Construction is in the news again. For all sorts of reasons, as the schools and universities start up again, there is a focus on careers and academic choices - why not steer people towards construction. We are a month away now from UK Construction Week at the NEC and already we have seen initiatives launched boosting the profile of the industry.

Last week, the CITB launched a new campaign in Wales to encourage more girls leaving school into a career in construction. Outdated perceptions still stop women taking up construction apprenticeships in Wales. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show just one in seven of the Welsh workforce are female. CITB Wales said there was still a perception construction was an industry "only suitable for men".

The Welsh Government said encouraging women to pursue careers in the industry was "a key priority". CITB Partnerships Manager Donna Griffiths said with nearly 20,000 jobs set to be created in the construction sector in the next five years, there had never been a better time to get training.

Kier recently launched a UK wide programme to challenge the industry and schools and universities to promote construction as a career choice. They have published a report and are promoting a campaign to avert a skills crisis - it is worth a read.

There are very strong echoes of the arguments put forward by Mark Farmer in his Modernise or Die report.

Where does that leave Welsh construction? The answer is that we have an obligation to continue to champion best practice: showcasing the great work achieved through collaboration and advocated via our Exemplar Programme. We have to point to how great projects – which can be big and small – deliver on their objectives. We have to highlight how things will be different without a focus on value, outcomes and sustainability. If we return to a focus on price and adversarial practices then any chance of inclusivity, equality and community benefits will be be slim. That’s why, now more than ever, CEW’s work continues.