Hemsec’s community initiative to combat the skills shortage

Schemes to help bring young people into construction have never been more important, which is why a community initiative that helps young people to gain much-needed construction skills within seven weeks, is set to grow, thanks to a partnership between charity Apple Cast North West, and BBA Accredited SIPs manufacturer, Hemsec.

SIPs are not only a solution to the skills shortage; they are also a serious consideration to help UK builders to overcome problems caused by the shortage of building materials.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) said in a recent article in PBC Today, comments: “Through the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for Q3, we know that 89% of small, local builders have been forced to press ‘pause’ on jobs as a result of material and labour shortages, with 97% having experienced increased material costs.

“The fact that we are now experiencing the strongest annual rate of construction output price growth since records began indicates the unhealthy effects of these two issues on the sector.”

Statistics

According to the CITB’s report ‘Construction Skills Network; the skills construction needs’, the industry must employ an extra 217,000 workers, over 43,000 a year, between now and 2025.

Added to this, a third of the workforce is over 50 and are on their way out of the industry, and 80-90% of workers are employed by small businesses who don’t have big training schemes to help attract and retain new talent.

The Apple Cast scheme is superb because it also helps young people who face an uncertain future, and who seek the stability and camaraderie of a worthwhile career. It is predicated on the use of SIPs as the main building structure.

As this two-minute video explains, it is relatively simple to teach people to build with SIPs, takes between just six and seven weeks, and makes it much easier to plan follow-on trades.

Much fewer building materials are needed with a SIPs construction and, as Hemsec’s SIPs are readily available within two-to-four weeks from order at the time of writing, a project can be underway very quickly.

Once the SIPs have been delivered, an entire building envelope can be up in a few days. As this process is less affected by adverse weather conditions, it saves even more time.

The video shows a stunning building that has been completed in just three weeks.

Future-proofing for construction companies

SIPs are an integral part of the movement towards Modern Methods of Construction, prescribed by government as the way forward for public and private buildings alike. Building with SIPs will help to satisfy the requirements of the new regulations which come into force in 2025, and the target of net zero.

As the new regulations are adopted, the UK is likely to follow the trend of other countries, where thermally-efficient homes, such as those built with SIPs, command premium prices and traditionally-built properties are becoming harder to sell.

Get involved

Hemsec is a values-driven manufacturer, whose brand is implicitly trusted by the industry for its quality and ethics. The company is committed to making a difference in the UK by supporting training for SIPs, both through extending its partnership with Apple Cast and other organisations who want to get involved.

If you would like to know more, contact Steve Boardman or a member of the sales team using [email protected] or call the team on 0151 426 7171

Contact Hemsec:

Stoney Lane,
Rainhill,
Merseyside
L35 9LL

T: 0151 426 7171
E: [email protected]

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