21 September 2018

Sudarshan Deshmukh promoted to IT director

We’re pleased to announce that Sudarshan Deshmukh has been promoted to the role of IT director. Sudarshan Deshmukh, also known as ‘SD’, has worked for VGC for 12 years. He joined as an IT assistant and was promoted to deputy IT manager in 2009, becoming IT manager in 2011. During his time at VGC he

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17 September 2018

Giving young people an insight into construction

Kim writes: I work with a lot of students in my role as VGC Group’s skills and employment advisor. It is so important to give young people an insight into the world of construction and engineering, especially if it’s outside their regular experience. And it’s vital to talk to girls about the career opportunities open

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13 September 2018

Apprenticeships key to social mobility and economic growth

Improving social mobility, and better education and training, are key to addressing the UK’s productivity gap, says a new report from The 5% Club. In its report, the group sets out recommendations for business leaders and government to drive social mobility while ensuring inclusive growth. Six per cent of VGC staff are currently enrolled on

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7 September 2018

Tackling modern slavery in construction

Ciara writes: Preventing modern slavery is something I feel passionate about. I’m proud of the way we are working to remove the risk of labour exploitation within our company and our industry. It’s not a small problem. The Global Slavery Index estimates that 45.8 million people are caught in slavery today. The International Labour Organisation

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4 September 2018

How do you make reinforced concrete?

Concrete resists crushing pressure, but it can crack if it is bent. So reinforced concrete is formed around steel reinforcement bars.

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17 August 2018

Goodmayes team wins Costain safety award

Costain presented our team at Goodmayes with a SHE award after they stepped in to help out after a passenger incident. Foreman Andy Smith and his team assisted the emergency services. A passenger train was stopped outside Goodmayes station for 90 minutes during the incident, and the team also took water from their own stores to

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16 August 2018

Hackathon: labour market needs post-Brexit

Ciara writes: I was delighted to be invited to an immigration hackathon to explore labour market needs for employers and employees in a post-Brexit Britain. The event at the Institute of Government on Thursday 9 August 2018 was hosted by Fragomen Worldwide and the REC. It was attended by a wide range of businesses, agencies,

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27 July 2018

Two further Network Rail Star awards

Our rail teams have won a further two Network Rail star awards for their work on Crossrail Anglia sub-station projects. Crossrail’s senior construction manager assessed the Gidea Park and Shenfield sites on 27 June. At each of the sites, VGC is building a substation, with works including site investigation, demolition and site clearance excavation and construction

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26 July 2018

Ciara's blog: Working in industry, for industry

Ciara writes: At VGC we constantly work to improve the way we deliver our business, and ensure that we meet the needs of our clients and the people who work for us. This is why we don’t just focus on the job we are delivering. We also want to be at the forefront of our

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13 July 2018

Macdonald wins joint Crossrail collaboration award

Michael Lee, construction interface manager, and Macdonald Onwona, general foreman and lead worksite train controller (WTC), have jointly won a Crossrail collaboration award. Macdonald reports to Michael on ATC Systemwide. This is the Alstom TSO Costain joint venture managing the C610 Crossrail tunnel fit-out from Royal Oak to Canary Wharf and Plumstead. “Mac is so committed,

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