All posts tagged trade news

Feb 202118

2021 Will See Construction Output Soar Past Pre-Pandemic Levels, Say Experts

Lewis access training news, construction

‘Infrastructural output is expected to lift the whole [construction] industry over 2021 and 2022’ – Professor Noble Francis, CPA economics director.

2021 is already promising to be a surging year of growth and productivity for the construction industry, as forecasted by the Construction Products Association (CPA).

Economic experts at the company are predicting what they call a ‘W-shaped’ economic recession and recovery, and a rise of 14% output as the year progresses. This number is incredibly significant, as construction industry output initially fell by 14% as lockdowns were first imposed on the UK back in March 2020. A 14% rise will return output levels to pre-pandemic levels, putting the construction industry back on its feet.

And that’s not all. CPA’s economic advisors also predict a further 5% increase into 2022. As vaccines are rolled out across the country, opportunities for continued productivity are only going to increase.

A strong recovery in the latter half of 2020, with construction sites reopening sooner than expected and demand at an all-time high, means that the construction industry is set to be among the trailblazing industries which will greatly support the UK through troubling economic times ahead.

But what does this mean for workers in the trade industry? It means that, after all the difficulties faced in the past, the years ahead will be an incredibly busy and highly productive era for construction. It means that trade workers will be very highly sought after, well paid and not short of work.

Most importantly, it means that now is an excellent time to be in the trade industry.

‘Projects have been able to effectively enact safe operating procedures [...]. Main works on HS2, Europe’s largest construction project, along with offshore wind and nuclear projects, are expected to be the main drivers of activity’ – Professor Francis.

Not only are the larger-scale projects thriving, but domestic work is also on the increase, as figures show a public confidence in tradespeople entering their homes and working safely. The demand for home improvement projects has soared after time spent in lockdown, and self-employed tradespeople are particularly reaping the rewards as the public need their services more than ever.

Broken boilers, electrical faults, heating issues, are not problems which go away under lockdowns – they are highly important for safety and domestic comfort, and prove just how essential tradespeople are in the lives of millions.

And so for those who are not currently trained but are thinking about changing careers, there is simply no time to waste. You don’t want to look back at this period, perhaps still stuck in an unrewarding and uncertain job, and regret not becoming qualified as a tradesperson. You don’t want to wait for hindsight to tell you what you should have done. You need to assess what’s best for you moving forward, and take a leap that could potentially change your life.

Economic projections, percentage figures and lofty statements, might seem distant and unimportant to the everyday worker stuck in lockdown after lockdown. But what they do tell us, is that tradespeople will play a crucial part in the years ahead.

Work will be abundant, pay will be good, and healthy and rewarding careers will be possible. All you need are the qualifications, the determination, and the foresight to invest in yourself, and invest in your career.

Give Access Training a call and enquire about a course – they can take it from there.

Learn your trade. Get qualified. Make it happen.

Jul 202013

Kickstart Scheme: Government Promises £2bn for UK Jobs

Lewis construction, trade news

"A new programme to give hundreds of thousands of young people, in every region and nation of Britain, the best possible chance of getting on and getting a job." - Rishi Sunak

Photo by Chris McAndrew (Wikimedia Commons)

Last Wednesday's mini-budget saw the Chancellor put jobs at the heart of his £2 billion scheme to prevent a surge in unemployment.

Rishi Sunak will unveil a plan designed to keep up to 300,000 young people off the dole as the COVID-19 recession bites.

Under the Kickstart Scheme, the Treasury will pay the wages of thousands of youngsters if firms agree to hire them for six months.

Mr Sunak went on to say:

"We cannot lose this generation, so today, I am announcing the Kickstart Scheme - a new programme to give hundreds of thousands of young people, in every region and nation of Britain, the best possible chance of getting on and getting a job.

"These will be new jobs - with the funding conditional on the firm proving these jobs are additional. These will be decent jobs with a minimum of 25 hours per week, and new hires will be paid at least the National Minimum Wage."

"A very hopeful message for the trades industry"

Training providers are now getting ready for the thousands of new students who will be looking to get qualified in order to take advantage of the new jobs being offered.

One construction training specialist said:

"We are expecting a huge demand for training in the last 5 months of 2020. This is a very hopeful message for the trades industry.

"The educational norm has changed to incorporate online training and the flexibility that offers students, so there is now no reason why anyone can't take advantage of the government's Kickstart Scheme."

If you're looking to learn a trade and pursue a new career, Access Training Academies can help - call 0800 345 7492 now to speak to a course advisor.

Contact Access Training Browse Trade Courses

Mar 201631

2016 Shaping up to be a Busy Year for UK Tradespeople

Mark

While we often discuss the need for skilled tradespeople in the context of the UK skills shortage, it is refreshing to be able to encourage people into the industry for more positive reasons; namely the demand and profit currently being witnessed by UK businesses. Today, BDaily reported that 2016 has been a great year for UK tradespeople so far, with revenue increasing due to the high demand being witnessed by companies, particularly in areas such as house-building.

Thanks to the regular requirement of their services, companies have found that they are not experiencing 'dry patches' without work, and are in-fact, having to extend their waiting lists to keep up with enquiries. Thanks to this demand, employers within these sectors are able to take on more staff, with 24% agreeing that they expect to do so this year. Thanks to these positive predictions, tradespeople are also feeling more contented with their industry prospects and work life, with a whopping 91% reporting this to be true.

With the demand for work growing, and employers offering new, exciting opportunities on a regular basis, now is the perfect time to enter into a trade profession. Not only will you have access to a wide range of employers, you will also gain the opportunity to choose from a variety of working environments, from large operations to smaller enterprises in the residential sphere. Right now, there are a fantastic set of work prospects waiting to be taken advantage of, whether you see yourself as a future business owner, a self-employed freelancer or simply a regular trade employee. Whatever your ambitions may be, the best way to gain access to this flourishing field is to gain the best training possible, in order to lay steady foundations for your future career.

At Access Training, we provide a wide range of courses to cover every experience level, from total beginners to trade professionals. Whether you're looking to change your career completely, refresh your skills, or add another skill to your portfolio in order to seek a wider range of work, we have the resources to support you through your transition. (refresh know) We offer a selection of courses in all the key trades, from plumbing and electrical to bricklaying and carpentry, as well as many more!

To explore our full range of courses, click here, or get in touch with us for more information and guidance!

For more industry news updates, follow us on Twitter.

Mar 201623

53% of UK Installers Will Hire More People This Year

dwadmin access training news

In the UK we are in the midst of uncertain times. Are we going to stay in the EU? What impact will it have on the trade industry if we leave the EU? Plus other factors including the slowdown in growth of china’s economy and the falling costs in oil prices due to the increase of oil being produced by the US.

There are many theories suggesting that if the UK leaves the EU, then our construction industry will begin struggling because here in the UK, we rely heavily on people from Eastern Europe to come and work on our construction sites. In fact we mentioned in a past blog post that many sites will not be able to meet their deadlines, or even function without Eastern European people.

However, a recent survey conducted by Construction News, states that over 2016 53 per cent of companies who took part in the survey were planning on actually increasing their work force. The remaining 47 per cent said that they were planning on maintaining their current workforce levels. Surprisingly none of the companies that participated in the survey anticipated a reduction in their current workforce.

The current forecast for the construction industry is that there will be steady growth over the next few years. Our government has clearly stayed committed to building new homes, building new developments, and revamping tired looking city centres, coupled with high levels of domestic demand for tradespeople, the future is certainly looking positive for the tradespeople of the UK.

Because we are experiencing a national skills shortage, people will be recruiting more this year to help fill the gap, whether there UK leaves the EU or not. So, in our minds, and the minds of all of our students here at access training, there has never been a better time to change your career and train to become a Plumber, Electrician, Bricklayer or a Carpenter.

If you are interested in learning more about our trade courses, feel free to contact us today!

Mar 201610

An App For Tradespeople? The Pros & Cons

kris

Back in December, we wrote a blog discussing the possibility of an 'Uber for electricians', essentially; an app that would allow tradespeople to connect with homeowners where and when they were needed. Since then, this prospect has become more of a reality for the UK, as a man from Lincoln sets his sights on a £500,000 growth project to expand his business, using crowding to back his plans.href

Paul Gascoigne, who shares his name with the former international footballer, launched his trading app last September with a view to eventually expanding his efforts. Since its launch, the app has gained over 1, 3000 installs on devices, and has more than 1,000 active users. Mr Gascoigne hopes that with sufficient funding, he will eventually be able to able to expand his business further, setting a goal of obtaining 100,000 users by the end of the year.

If the campaign for funding is successful and the app continues to grow in popularity, the app could soon become a staple amongst tradespeople UK wide, but is this a good thing? To weigh in on the issue, we thought we'd draw up a list of pros and cons which outline the possible benefits and drawbacks that such a plan could have, along with the impact this could have on the industry as a whole.

Pros

Flexibility: One benefit of this type of service would be the flexibility and ease with which tradespeople would be able to accept offers of work, allowing them to advertise their services in a convenient and fuss-free way. According to current user Pete Stothard, it is also useful for filling in unexpected gaps in a tradesperson's schedule, due to issues such as last minute cancellations.

Honest Review System: One plan for the app is to add a review system, whereby users would be able to leave recommendations and view those of others, to see how many a tradesperson has received, and perhaps even to find out if they have been recommended by a friend.

Better for Self-Employed Tradespeople: This app could make it easier for self-employed tradespeople to gain work and reach new customers, by allowing them to offer a fast and efficient service. People just starting out or deciding to go it alone may find it difficult to compete with larger, more well-known firms, but an app like this could present them with an opportunity to link with new customers and gradually build their reputation.

Cons

Lack of Face-to-Face Contact: Charlie Mullins, founder of successful London plumbing firm 'Pimlico', says he does not think that these apps would offer the same level of trust as traditional methods. According to him, this type of service would not be able to compete with established trade businesses, simply due to the fact that a personalised level of customer service would be able to be replicated on this scale.

Risk of Fast Service Over Good Service: Another possible drawback that comes with this sort of service, is the possibility of a customer choosing the option that takes the least effort, over the option that would offer them the best service. Just as people who shop online often choose the cheapest option with the fastest delivery time, it could be the case that customers turn to this app for the sake of convenience, as opposed to doing some research and seeking out the best option for their requirements.

More Issues in Service Delivery: Like any third party service, this app could create more problems than is solves in some senses, particularly in relation to issues such as payment and review systems. If the app goes offline for a period due to technical issues, will this affect the customers relying on services and the tradespeople who are expecting to receive calls to work? The review system would also have to be well-thought out an thoroughly monitored to be successful, in order to prevent rival firms and others with ill will from unfairly impacting an individual's reputation.

As with any industry, the future of tradespeople will no-doubt rely on technology in one way or another, although the true extent of this is not yet clear. As the app continues to gain momentum, we should be able to examine its impact more closely, and gain a clearer image of how it is changing the business for better or worse.

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