By the time you read this we will know who might be influencing our construction policies across England and Wales following the General Election. But, despite the rhetoric and bluster of politicians it is our own industry that has the real power and influence to guide our own future. Indeed, we have real power to change things because we are the experts.

Hence, why workshops such as those we are putting together to debate housing policy in Wales are so important. It is why the training we are promoting via the Welsh School of Architecture and BEST will give you the skills and knowledge to make the right decisions about not just what to build, but how to build it and then how its management might influence how it is used in the future.

That power and influence runs right through the construction supply chain: starting from the client – especially the enlightened ones – through to the product and materials providers via the designers and SMEs. The unsung heroes of construction are generally Welsh SMEs. That’s why we were so excited by the recent SME category judging session for the CEW 2015 Awards. The standard is set incredibly high and it is clear that there are many small organisations who are not just committed to best practice, but that excel and whose expertise make a real difference in Welsh construction.