Search Results for: opportunities

New BIM initiative announced as report slams dysfunctional construction sector

New BIM initiative announced as report slams dysfunctional construction sector 0

by • News, Property, Technology

slide-image-3Digital Built Britain, the latest stage of the UK’s BIM Task Group programme, has officially been launched at the ICE BIM 2016 conference by Mark Bew, chair of the BIM Task Group. The launch comes in the wake of the publication of the Government commissioned Farmer Report into the state of the construction industry which laid out in stark terms the structural problems that suggest the sector risks terminal decline without innovation and cultural change. The report, subtitled Modernise or Die, suggests that the UK’s construction industry faces ‘inexorable decline’ unless longstanding problems are addressed. In particular, the review highlights the sector’s dysfunctional training model, its lack of innovation and collaboration, and a non-existent research and development (R&D) culture. First announced in the 2016 budget, Digital Built Britain aims to deliver reductions in the whole-life costs and carbon emissions of buildings, while improving productivity and capacity by using intelligent building information models, sensing technology and secure data and information infrastructure.  Digital Built Britain will also continue the work of the BIM Task Group programme, set up in 2011 to deliver a projected 20 percent saving on the costs of major projects.

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Third of new parents in US feel bosses presume they’re less committed

Third of new parents in US feel bosses presume they’re less committed 0

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

working-parentsNearly 70 percent of expectant women and new parents say their employer tops the list of considerations when deciding to start a family. The new US-based study suggests that today’s generation of parents are determined to build families without postponing or abandoning career ambitions, but find themselves faced with an unfriendly and unsupportive environment at work. The third annual report in the Modern Family Index (MFI) series, commissioned by Bright Horizons Family Solutions found that women and men are waiting longer to have children, with the data showing births are down among women in their twenties and up for women over age 35. And though virtually all women surveyed are excited to return to work after a maternity leave, more than one in three new parents report feeling that their boss presumes they are now less committed to work and would prefer if they left.

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World education programme aims to help 34,000 young people worldwide

World education programme aims to help 34,000 young people worldwide 0

by • Company news

Global trade enabler DP World is rolling out its Global Education Programme internationally following an English language pilot in seven countries with an aim to deliver over 100 sessions in seven additional languages by the end of 2016. Volunteers from 17 DP World locations in the UAE, India, Pakistan, Senegal, the UK, Argentina and the Philippines delivering the programme have received positive feedback from students and teachers. Over 90% of teachers in the pilot countries said that the course provided their pupils with something new their school could not have provided and 85% said they would be likely to recommend DP World as an employer to pupils. The Global Education Programme aims to engage 34,000 children between the ages of 8-14 by 2020 with DP World volunteers delivering it from across its network of 77 operating marine and inland terminals in 40 countries.

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Creating the workforce of the future; the Barclays perspective

Creating the workforce of the future; the Barclays perspective 0

by • Company news, Workplace

barclays-eagle-logo

Apprenticeships are growing faster than ever in the UK.  This is fantastic to see.  Within our organisations we are making giant strides to re-carve and re-define talent whilst investing in the workforce of the future.  The topic of Apprenticeships remains top of the government agenda and top of the employability agenda and great things are starting to happen.  Yet, how much of the evolution of apprenticeships is understood by those who are seeking opportunities?  Has society evolved in such a way that would-be potential candidates are ‘switched-on’ to the fact that Apprenticeships is both a viable and powerful means to securing a long, sustainable, and credible career? What are we doing to define Apprenticeships to our audiences outside of our own organisations?  How are we marketing opportunities in a way that will ‘connect’ with our audience that will inspire them and others to invest in us?

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Mix of core and flexible workspaces will shape real estate by 2030

Mix of core and flexible workspaces will shape real estate by 2030 0

by • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Property, Technology, Workplace design

Future of CRE

Thanks to the combination of a changing workforce and greater connectivity, up to 30 percent of corporate real estate portfolios will incorporate flexible workspaces by 2030, with offices more likely to be built around core hubs and comprising fewer locations. Along with this the Internet of Things and smart buildings will create new ways of managing productivity, sustainability and the user experience. These are some of the key findings of JLL’s new report series ‘Workspace, reworked: ride the wave of tech driven change’; two reports exploring the impact of technology, data and digital disruption on work spaces and real estate investment strategies. The series focuses on the office sector over the next 15 years, looking at how occupiers, developers and investors will need to view real estate differently and adapt in order to enhance investment returns and create work spaces that are fit for purpose in a rapidly changing, highly-connected world.

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The American workplace is more skilled, but workers are concerned they are becoming irrelevant

The American workplace is more skilled, but workers are concerned they are becoming irrelevant 0

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

american-workplaceThe ‘Tectonic changes’ that are reshaping the US workplace and the response to them are the subject of a major new research project from the Pew Center in association with the Markle Foundation. The study of over 5,000 US workers carried out over the Summer found that the nature of jobs is undergoing a fundamental shift with greater emphasis on knowledge as well as analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. In response, workers are retraining and reassessing their abilities to adapt to the demands of employers. Despite this, a growing number are worried that they are becoming irrelevant and have diminishing faith in the ability of politicians, the education system and their employers to address their concerns.

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High earners much more likely to be offered flexible working

High earners much more likely to be offered flexible working 0

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

flexible working mother

We may all be aware that the way to attract and retain working parents – particularly mothers – is by offering them flexible working options, especially with the growing body of evidence that the gender gap increases among working women with children. But although it’s still a challenge for any working women who aspires to moving up the corporate ladder, they usually have more options than their lower paid colleagues who can’t afford expensive childcare. This is why it’s all the more depressing to learn that it’s only the high earners who are being given the option of flexible working. According to research carried out by charity Working Families to promote National Work Life Week (Oct 3-7), high earning parents who bank more than £70,000 a year are 47 percent more likely to work flexibly than those earning between £10,000 and £40,000. (more…)

Motherhood or livelihood? Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace

Motherhood or livelihood? Pregnancy discrimination in the workplace 0

by • Comment, Legal news, Wellbeing, Workplace

Maternity discrimination is rife

Recent research by the Commons Women and Equalities Committee suggests that around 54,000 expectant and new mothers have no choice but to leave work due to pregnancy discrimination or concerns over the safety of their children; and shockingly, this figure has doubled in the last decade alone.  Other research carried out by the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills shows that despite 77 percent of working mothers reporting potentially discriminatory or negative experiences, only 28 percent raised the issue with their employer, and less than 1 percent pursued a claim through the tribunal system.  As a mother of two young children, this is a topic very close to my heart. I have worked in HR for over 18 years now, and advised on all manner of employee relations issues and know from personal experience that being pregnant and suffering discrimination or redundancy is not at all unusual.

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Nearly all UK cities lagging behind European average for productivity 0

by • Cities, News, Property, Public Sector, Technology

The UK’s major cities are lagging behind their European competitors in terms of skills, innovation and productivity, claims a new report from the Centre for Cities think tank. In Competing with the Continent, the authors argue that the onus is on the UK to come up to speed with the 330 cities covered in the report, especially if they want to compete in the new post Brexit European landscape. However, the report notes that the UK has a number of existing, structural advantages over other countries. UK cities generate around a fifth of Europe’s total economic output and contribute more to the national economy than cities in other countries. Major British cities contribute 60 percent of national GDP, compared to just 36 percent in Germany and 32 percent in Italy. The report shows that UK cities lag behind on a range of indicators including skills, innovation and productivity and a number have an industrial mix that has more in common with cities in Eastern Europe than those in the West.

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Employers urged to support ‘sandwich generation’ of older workers

Employers urged to support ‘sandwich generation’ of older workers 0

by • Flexible working, Legal news, Wellbeing, Workplace

older workersOver a third (36 percent) of managers are unaware of anything their organisation does to attract, retain and engage older employees despite two-thirds (66 percent) believing the average age of retirement will increase in the next five to ten years. This is according to a new white paper from AXA PPP healthcare – Supporting fuller working lives – How organisations can embrace older employees and those with caring responsibilities. It warns that with the proportion of people aged 50 to 64 and aged 65+ in employment on the up (from 55 percent to 70 percent and from 5 percent to 10 percent, respectively, since 1984) and an estimate by Carers UK that nearly two-thirds of people are likely to end up caring for someone at some point in their lives. Yet the research claims that many businesses are not sufficiently adjusted to the changing nature of the workforce and not tuned in enough to helping workers who are often sandwiched between caring for older relatives and their offspring.

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Mass media job promotion spells global staff engagement challenge

Mass media job promotion spells global staff engagement challenge 0

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Global recruitment and engagement

As the global labour market warms up and active job seeking increases, employees’ plans to stay with their current employers are declining. This is due to a shift in attitudes by employees who’ve long believed that the job opportunities they were seeking did not exist in the labour market; but are being convinced otherwise as companies increasingly turn to mass media to promote appealing employment brands and job opportunities. While this is good news for companies looking to attract new talent, employers looking to retain their best people must also take notice. This is according to data from CEB’s Global Talent Monitor, which claims that employees are also putting in less effort at work in all regions except North America and suggests that to keep top talent in place, companies will need to better promote internal job opportunities and benefits, rather than letting employees think they must go elsewhere to find the jobs they want. The research did find though that UK employees are feeling generally less confident due to Brexit uncertainty.

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Millennials no different from their elders in attitudes to the workplace

Millennials no different from their elders in attitudes to the workplace 0

by • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

Young workersThe portrait often drawn of Millennials is that of a generation which is keen to stand out from that of its elders, and which is difficult to pin down. They’re said to have difficulty accepting a hierarchical structure and no longer view their salary as the only motivating factor but instead are looking for a sense of accomplishment in their work. Yet as we reported recently, the behaviour and expectations of this younger generation has in fact stayed fairly constant. For them, the ideal company has attributes which are actually fairly similar to those cited by their more experienced colleagues. The result of the latest Edenred-Ipsos barometer into the under 30s suggests that for employers, the issue is not so much about dealing with this generation independently of the others, but rather globally rethinking leadership challenges in an environment which is increasingly digitalized, horizontal and multi-task oriented, taking into account individual countries’ cultural differences.

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