26 September 2024
Julie White, managing director of D-Drill & Sawing and chair of Build UK
My first year as chair of Build UK has flown by and, as the recent news about ISG shows, it’s more important than ever to ensure the construction industry is working together as one.
As someone who was on the board when Build UK was formed and has been part of #TeamBuildUK since day one, I am delighted that I will be its chair as we mark our tenth anniversary in 2025.
Watch this space when it comes to that but it’s fair to say that we have played a fundamental role in bringing the industry together and delivering change where we said we could and would over the last decade.
However, as the past week has shown, there is still much to be done and we must continue to evolve the industry.
It’s been a really busy year for construction.
Back at the start of 2024, I was named as one to watch for the industry by Construction News and I was so grateful to everyone for their very kind comments on the back of that magazine article.
Following my appointment to the Government’s Small Business Council, I was chosen to ask the former Prime Minister a question on skills at an event close to D-Drill’s headquarters in Warwickshire and it was good for the profile of the industry as it made national headlines.
As everyone knows, skills is something I am extremely passionate about and that is why I was so proud of Open Doors 2024, which was one of our most successful ever.
Open Doors is our chance to open up sites for a week of activities to people who want to find out more about construction. It’s my ambition to make 2025 even bigger and better because itis great to see the industry showcasing the opportunities that are available in construction.
I went to several different events, including one hosted by the Drilling & Sawing Association’s (DSA) training centre in Nottingham.
We held two sessions with many young people in attendance, who loved being able to try outsome of the equipment, including a remote-controlled breaker that is used in concrete demolition.
As chair of the DSA, I was delighted to hear from a careers adviser who was in attendance that he’d be giving students information on jobs in our sector from now on. It’s those kinds of stories that we love to hear.
We had more than 5,000 visitors in 2024 and our aim is to surpass that next year.
We also knew that at some point during my time as chair that there would be a General Election and, potentially, a change of Government but we didn’t know when.
It’s fair to say that Labour have been making all of the right noises about construction, both before and after the election, and as Build UK, we will continue to speak up to help them deliver on their promises and make sure our issues are understood.
I was given the opportunity to represent the industry on BBC Radio 5 Live around the time of the election and it was a chance to speak about the 5 Ps that Build UK has identified to power up construction over the period of this parliament.
Our asks are focussed on consistent pipeline, places to live, procurement, performance and people. If the Government and our industry can get these right, we will be able to seize the opportunity to get Britain building again.
I am sure the next year will not be without its challenges. The past nine years have seen everything from Brexit to Covid and the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It is only by working collectively – just as we are following the collapse of ISG – that we’ve been able to respond to these issues.
And, as we look ahead to the tenth anniversary of Build UK and my final year as chair, it is only through collaboration that we can continue to make further progress on key issues such as pre-qualification and payment.
It didn’t seem possible to some back in 2015 but after coming together as an industry like never before, we’ve made it happen and it is exactly how we must approach the next year and, indeed, the next decade.
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