manifesto for the mayor”, the associations urge the successful candidate in next May’s mayoral elections to reverse a trend in the city centre that has seen commercial space replaced by residential units.

Westminster alone has “lost” 4.4m sq ft of office space, according to the associations, which have extensive commercial interests in inner London.

They argue the mayor should help tackle affordability by fighting to keep receipts from Right to Buy sales in the city.

The associations also urge the next mayor to encourage the government to axe or relax borrowing limits on council housing budgets, a move they say will allow boroughs to build more homes.

The new mayor should also help address the shortage of tradespeople, which the associations see as a “key reason for the lack of homes and office space”.

“We call for the mayor to work with the associations and industry to help promote and co-ordinate the right training and support for young people and workers of all ages and backgrounds…to provide [them] with the skills…to build London’s future”, they said in a statement.

City Property Association president Rob Samuel described central London as “the economic powerhouse” of the city and the “entire United Kingdom”.

“Our manifesto for the next mayor outlines the key areas where we believe that our industriy, and the mayor, can work together to deliver housing, office and leisure space for the capital to continue to thrive as a global city.”

The route was revealed as TfL launched its third public consultation, with the organisation keen to get approval for the project next year.
If the project is given the green light, construction could begin as early as 2020, with the first trains running by 2030.
TfL’s new plans include a number of amendments such as a new section between New Southgate and Seven Sisters that would see trains stop at Wood Green instead of Alexandra Palace and Turnpike Lake.

Source: TfL
The plans also include a new section between Clapham Junction and Wimbledon, with trains stopping in Balham rather than Tooting Broadway.
Crossrail 2 would serve central London through 32 km of twin tunnels between Wimbledon in the south and Tottenham Hale and New Southgate in the north, connecting with existing national rail networks in Surrey and Hertfordshire.
Two previous TfL consultations on the project have seen it receive overwhelming support from local residents and businesses.
TfL will now seek views on proposed station locations, construction sites and service patterns. The consultation will close on 8 January.
Crossrail 2 managing director Michele Dix said: “This consultation gives people the chance to comment on where we are proposing to put station entrances, work sites and ventilation shafts needed to run Crossrail 2.
“As development of this vital railway continues, we will be taking on board feedback from the consultation to progress the designs for the project, so that we can open the railway by 2030.”

The London Bridge redevelopment is one of the most complex projects undertaken by Network Rail.

The fascinating video below documents Network Rail, Costain and specialist contractor Prater as they discuss challenges faced, 4D-modelling, off-site manufacturing and pioneering new construction methods, including a timelapse of the project team assembling a full-scale prototype of a platform section at London Bridge.

Source: Prater
The team were able to construct, disassemble and re-construct the prototype in order to root our any potential on-site issues beforehand, a process that played an integral part in the successful delivery of the first phase of works.