Weekly News Bulletin – 12th October 2018

This week, we saw a reminder from Construction Enquirer that the UK’s biggest construction show took place this week. The show opened in Birmingham’s NEC on Tuesday with over 35,000 expected visitors over the three days of the show. Some of the highly anticipated events included presentations by more than 350 speakers and over 650 exhibitors overall. Latest technology and innovation were some of the subjects to be discussed. We recommend visiting the conference website below to see the highlights.

Construction Enquirer also shared striking images of the designs for HS2 Midlands stations, which were revealed earlier this week at both Curzon Street station in Birmingham and Solihull. Curzon Street station will be the first intercity station built in Britain since the 19^th century. The stations are set to open in 2026 and will have seven high-speed platforms as well as provide a new public space within the city centre of Birmingham. What are your opinion on the designs?

CRL discussed the new construction qualification which is the equivalent of an A-level and is set to debut in the House of Commons. One of the main objectives for the course will be to improve the views and perceptions of construction, making the industry more appealing to young people. Courses on the modules will focus on the use of drones, new technology such as VR and AI, as well as BIM technology, and will complement current STEM subjects to make it easier for young people to advance to Level 4 built environment qualifications. Do you think that this construction qualification could help bridge the skills gap that the UK is set to experience in the next 20 years?

We also saw news from The Construction Index surrounding the rise of cyber-attacks and the industries most affected by the ‘phishing attacks’. The construction industry is believed to be experiencing more cyber-attacks than any other sector, including Marketing, Real Estate, Accounting Services, and Biotechnology.

Finally, this Wednesday, it was World Mental Health Day and Construction News gave us three tips and actions businesses can take to protect the wellbeing of their employees. This is of particular relevance to the construction sector as numbers show that there is a possibility of around 350,000 workers suffering from mental health issues. We recommend reading the article below and consider the suggested actions to improve the health of staff and raise awareness.

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Construction’s biggest trade show starts tomorrow
The industry’s biggest trade show opens in Birmingham tomorrow with more than 35,000 visitors expected at UK Construction Week.
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/10/08/constructions-biggest-trade-show-starts-tomorrow/

Striking HS2 Midlands stations designs revealed
HS2 has unveiled detailed designs for landmark stations at Curzon Street in Birmingham and the Solihull Interchange.
http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2018/10/09/striking-hs2-midlands-stations-designs-revealed/

New Construction Qualification Has Focus on BIM, Drones and New Technology
Construction services company ISG and examination board WJEC have developed a new construction qualification that is scheduled to debut in the House of Commons.
https://c-r-l.com/content-hub/article/new-construction-qualification/

Cyber-attacks against construction increase
Construction is experiencing more confirmed ‘phishing’ attacks than any other sector, a new report by cybersecurity specialist eSentire has found.
https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/cyber-attacks-against-construction-increase

World Mental Health Day: 3 actions you can take
The issue of suicide has been in the spotlight over recent weeks, following World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September through to World Mental Health Day, which is taking place today.
https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/analysis/expert-opinion/world-mental-health-day-3-actions-you-can-take/10035354.article