Views
Poor headlines mask our achievements
THE CIOB MEMBERS in this month’s Vox Pop (see opposite) are describing the realities of working in a market returning to life after a fi ve-year slumber: increases in agency labour rates, poaching of site managers, poorly trained apprentices, lead times for key materials extending. While the industry thought it was
innovatively managing its way through the work famine and fi nding ways to deliver more for less for clients, it turns out that actually it was just cutting capacity and storing up the familiar problems now set to make a return. The CIOB survey on corruption also
shows that many unappealing aspects of the industry have survived and fl ourished in the recession, despite the perception that we are living in more transparent and accountable times. A combination of relatively high value contracts and long supply chains creates an environment where invoices can be massaged, goods can go astray or tax evaded. The survey measures perceptions of
corruption rather than corruption itself, but the results nevertheless make it clear that members and industry decision makers are deeply concerned about unmanaged risks that undermine the integrity of the industry. The CIOB hopes that the survey results
will draw attention to a hidden issue, and prompt representative bodies and government to a) measure the scale of the problem and b) take belated action to help
create a culture of awareness and oversight where corruption has no place. But while the CIOB is to be
congratulated for taking up the challenge, it’s also true that the survey risks being viewed as another blow to the industry’s struggling reputation, currently taking more blows over the blacklisting fallout. All these worrying trends, however,
stand in marked contrast to other stories this month. There’s the exciting potential of 3D printing, already realised by Skanska on a live London site. There’s innovation in housing design and delivery from Rational Homes, and a long-awaited sighting of energy performance contracting being discussed at Aecom. At CM, we constantly straddle this schism between what’s going wrong in the industry with what’s going right. And rightly so: life is full of contradictions, and in encompassing both positive and negative construction is no different from any other sector or industry. The problem, however, lies in the
perceptions held by the outside world, and in government. As a complex and fragmented industry, we struggle to communicate a narrative about what the industry delivers, or what it needs. Unfortunately, we cannot simply wish the negative away. But what we can do is concentrate far more on communicating the multiple ways we get it right.
Elaine Knutt, editor More Construction Manager
online and on Twitter Our weekly newsletters give you breaking news, and online-only content, including more coverage on the construction exports issue, plus fresh perspectives on the week’s news. Sign up at
www.construction-manager.co.uk. For news from CM and other sources as it happens, join our 2,500+ Twitter followers @CMnewsandviews.
8 | OCTOBER 2013 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Feedback
Fast-track membership should not be confused with upskilling Grahame Wiggin MCIOB It was interesting to read various pages in the September issue of CM, including the letter from Richard Clifton, which suggests that the answer to his CIOB qualifi cation being considered a poor relation by his ICE colleagues is to change our name from Chartered Builder to Chartered Construction Manager. To improve his standing he might tell
his colleagues that a CIOB qualifi cation can now get him a Black Card from the CSCS and that prospective CIOB members can fast-track to chartered builder status via NVQ 7 qualifi cation certifi cates. That will really impress them, but never mind, we can all kid ourselves that we are “upskilling” the industry. For “upskilling” do not substitute “training”, please read “dumb down”. In his column our chief executive Chris Blythe asks if the workforce is ready for the upturn. Not b....... likely but rest assured, the operatives will all have a bit of useless paper to wave. We need government to pass the CITB, the construction apprentice schemes and the CSCS scheme to the industry to run. We can then only blame ourselves if the result is a further decline in skill standards. And by the way, sorry to be the
contrarian but if great crested newts are as widespread as suggested by the CPD pages, why are they protected? Perhaps because they have no Mickey Mouse paperwork of their own?
What’s the word on the Englemere move? Tony Ward FCIOB Today I received my copy of CM magazine and I scanned it cover to cover and read selected articles. As always, it was thorough, well written, well presented and covered hot topics within our profession. However, I could not fi nd one single article or word relating to the sale of our headquarters at Englemere. I wonder, how many members are actually aware of the sale of Englemere?
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