On June 23rd, the UK will settle the much debated question, should Britain remain in the EU, or depart and leave its union privileges behind? According to numerous independent polls that have been carried out to date, the results are showing no shared consensus either way.
According to a survey by the Federation of Master Builders, nearly half of the UK’s construction sector SMEs backs Brexit. 40% of SMEs said the UK would be able to “freely legislate” to meet the needs of British business if it left the EU. Meanwhile, Construction Marketing Experts recently found that 59.4% of its audience think it’s best for the construction sector if we remain in the EU, with 40.6% voting to leave.
For those that insist on remaining within the EU, one of their main arguments is that if Britain were to depart from the EU it would hit workforces hard. In an industry that is supposedly already suffering from a shortage in skilled labourers, the repercussions of this withdrawal could be disastrous for the sector.
In this edition, Michael Page reiterates the importance of nurturing and encouraging employment in construction, but more specifically, taking a more proactive approach to upping the female quota of the industry’s workforce. Turn to page 20 to find out how changing perceptions is crucial if we are to save a shrinking workforce.
Meanwhile on page 24, the Midlands Construction Summit highlights three interlinked themes at its forthcoming conference – Image, Skills and Productivity. Negative perception, lack of training and reduced output are emerging and are only going to escalate if we don’t take action now, according to the board members of the event.
Elsewhere in this issue, Chris Lloyd of Flexcrete Technologies discusses the most effective waterproofing solution for basements, Phillip Lamb asks if the principle of Joint Names insurance is under threat and John McMullan from roofing specialist Firestone discusses the company’s involvement in an eco lodge in the heart of Gloucestershire.
I hope you enjoy this issue. Don’t forget, you can also access all of the magazine’s features, product news and supplier information at your fingertips via Future Constructor & Architect’s state-of-the-art app. To download your version free of charge, simply search ‘fc&a’ on Google play or the App Store.
