The UK construction industry is one of the country’s leading economic drivers, however the rising shortage of skilled professionals is becoming a challenge. The implications of a sparse pool of workers include postponed delivery on projects, spiralling costs and increased pressure on the project team.

So what are the reasons behind the perceived skills shortage in this sector? According to Construction United – an initiative created by a group of companies and charities – one of the largest issues which the industry faces is its public image. Turn to page 18 where we reveal some surprising statistics from a recent survey by YouGov that investigates the perception of the construction industry.

Here, Mark Tomlin, UK Group Sales and Marketing Director at one of Construction United’s Official Partners SIG plc, also discusses the skills gap, and the role that every worker in the industry can play in encouraging new talent to move into the sector.

Elsewhere in this issue, GEZE UK explains how conflicts in design can lead to innovative entrance solutions, Sika Liquid Plastics suggests alternatives to hot works in the interest of health & safety and Interpave reviews the latest thinking in Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). Plus we profile the official show highlights for Vision London and edie Live 2016.

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.