MEP Resourcing

Working in construction is fast-paced and there’s no doubt that the industry is going through a bit of a boom right now. MEP Resourcing is based in Liverpool and has seen a huge increase in the number of construction jobs in the UK.

That’s why we’re best placed to give advice on the 5 things you can expect when working with a construction agency. It may help you decide on what agencies you use in the future and what a good level of service looks like.

Industry insight
Choosing an agency with absolute knowledge of the industry is key. As a project manager or the decision maker when it comes to hiring staff, your time is precious which is why having a recruitment partner that understands your needs are so important. A good agency will have a team of consultants that have wide-ranging knowledge of the industry and a distinct understanding of the requirements of all the various roles in the construction sector.

Communication
Consultants are there to provide the best available staff, but using them to gain a greater understanding of the market can help you plan for the future. Summertime is usually a lot busier for construction so by working with a consultant that is able to provide an accurate assessment of the available talent pool, you can begin to plan your workforce requirements more effectively and in advance.

Bespoke services
Sometimes, projects can be specialist and that means a bespoke service is required. A good construction agency will be able to provide a flexible solution, finding the most appropriate staff as well as working out the finer, additional details of the project. MEP provides a bespoke service to numerous small and large clients throughout the UK, ask us today about how we can provide a specialist construction recruitment solution for you.

Dedicated account management
One of the most difficult parts of construction recruitment is organising so many temporary employees. Couple that with an extra handful of people at an agency and you’ll find that most of your time is spent doing tasks outside of your job role. The last thing you want to do is to be speaking to more people at an agency, especially if you’re trying to get simple questions answered. A good agency will supply you with a dedicated account manager that will manage the process for you, allowing you to return to the tasks that are important to you.

Access to the best candidates
MEP has been operating for many years throughout the UK and has built up an extensive knowledge of what makes up a good candidate. In fact, we have a pool of candidates we can rely on and trust to do a good job. When working with an agency, you want to be safe in the knowledge that the staff that are working on your projects are qualified, committed, vetted and good at what they do.

www.mepresourcing.co.uk

Women in construction

Women remain a minority in the UK construction sector with only 1% of the employee base in skilled trades are women. That being said, there have been several organisations helping women enter the industry. In recent years, 37% of new entrants into the industry that came from higher education are women. Proving that the sector is not just for men.

Why are there fewer women in construction?

That, however, does not amount to parity and equality in the workplace. Why are there fewer women working in construction? According to a report by Meg Munn MP (2014), a number of features explain why it is an unattractive sector for women.

Primarily, there is a poor image of the industry, which includes uncomfortable working conditions that require physical strength. Secondly, working hours are long and inflexible, making it difficult for working parents. Thirdly, the construction sector is heavily male dominated and is often associated with a culture of ‘laddish’ behaviour and ‘banter’. Sexual harassment remains fairly common. (Greed, 2006)

This, therefore, makes the retention and of course, the attraction of women to the industry difficult. From an employer’s point of view, the same reluctance persists. Some believe that women are not suitable for the manual trades labour in particular because of the physical strength and ingrained culture often found at a building site.

What has been done to help resolve the issue?

Women-into-construction.org are often cited as having intense pride and satisfaction. They find that, have increased confidence outside of work as a result. Historically, women have stepped up to the plate when required, during the first and second world wars and during the 70s and 80s when campaigns were launched to tackle inequality in construction.

Since then, several organisations have been created to help women in the sector. Recently Women into Construction launched a campaign to get more women working on the construction of the infrastructure for the London Olympics. Whilst it never hit its target of getting an 11% female workforce, it did achieve 5%, and women working in headquarters and operational roles were not considered.

Since then, it has received additional support from CITB and Be Onsite to extend the project. It has focused on preparing women looking to enter the industry. Women have been recruited to WIC from referral agencies such as JobCentre Plus or colleges. Ongoing activities include presentations to students to help create a better image of what a career in construction can be like for women. A key success story of WIC has been the introduction of women into work placements, without prior site experience.

Other organisations and networking groups have also been created such as Chicks with Bricks, the National Association of Women in Construction and womenonthetools.org.uk

Has it made a difference?

There is, however, still a long way to go to achieve gender. In a recent report by the Office for National Statistics women formed 12.8% of the construction workforce in Q4 of 2016. Compared to 2007, it was 12.1% so the number has not grown significantly despite new organisations purporting to help.

It remains to be seen therefore whether construction will ever become an attractive sector for women to work in. Perhaps the increase in new entrants being female will go some way to alter these statistics in the future.

MEP Resourcing has launched its latest recruitment drive for a long-term construction project in Flintshire North Wales. The specialist mechanical and electrical recruitment company is working exclusively with the contractor on the project to supply skilled staff across a number of disciplines.

The company is supplying staff to a housing project in the region and has launched a recruitment drive targeting skilled tradesmen and construction professionals in North Wales.

“We’ve taken on a large scale construction project in North Wales and are working exclusively with the contractor to provide skilled staff,” said Ben Leigh, Director of MEP Resourcing.

The recruitment company has already placed a number of candidates into long-term positions on the project. Consultants are continuing to recruit for more roles including plumbers, electricians, kitchen fitters, tilers and labourers among other roles.

“We have a wide range of vacancies and we’re continuing to look for more skilled candidates to help us complete the project” continued Ben.

Candidates can apply for roles by visiting the MEP website or calling the company on 0151 665 0170.