All industries change and develop but perhaps not at the pace the construction industry has been in recent years. There have been trends and technological advancements which have developed over the course of 2019, but some go back to 2018 and prior. One of these is the rise of prefabricated and modular construction solutions in the UK, and how they impact the world at large. But what is this all about?

What are Prefab and Modular Constructions?

Basically, these particular methods of construction involve working with buildings and structures which have already been partially assembled offsite. So, they arrive in a certain state of readiness, but the difference between prefab and modular is how much of the work has already been done.

Obviously, you can probably begin to identify the benefits of something like this, less time required on site etc. but what else needs to be considered?

Are They Popular?

It’s no secret in the UK construction industry that prefab and modular solutions are rapidly becoming more popular. They seem to be the dominant trend in recent times, and we are seeing more and more buildings and structures put together in this manner.

There are a couple of reasons why this is the case. Obviously, the time it takes to assemble a building like this goes down. When things are put together off-site, it’s not as challenging to get the final product put together. Naturally, it’s quite a bit safer as well, because the risk of weather-related accidents or issues from fatigue go right down.

The fundamental issue that people have with conventional building projects is that it can be incredibly difficult to try and manage resources, time and cost. The issue of manpower and associated costs which come from that make it difficult for people to try and justify taking on a project with such risk. Most businesses/investors want to reduce said risk, and instead opt for something more straight forward and less time-consuming, like a prefab or modular solution. So, it’s easy to see why these modern methods of construction (MMC’s) will only continue to grow in popularity.

So, in conclusion, these are two construction methods which are becoming very popular. They represent a new shift in attitudes towards building in the UK. People now see it as being a more simplified process, with less risk and financial drain. The obvious hope is that people will continue to support this method until such time as it grows and develops past just another trend.

To me it makes sense because it’s just so much easier, or is it? These MMC’s have had their critics… have they addressed the quality concerns, can they address workforce training needs, and can they attain the building certificates on new builds that people clearly want? If they can across the board then these MMC’s will surely soon be the norm?!

Have your say… do you know a lot about Modern Methods of Construction and want to add your view… would love to hear from those in the industry on this hot topic, so those not in the know get more of an insight.

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Equality is something that every person on the planet should be striving for. In some areas of life and particularly employment, huge leaps and bounds have already been made in order for women to be seen as equals to their male counterparts. However, there are still some areas where so much more work needs to be done.

This is true for construction.

The construction industry has always been a predominantly male world, mainly because many of the roles require intense physical labour and of course strength. So, does this mean that construction will always be limited in welcoming women?

We don’t think so, in fact, we think that the construction industry could actually benefit from having a female’s touch.

The current standings

So, how does the current climate look for the construction industry? Well, across the industry as a whole, taking the roles that are more admin and design based into account, women make up around 11% of the entire workforce. When you actually look at the building sites themselves, it drops to just 1%.

Compared to the rest of Europe, the UK has the lowest proportion of female engineers, with only 14% of students entering engineering and technology first degree courses being women.

So, why is this?

Of course, the perception is that it is “men’s work” and its mainly manual and requires strength. However, who is to say that women are not able to handle these roles, and of course, the administration, technical, design, engineering and project led vacancies can be just as suitable for women as they are men.

Many women who are currently working in the industry, or have in the past, state that sexism is a real problem. Women, when they do decide to enter the industry are treated worse than their male counterparts and often face comments and low level, seen as playful abuse from their fellow workers.

What can be done?

We know that something needs to happen when it comes to women working in construction, and it seems that it is not just down to leading women to change it. The main thing that needs to be looked at is the perception of the construction industry and women’s place in it. This is particularly true in the new generation of workers, who will be making their decision on where they want to work in the future. So, this is down to the government, schools/colleges, leading employers and industry bodies and recruitment firms to accelerate the pace of change.

Construction should be portrayed as an industry for all, where women and men are treated equally, where there is a range of jobs and skills required, this will encourage more women to enter it as a career. The current working generation need to become positive role models for women looking to enter construction. Having these role models will show other girls and women that it is possible to enter what is perceived as “a man’s world” and start to put construction on the radar as a job of choice.
There is still work to be done to ensure that men and women are equal. However, we are hopeful that the future of construction looks like it might be a touch more feminine than it is at the moment!

If you are a student interested in working in construction, or you are an employer looking to create a more diverse and inclusive environment, please get in touch with me for a chat!

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