Building Briefs – March 21st

Over 200 people interested in a traineeship or apprenticeship in the construction industry attended a careers evening staged by Clark Contracts at its head office in Paisley.

The event, which follows on from Scottish Apprenticeship Week, took place on Tuesday and attracted over 200 attendees who had the opportunity to meet the company’s recruitment team and current employees to find out more about careers at Clark Contracts. Representatives from Glasgow Caledonian University, the Construction Industry Training Board, West College Scotland, City of Glasgow College and Invest in Renfrewshire also attended to speak to guests.

Clark Contracts’ academy manager, David Cooper, delivered presentations throughout the evening on the company’s apprenticeship opportunities, including numerous examples of staff members who started as apprentices and have progressed into other management roles within the company.

Also on hand to talk to attendees were a variety of Clark Contracts’ staff, including Quantity Surveyors, Contracts Managers, Marketing & Business Development executives, Estimators and Administrators.

Clark Contracts is now looking forward to its next Careers Evening in the East of Scotland on Thursday at Edinburgh College’s Granton Campus. Those interested in attending should email eastcareersevening@clarkcontracts.com stating which discipline they are interested in.

Moray bridge to close for refurb

Logie Bridge in Moray will be closed to vehicles for six weeks from Monday 2 April.

Strengthening and refurbishment works will mean that the bridge across the River Divie, on the B9007 route between Logie and Forres, will remain closed up until, and including, Sunday 13 May. This means residents and visitors won’t be able to use this road to access Randolph’s Leap during this six-week period. Logie Steading will remain open as usual throughout.

The works will include vegetation clearance, masonry stitch repairs, picking and pointing. Drains will be repaired, brick deck waterproofing will be carried out to protect the structure from wear and weathering, and the carriageway will be resurfaced.

For the duration of the works, a 19-mile diversion is in place.

Restaurant plan for former Aberdeen bank

A former Aberdeen bank could be turned into a restaurant if plans are approved.

A change of use application has been submitted to Aberdeen City Council for the former TSB bank on the corner of Great Northern Road and King Street.

Documents submitted by Bennett Developments and Consulting on behalf of Sava Estates Ltd state: “The proposed development will see the regeneration of a vacant bank building into a small quality restaurant with an ancillary takeaway.

“This will ensure that this small but attractive corner building will contribute to the range of facilities and services in the area and will offer a new dining experience to visitor and resident alike.”

Demolition work to start on fire damaged Coatbridge building

North Lanarkshire Council has announced a building in Coatbridge town centre which was extensively damaged by a fire is to be demolished.

The building at 39-45 Main Street and 2-4 Academy Street was damaged in March 2017.

The council carried out emergency work to make the building safe, in line with its statutory powers, while the owners decided what action was to be taken. Academy Street was also closed as a safety measure.

Contractors will start on site by the end of March, with the demolition expected to take six weeks.

Prestigious award for City of Glasgow College student

A City of Glasgow College student has been presented with this year’s Montgomery Award for Wall and Floor Tiling.

HND Construction Wall and Floor Tiling student, Mark Scott, received the award from one of the oldest Livery companies in London, The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers.

He was presented with a cash prize of £750, a silver medal and a framed certificate during a formal ceremony held in Trinity House in London.

The 20 year old from Shotts was one of 17 students who travelled to Birmingham’s NEC for the 2017 WorldSkills UK Skills Show. He took gold in wall and floor tiling, helping City of Glasgow College secure the overall top spot in the WorldSkills UK competition.

The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers encourages excellence in the tiling and bricklaying industries and has awards for outstanding tiling and brickwork.

Construction businesses urged to get green and boost bottom line

Scottish construction companies are being urged to act now to embrace the economic opportunity of sustainability by the VIBES – Scottish Environment Business Awards.

The environmental awards, which are now open, underlined the need for urgent action to address the environmental challenges currently faced as well as highlighting the potential business benefits which this can deliver.

New research from the awards found that 81% of previous finalists and winners who had already implemented environmental improvements had also seen significant financial benefits with 44% saving more than £10,000 and 17% saving over £50,000 in a year.

As well as saving money and enhancing their environmental performance, businesses employing sustainable practices are reaping the benefits of an engaged workforce, positive working culture and improved competitiveness as well as contributing towards a better economy and society as a whole.

City Building, Graham Construction and Laing O’Rourke are just some of the businesses in the sector already recognising the importance of incorporating sustainable practices into their everyday operations. They join more than 100 others who have received a VIBES - Scottish Environment Business Award to date, illustrating the diversity of companies that are contributing to Scotland’s sustainable development.

The annual awards aim to recognise and reward businesses that are championing sustainability by identifying ways to tackle the impact on the planet by reducing consumption on its resources. This could be anything from increasing recycling and waste management to reducing utility consumption.

Applications for the 2018 Awards close at 5pm on the 27 April 2018. This year there are nine award categories; Management Large, Management SME, Green Team, Sustainable and Active Travel, Circular Economy, Environmental Product or Service, Innovation, Hydro Nation Water Innovation and a Micro Business Award.

For more information on VIBES - Scottish Environment Business Awards or to obtain an application form, please visit www.vibes.org.uk.