More than 5000 homes in Leeds have been empty for six months or more

The full article can be found online here (you need to be a CN subscriber)

http://www.cnplus.co.uk/news/new-recruits-sign-up-to-bim-rail-and-retail-forums/8629834.article

Otherwise we have inserted a screen print below (you may need to zoom!)

Leeds Metropolitan University and Newcomen Consultancy in conjunction with Leeds City Council , the London Borough of Waltham Forest and Mott MacDonald plc have developed this Postgraduate Diploma in Contract Management (PG Dip).  The aim of the course is to improve the all round skills and technical expertise of contract managers to support them in the successful delivery of complex partnership contracts (eg  NEC, PFI, PPP), and importantly to provide effective Value for Money (VfM).   We are now seeking delegates from organisations and individuals for the first cohort of this exciting and unique new venture.

Course Overview

This postgraduate diploma is designed for individuals working on, or aspiring to, the management of contracts.  It aims to help them meet the responsibilities of this role, the demands of the project and the needs of the organisation in the environment they operate. The course also seeks to ensure that those managing and working on contracts have the skills and knowledge to lead the project from contract signature, through transition and into operational delivery. 

As the first course of its kind the Diploma aims to bring together delegates from both public and private sectors.

The course follows a process of blended learning.  It comprises five separate and interrelated modules encompassing all aspects of contract management and the integrated project.  A sixth assessment module draws together previous learning.  Each module includes two days residential study at Leeds Metropolitan University combined with live project work between modules, developing understanding and ensuring this is a practical learning journey offering value to both employers and students. 

Benefits

The course aims to:

• support contract managers through the provision of increased skills and competencies
• professionalise the role of the contract manager by standardising the skills, competencies and technical expertise required
• provide a University recognised Post Graduate Diploma professional qualification in contract management
• provide employers with a basis on which to engage contract managers into the role
• provide a progression route to a masters qualification at Leeds Metropolitan – MSc Strategic Project Management; MSc Contract Management
• Professional body accreditation (Chartered Institute of Building)  is also being sought for this course

Future Focus

The capital and operational investment that is made in large scale and complex projects, providing new infrastructure and services to local communities, is significant. To ensure this delivers long term VfM it is imperative that these projects are procured, delivered and operated effectively and efficiently by staff who have the required skills, competencies and knowledge to perform this role.  The course highlights the importance of continuity and management of large projects prior to, and within the operational phase.  

Public expenditure on future projects will remain a significant element of the UK economy, despite recent changes in government policy.  In “Commercial Skills for Complex Government Projects” the NAO estimated that the value of the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio is approximately £200 billion.

All of these projects will need professional contract management to ensure VFM.  Based on the evidence, and our course team’s experience the enhancement  this course might make in developing the contract managers of the future could be significant.

Course Details

The first two day module will commence on Sunday/Monday 10^th/11^th June 2012 following final University approval. The course commences on a Sunday to minimise time taken off work by delegates.  Payment for the course is very flexible.  The price per two day module is £792, which includes all teaching and resources and represents unrivalled value for money.  The six module course can be paid on a module by module basis or any combination of payments up to the course price of £4750.  As a validated academic course it is VAT exempt.

If you would like to learn more about the PG Dip or express an interest in attending, please either contact the University –

Liz May – e.a.may@leedsmet.ac.uk or Karl Redmond: 0113 812 9036  Email: k.redmond@leedsmet.ac.uk

or  Newcomen Consultancy – Alan Munro:

Phone: 07500 585 855  Email: alan.munro@newcomen.net

Further info

Course FAQs

How to Apply

Please download the attached form, fill in and return to Liz May at Leeds Metropolitan University (address detailed on the form).

PGDip CDMP – ApplicationForm

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday 1st May 2012

The Construction Sector Network (CSN), a Not for Profit organisation, supported by Leeds Metropolitan University has recently announced the launch of “The Buying Alliance”. Recognising the constant margin pressure on SMEs (small and medium enterprises) to maintain competitiveness for the few construction contracts available, CSN has established The Buying Alliance to aggregate the spending power of many thousands of SME’s within the Yorkshire and Humber Region.

Karl Redmond, CEO comments, “We all understand the power of buying in that the bigger the better, but how does a small construction firm or start up sub contractor compete with the might of established regional and national players? Size is a disadvantage as is lack of resource to spend time shopping around for price and availability. As such we identified a service we could deliver whereby we pin-point a number of low risk but high use items such as screws and fixings, protective work wear and business stationery, where we could establish a “BUYING CLUB” to take away the hassle and time associated with purchasing these items. Moreover by aggregating the spending power of our members we have been able to negotiate far better rates than would be available if they approached our supply partners in isolation.”

In line with the ethos of CSN, membership of The Buying Alliance comes at no cost to members and is self financing through the commercial deals established with the supply partners. Redmond again, “We also hope to free up time in the busy working days of business owners and managers. Time spent chasing around for safety boots or replacement printer cartridges is not generating revenue or hitting the high risk cost items on site”.

The CSN Buying Alliance is web based and interested firms can sign up for membership benefits by visiting www.thebuyingalliance.co.uk or attending the launch of the Buying Alliance at Headingley Campus, Becketts Park, Leeds on 14^th May 2012 at 8am.

Details of the launch event and how to register can be found on Eventbrite here

Notes for Editors:

The Construction Sector Network is an exciting and innovative initiative that has been established to lead and support the construction sector in the Yorkshire & Humber region. The network is ‘business-led’ and aims to act as a catalyst for best practice, networking events and exemplar projects – all with the aim of benefiting stakeholders and clients from across industry.

Hosted byLeeds Metropolitan Universitywithin the School of the Built Environment, the network will act as a central hub for industry knowledge and the sharing of best practice. Working in close partnership with other agencies, the Construction Sector Network will deliver knowledge, skills, and services to all members of the construction supply chain – from clients through to construction delivery teams and product suppliers.

Tuesday 1st May 2012

The Construction Sector Network (CSN), a Not for Profit, supported by Leeds Metropolitan University held a meeting of business leaders from the construction sector in Leeds which welcomed Mark Bew MBE Chair of the BIM Task Group and David Philip as Head of BIM Implementation –  Cabinet Office, who jointly are responsible for delivering the Governments Building Information Modelling (BIM) strategy.

Bew and Philps continue to build their relationship with the Y&H region and CSN in a series of meetings which culminated recently in a round table event hosted by DLA Piper that provided a direct voice from the region to centre as facilitated by CSN.

Bew heads a team which is responsible to Paul Morrell the Government Chief Construction Adviser and Treasury for delivering BIM Level 2 by 2016. This aims to ensure that all publicly funded work is capable of providing digital information and sharing such data across the clients supply chain on the basis that “Government as a client can derive significant improvements in cost, value and carbon performance through the use of open sharable asset information”

The meeting group which included contractors, consultants, public sector and technology providers considered an ambitious agenda which looked at the ways in which BIM is being supported by business in the region and how this can be improved.

Karl Redmond, CEO comments, “BIM is one of the most important issues to the construction industry, and has the potential to completely overhaul the way in which the process works which can lead to huge efficiency gains. Our region needs to be at the centre of this work and through CSN our consultants and members we have provided the BIM Task Group with a strong and purposeful centre through which now we intend to act as a Hub within the system to provide guidance and advice”. On the matters surrounding SME’s Redmond continues “depending on which report you read, SME’s deliver between 80-96% of work on construction projects, and their role in the evolution of BIM will be crucial to its success, and this is an area on which we have been focusing. Bew and Philps heard from one of the regions SME main contractors that have conducted a survey into the impact of BIM in this area and took this message from Leeds away with them”.

Over the next few months CSN will be seeking the best way to collaborate with the Construction Industry Council (CIC) who are co-ordinating the regional BIM hub networks and the BIM Task Group in London in terms of providing a joined up and well informed single voice for BIM in the region.

“The CSN and their members have given us an extremely well-informed perspective of BIM within the Y&H region, especially through the SME lens.  The team has already produced some valuable pieces of work around the BIM agenda which we look forward to reviewing.  The CSN are a much valued community and are helping push BIM awareness and adoption across the regional supply chain at all levels.”

-      David Philp, Head of BIM Implementation, Cabinet Office

For more information on CSN and BIM visit www.constructionsectornetwork.org

Notes for Editors:

The Construction Sector Network is an exciting and innovative initiative that has been established to lead and support the construction sector in the Yorkshire & Humber region. The network is ‘business-led’ and aims to act as a catalyst for best practice, networking events and exemplar projects – all with the aim of benefiting stakeholders and clients from across industry.
.

Hosted byLeeds Metropolitan Universitywithin the School of the Built Environment, the network will act as a central hub for industry knowledge and the sharing of best practice. Working in close partnership with other agencies, the Construction Sector Network will deliver knowledge, skills, and services to all members of the construction supply chain – from clients through to construction delivery teams and product suppliers.

The theme for the annual CIC Yorkshire andHumberconference, in partnership with the RIBA Yorkshire, is ‘playful spaces’.  The idea of ‘play’ and ‘playful’ covers a wide range of meanings as it is not, as at first glance, restricted to the discourse of playgrounds and leisure facilities, but rather covers areas of performance, understanding, activity and action.

 The Urban Toy Box uses as its starting point the idea that games and play reflect and effect the social and political culture in which they are played, and in turn, that the specific skills and approaches that games and play utilise can be – or indeed need to be – applied to developing the urban environment for a modern society in uncertain economic times.

For more information and booking please follow the link below.

 http://www.stefaniekate.co.uk/cic/The%20Urban%20Toy%20Box.pdf

The UK construction industry consists of over 300,000 firms employing around 2 million people in a range of roles The sector contributed 8.3% of the nation’s GDP (BIS, 2011). CIMCIG, the Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group is working with researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University to explore the perceptions of marketing and to understand the ‘value’ of effective marketing within the construction industry.

For the study we would like to receive input from a wide range of organisations within the Construction Sector (regardless of size, location or approach to marketing) and so we would be very grateful for your participation.

This is where we need your help. Please follow the link for our online survey and answer the short questionnaire, taking about 10 minutes to complete and which will greatly help with our research.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CIMCIG

If you feel you are not the appropriate person to respond on behalf of your company, please feel free to forward this email to a colleague. Please complete and return the survey by the final submission date of Thursday, 29^th March 2012.

If you have any queries about completing the form please contact the Survey Research Centre on (0113) 812 1975 or email James Clark at j.clark@leedsmet.ac.uk

(source YEP 29.02.2012)

A campaign has been launched to boost investment in skills in Leeds.

The 5-3-1 initiative has been developed by the Leeds city region local enterprise partnership (LEP).

It aims to attract 1,000 businesses to join by the end of the year.

Private sector members of the LEP and the LEP Board have signed up to the campaign which aims to encourage businesses to invest in skills, boost links with education providers, offer work placements to the unemployed, provide apprenticeships and mentor budding entrepreneurs.

The Leeds City Region combines 11 local authorities.

Neil McLean, chair of the LEP, said: “The figures speak for themselves: we need to invest more in people, increase our productivity and help our businesses grow.

“I would like to invite the city region businesses to join this campaign. There are five things you can choose from and it only takes a small commitment to make a big change.

“For instance, if we increase our employment productivity by one percentage point that will result in growing our economy by £1bn every year.

“The potential is immense and the time has come to forge ahead.”

LEP board member Stephen Kennedy, who is leading the campaign, said: “The LEP board has hit the ground running with the development of this innovative business-to-business campaign.

“The board is determined to promote the campaign far and wide and get as many businesses as possible to take action and actively support the campaign.

“It is a straightforward action campaign and companies can commit to one or more actions that suit their needs.

“If we want our businesses to succeed and our economy to flourish, signing up to this campaign is a must.”

Find out more here

However, despite this volatile economic backdrop, financial support is available and an increasing number of construction firms are turning to alternative sources of funding such as invoice finance. In fact over 41k businesses in the UK used an invoice finance facility in 2010.

One such independent specialist finance provider is Bibby Financial Services (BFS) – the only invoice financier with an industry informed construction finance offering and team devoted to providing innovative and flexible finance solutions to sub-contractors in the construction industry. Having a funding provider that understands the construction sectors is critical and BFS has invested heavily in matching their services to the needs of clients through bespoke systems and quantity surveyor resource.

Construction finance is available to sub-contractors that operate under most forms of construction industry contracts and are seeking a funding requirement up to £5m. Features of construction finance offered by BFS include:

• Funding against outstanding billing and uncertified applications for payment under contract – all on a confidential basis
• Significant experience in their construction team in helping business owners manage their working capital requirements and realise their growth ambitions.
• Expertise in structuring funding facilities for hundreds of sub-contractors across numerous trade sectors over the last decade
• Access to a team of specialists dedicated to managing and collecting outstanding contract debts
• Specialist bad debt protection against billing, including applications for payment

To find out more about this innovative form of funding please contact the Construction Sector Network on 0113 812 1902 or via email to csnevents@leedsmet.ac.uk

Yorkshire Gold Business Club and UK Trade & Investment would like to invite you to a FREE business event.

Details

Date: 28th March 2012

Venue: Electric Works, Sheffield Digital Campus, Sheffield S1 2BJ

Price: FREE

About

Australia is the world’s 14th largest economy with a per capita GDP which is level with the four richest European countries. Australia’s economic growth averaged 3.4% for the past 10 years and is predicted to grow at around 4% for the next two. Its proximity to the world’s fastest growing region, the Asia Pacific, will greatly assist UK companies looking to expand into this region. When you add to this Australia’s very similar culture, legal, accounting and regulatory practices, and a lifestyle the envy of the world – you have an outstanding location for British businesses.

The Mining, Oil & Gas, Rail, Ports and Infrastructure sectors have been identified as having a wealth of emerging opportunities. UK companies, with their unique capabilities and expertise, can rise to this challenge and deliver a range of specialist services to these growing economies.

Learn how your company can reach new markets by hearing from a wealth of speakers including:

• Carrie England, Business Development Director of Queensland Trade and Investment
• Stuart Russell, Senior Trade Development Manager of the Government of Western Australia
• Antonia Yendell, Trade Development Manager of the British Consulate in Melbourne
• Leah Gartner, Trade Development Manager of the British Consulate in Sydney

Also hear from two companies about how they have won work down under.

For companies wishing to discuss these opportunities further, UK Trade & Investment Commercial Officers will be available for 1-2-1 sessions after the Q&A session at the end of the briefing. They will also advise companies on partnering, joint ventures and how to have a local presence.
The briefing will provide you with an excellent networking opportunity over a bacon sandwich where you will be joined by a host of exhibitors and speakers.

Bacon sandwiches and Tea/Coffee will be served at registration (a vegetarian option will also be available).

Click here to register

For full programme details see the accompanying flyer here