Building a greener future
Author: Amanda Sergeant
Last Updated: 8/23/2011 9:21:06 AM
Summary
At a time when many small businesses in the Midlands are still battling with the impact of the recession, the prospect of new low-carbon work in the construction and built environment sector couldn't come at a better time.
Article
The Government's 'Green Deal' announcement, for example, not
only signals an enormous environmental pledge to reduce carbon
emissions from the housing stock, but also provides an economic
boost for carbon-conscious construction SMEs.
Many SMEs in the region are already benefiting from this boost;
New World Solar, for example, has enjoyed significant growth as a
result of re-skilling its workforce and focusing on products and
services that link directly to Government-based green initiatives.
However, many firms are still understandably hesitant. Legislation
and associated targets are fast-moving and complex, and committing
to the training and development of staff can be perceived as
costly.
To help address these concerns, CITB-ConstructionSkills, in
partnership with the Federation of Master Builders and the National
Specialist Contractors Council, has launched a 'Cut the Carbon'
campaign (www.cskills.org/cutcarbon).
The campaign provides construction SMEs with regular updates on new
legislation, highlights specific opportunities that the low-carbon
agenda presents, plus outlines and provides the skills and
knowledge that will enable firms to be competitive.
As part of the campaign, construction firms in the Midlands were
recently offered the chance to sign up to a free e-mail alert
service. The alerts will count down to impending low-carbon policy
and legislation such as the Renewable Heat Incentives and Green
Investment Bank, signposting firms to the skills and knowledge they
need to identify, target and respond to new business
opportunities.
There is no doubt that there are opportunities for SME
contractors in the region to win work through the green agenda, but
the time for businesses to take action is now. Low-carbon skills
are already having an influence on clients' procurement
requirements, and businesses slow to acquire them are likely to
find it harder to win work in the future. It's important that firms
don't get left behind.
The author
Amanda Sergeant is Sector Strategy Manager for
CITB-ConstructionSkills in the Midlands. CITB-ConstructionSkills
(www.cskills.org) is
the Sector Skills Council (SSC) and Industry Training Board (ITB)
for the construction industry.