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
Marks talks to Richard Beresford
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The construction sector is the largest industrial sector within the UK, representing up to 8% of Gross Domestic Product. It directly employs over 2M people, with many more in allied and related service and manufacturing companies. Many of these businesses are represented by trade federations, that exist to support and promote their members. The National Federation of Builders is one of these bodies that promotes and supports the fulcrum in our sector, the Main Contractors. Its CEO, Richard Beresford, talks candidly about the role of trade federations and the services that they should provide to support and enhance the sector and their members in particular.
Richard recognises that the changes in the sector are placing unparallel pressures on individual companies, which must cope with the Building Safety Act, increasing green regulations and aspirations, technology that is becoming all pervasive and a shortage of skills due to chronic under-investment and rising competition with other economic sectors. Richard believes that trade federations were meant for situations like this, where they can support and advise their members whilst at the same time advocating for better treatment or opportunity to Government and other stakeholders.
Listen to Richard if you would like to understand the role of trade federations in supporting and representing their members.