One awards season might be over, but the 2016 CEW Awards are coming soon and it is time to prepare entries and decide how you’re going to play a part in the biggest event in Wales.

You might not have noticed because the mood in construction is very positive right now. 

But we need to harness the optimism and channel it in the right manner – which means working collaboratively to ensure our projects are world class. It also means not being afraid to showcase the great organisations and schemes being delivered throughout Wales – in the media, online and of course, via the CEW Awards in 2016. 

The awards are always one of the biggest events in the construction calendar. Next year our awards ceremony will be held on Friday 15^th July, held at the Celtic Manor Resort – where they were such a success in June this year. The winners are selected across 11 categories and go on to compete in the National Constructing Excellence Awards, held in the autumn and each of the categories has an opportunity for sponsorship. 

If you do not want to enter the awards, you can support us as a sponsor as we have a range of options, with packages starting at £2,500 and going to £10,000 as a supporter of the main event. 

To find out more about how you can become involved with the awards then call Susan Selkirk on 02920 493322 or email CEW Awards.

Every week CEW holds seminars, workshops and gives industry stakeholders the chance to network, showcase and talk best practice – but works best for you – read on and find out:

Last week CEW held the second in a series of sessions educating Welsh construction professionals about regulations around sprinkler systems: view here. This was very popular and we will be running two further  sprinkler events in Cardiff in November, register your interest here.

The workshop on sprinklers advised delegates on how to meet the new regulations from 1^st January 2016, when it will be a legal requirement in Wales for all new residential properties to have sprinkler systems installed (it is already a requirement for ‘high risk’ properties such as care homes). There is little detailed technical awareness in the industry of what this means in terms of design and implementation for developers, designers and consultants both during design and the delivery of the homes on site. This training seminar and two more in November  recognises the need to the construction industry in Wales to be better equipped to address the imminent legal requirement for sprinklers in all new residential properties. A ‘summary sheet’ will be available on the day to highlight the core issues and steps that developers and design teams need to be aware of. 

Feedback for the event: I have a better understanding after today, Very informative, enlightening of forthcoming law, very beneficial.

To view our upcoming events visit our website.

Getting Welsh infrastructure right will boost the nation’s economic growth and create an opportunity for our industry to deliver landmark world class engineering and construction schemes.

The CEW Welsh Infrastructure conference on 4th November will address the importance of long term planning. Wales must get this right and to do so, we need your involvement. Speakers will cover the Vision for Wales, its importance in delivering a long term plan, the wider social benefits from major projects, budgeting, environment and taking a holistic view of what’s right for Wales and how construction can provide the answers. If your organisation has any interest in the future of Welsh infrastructure book your place now – you cannot afford to miss this debate.

To register your interest and view the flyer: click here

CITB’s National Construction College have teamed up with building consultancy Edwards Hart to develop training for the UK construction and property industry in energy efficiency retrofit. Upon satisfactory completion participants will receive a Level 3 award in Energy Efficiency Measures for Older and Traditional Buildings (QCF).

The Edwards Hart team is led by John Edwards, formerly of English Heritage and Cadw, who initiated and led the Welsh Governments first live energy efficiency research project involving traditional buildings. According to John Edwards: “It’s all about expertise and this project brought together a team of experts from around the UK to capture the very latest research, practice, guidance and decision making tools to develop a unique learning resource”.  John added: “This has been eighteen months in the making and I am proud to be the one who delivers this important and unique training across the UK in something that is desperately required”.

The project was initiated by the Construction Industry Training Board who spotted a gap in knowledge and skills in retrofitting traditional buildings; their Project Manager Bill Brown explains: “With a quarter of our building stock traditionally built we owe it to the country to make sure that we are equipped to properly treat this valuable resource and make sure that retrofitting is money well spent”. Bill added: “Only with the right knowledge and skills deployed at the very beginning and through to work implementation can we be assured that we are not taking undue risks with unintended consequences, which includes possible impacts on the health of occupants”.

This course is unique in that it provides a qualification at the end of it, independently accredited by the Scottish Qualification Authority. Bill Brown continued: “CITB is making sure that this is good quality training based on the most up to date and relevant knowledge, delivered by experts who are also qualified trainers and educators”.

This initiative is also supported by the National Trust, who are responsible for many of the UK’s finest mansions but also thousands of small dwellings. Rory Cullen the Head of Buildings at the National Trust said: “This is a very welcome course on retrofit, as it develops learners’ knowledge so they can understand how sustainability can be appropriately built in to our heritage. It will provide a recognised qualification which should go a long way towards improving the efficiency of our traditional and historic buildings whilst protecting their aesthetic quality”.

The programme is designed to appeal to a wide range of occupational groups which includes architects, contractors, consultants and clients as well as conservation officers, building control officers and others.

The course covers understanding of traditional buildings of different types and age, it will also cover thermal performance as well as energy and efficiency assessments, the impact of installing energy efficiency measures and the range of energy efficiency systems and measures available.

This course are only available through the Environment Study Centre and will be delivered in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
For further information visit: the website

Media contact: John Edwards
Telephone: 07796 440934
Email
Website
www.edwardshart.co.uk

Further information:

About the course tutor:

John Edwards is a Chartered Surveyor, Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Construction Manager, he is qualified to post graduate level in architectural building conservation. He has over thirty years’ experience in construction and property and is qualified in training and assessment. 

John has worked on the development of a range of standards and qualifications including: National Occupational Standards for the UK Government’s Green Deal, Conservation Control for the Construction Industry Council; Supervision of Construction Work for the CIOB; Energy Efficiency Retrofit for CITB, NPTC Group and Agored Cymru. 

About the Environment Study Centre:

The Environment Study Centre delivers CPD and training with qualifications around the UK. They particularly specialise in construction, property and heritage sectors.  Currently they have a programme of over 40 courses including the new British Standard in Conservation, CDM, facilities management and new standards and practices concerning existing buildings. 

Energy Efficiency and Retrofit of Pre 1919 Traditional buildings – course dates:

2nd – 3rd November 2015: London

13th – 14th January 2016: Leeds

18th – 19th January 2016: Southampton

25th – 26th January 2016: Manchester

1st – 2nd February 2016: Cambridge

8th – 9th February 2016: Exeter

16th – 17th February 2016: Belfast

22nd – 23rd February 2016: London

29th Feb – 1st March 2016: Newcastle

9th – 10th March 2016: Birmingham

14th 15th March 2016: Cardiff

22nd – 23rd March 2016: Glasgow