15 January 2024
VGC welcomes Managing Consultant, Ross Harrison
Last week, we were delighted to welcome Management Consultant Ross Harrison to the VGC team, bringing with him many years of experience in permanent recruitment placements within within construction and infrastructure – with a specialism within commercial, procurement, and supply chain management. Ross writes about the concept of ‘Massive Monday’: ‘Massive Monday’, the second working
1 August 2022
How HS2 is “upskilling the next generation” of female engineers
Three phases of HS2 are now officially underway, with 170 miles of new high-speed railway under construction between London and Crewe. Europe’s biggest infrastructure project has so far supported an enormous 25,000 jobs, but it’s also opened up a world of opportunities for those hoping to break into the industry. According to the HS2
5 July 2022
Civil engineering sector on the up – experts identify positive signs of growth
The last few years have proved enormously challenging for many UK sectors, in the wake of Covid-19 and its hard-hitting economic impact. Civil engineering faced its fair share of setbacks, including the suspension of engineering sites across the country during multiple pandemic lockdowns. This inevitably affected growth, which dropped by a worrying 15% during 2020.
6 May 2022
Future of Work in Construction Conference 2022
On 4 May, I attended the ‘Future of Work in Construction’ conference at the ExCeL Centre in London. Mark Thurston, Chief Executive Officer of HS2 opened with a keynote address, ‘building back better and equal.’ He explored the meaning behind the motto, ‘I care, you count, we matter,’ and emphasised that we have a rare
23 February 2022
HS2 report identifies earthworks savings of £300m a year for UK infrastructure sector
A new study has found that the UK’s infrastructure sector could save an enormous £300 million a year by changing how it manages earthworks projects. The report comes from HS2, in conjunction with the Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership (i3P) and Expedition Engineering. A total of 28 organisations were involved in the research, including some
23 February 2022
£31m of new UK Government funding confirmed for floating offshore wind projects
The UK Government has announced a total of £31 million in new grant funding for the offshore wind sector, earmarked for the development of innovative floating offshore wind technologies. The funding comes from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), through its Floating Offshore Wind Demonstration Programme. But ultimately, the money is
14 June 2021
Shortlisted for Construction News award for Training Excellence
VGC Academy is shortlisted for a Construction News Training Excellence award for our 'positive and progressive approach' to staff development
19 May 2021
Energy and Utilities Skills Partnership award
We have been recognised by the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership with a Procurement Skills Accord award for 2021.
14 April 2021
West Midlands construction gateway training
We are pleased to be playing a key part in a new six-week pre-employment construction gateway for new entrants to the construction industry.
28 February 2020
Is the industry ready for change?
James asks if the industry is ready to change: can construction achieve a more diverse and inclusive workforce by following normal practices?
19 February 2020
What will the new immigration system mean to our industry?
Ciara explains concerns about the impact of the new points-based immigration system: "migrant labour is not the same as cheap, unskilled labour."
30 July 2019
Rail Industry Association trailblazer launch
Bob writes: On 11 July I attended the launch of the of Rail Industry Association’s (RIA) trailblazers’ campaign. Civil engineer Derek Emmett, who is a member of RIA, kindly invited me to go with him. The launch was in the form of a workshop run in collaboration with Young Rail Professionals (YRP) and the Civil
