The Building Podcast
Mark Wakeford is Chairman of the National Federation of Builders, vice-chair at Constructing Excellence Midlands and a Governor at Construction College, Moulton College. He has run a large regional building contractor and now chairs Evoenergy, one of the UK's foremost renewable companies, bringing low carbon solutions to corporate Britain.
Mark talks to leading experts from across the construction sector to discuss issues facing the built environment. He explores various challenges with his guests, who offer solutions, information and ideas that listeners can apply to their own situations, be it in a company, on a project or studying at college.
The Building Podcast aims to provide CPD on the go. Supporting the sector with easily digestible ideas to support a rapidly changing industry!
The Building Podcast
Mark chats to Rylie Sweeney
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The construction industry employs over 2M people in the UK. It needs to recruit upwards of 100,000 people every year to replace leavers and fill new roles to meet the demands that are being placed upon the sector. Many of these recruits will start their careers within construction and those of us within the sector have a duty to encourage new starters to join and to then manage them effectively so that they are trained and remain within the industry. Rylie Sweeney is a trainee manager with Willmott Dixon and winner of the NFB Rising Star Award and is one of the Top 100 Women in Construction. She talks about how to find new recruits and what makes a great work experience during school and how to give young persons the best experience once they join. Rylie points out that with 50% of apprentices leaving the sector the industry can ill-afford to take its new recruits for granted and that the industry as a whole must change if it is to become more sustainable, providing the best possible service to its customers. Her ‘call to arms’ affects us all, proposing that businesses invest in their people, foster greater diversity and inclusion of staff and positively engage with the next generation of leaders.