7 June 2010
Launch of Tayside Construction Forum
Photo opportunity: 4.30 pm for 5 pm, Tuesday, June 8th
Dalhousie Building, University of Dundee
Tayside Construct Forum launch event under V&A and Dundee Waterfront themes.
The Tayside Construction Forum, a new industry body for the construction industry across the region, will be launched the University of Dundee on Tuesday June 8th.
The Scottish Construction Centre and University of Dundee together with Angus, Dundee and Perth Colleges are proud to be supporting the new Forum.
Ken Laing, Director of Contract Services at Dundee City Council and chairman of the TCF steering group, will outline the aims and objectives of the forum and review the feedback from three membership development events held earlier this year in Angus, Dundee and Perth by the three Colleges.
'The construction industry in Tayside is facing some major challenges in the wake of the recession which has impacted dramatically on the industry throughout Scotland,' said Mr Laing.
'According to Office of National Statistics figures, new orders in construction have reduced by 54% and output has reduced by 22% between Q2 2008 and Q4 2009 leading to a loss of 17,000 employee jobs in Scotland in the last year alone. In Tayside this has led to a number of well known and long established companies ceasing trading with a major impact on the local economy. Tayside Construction Forum is being formed by the local construction industry, to assist the local construction industry battle its way through this recession by promoting and sharing best practice and innovation.'
Those attending the event will hear a presentation from Mike Galloway, Director of City Development for Dundee City Council, on Dundee’s Central Waterfront and the V&A at Dundee Project. As well as providing an overview and update on this exciting project, this presentation will outline the procurement options and consider the impact this will have on the regional economy and the local construction industry.
Malcolm Horner, University of Dundee and former Director of the Scottish Construction Centre, said, 'The launch of TCF supported by the SCC demonstrates the commitment of the industry to the pursuit of innovation and excellence. The strength of support from local industry reflects its appetite to add even more value to its clients businesses and to create a strong and profitable platform from which to build for the future.'
Colin Johnson Construction Curriculum Manager at Angus College, said, 'Angus College were delighted to be invited to host the first Membership Development Event back in February for the Tayside Construction Forum, an event that was very successful. It was also encouraging to see that the other events held were a similar success which I think proves that there is a huge demand for this type of organisation across Tayside. As members, we will totally support the Tayside Construction Forum and we see it as a crucial vehicle for driving forward all aspects of the Construction agenda both locally and nationally.'
Chris Ashe, Curriculum Manager, Construction, Dundee College, said, 'The forum is set to become an information portal with organisations sharing ideas, knowledge, and expertise.'
Donald Kemp, construction lecturer, Perth College: 'Perth College UHI is delighted to be supporting the TCF. We are committed to strengthening the skills of people entering and working in the local construction industry and membership of the forum allows us to engage with employers and connect our learning provision with sector requirements.'
A wine reception will follow the formal part of the event to celebrate the successful launch of the forum. Individuals from different sectors of the construction industry in Tayside will have the opportunity for cross sector networking, which is another step towards reducing the fragmentation of the whole industry - one of the main aims of the forum.
Notes to Editors
About the Scottish Construction Centre
The SCC (Scottish Construction Centre) is a consortium led by CIRIA Scotland and run in partnership between BRE Scotland, Glasgow Caledonian University, and University of Dundee.
This initiative driven by the real needs of the Scottish construction sector aims to engage with the industry to contribute to knowledge transfer and to promote best practice in the most efficient ways. SCC also endeavours to, improve research & innovation and to increase pan-industry communication and business development resulting in innovative construction excellence and optimized performance.
About SCC events
Demonstration Projects
The SCC series of demonstration projects realised in Scotland offers an opportunity to learn about all the stages of projects demonstrating innovation or exceptional performance which have been monitored from the start to the completion. It is a unique opportunity to hear from the clients and contractors how they have collaborated to deliver quality and about the lessons learned throughout the project.
The delegates attending Demonstration Projects will also be interested in the SCC workshops on performance improvement (pi) and the events that address four key themes of the Scottish Construction Industry Plan 2007-2012: Planet, People, Procurement and Positioning. All the workshops are delivered by leading experts of CIRIA Scotland, BRE, Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Dundee. Presentation packs, guidance notes, statutory instruments and sample documentation are provided FREE. The SCC events are organised at easily accessible and high quality venues across Scotland.
Planet, People, Procurement and Positioning
A series of the SCC activities has been developed to address four key themes of the Scottish Construction Industry Plan 2007-2012: Planet, People, Procurement and Positioning. They include workshops on sustainable building design, health and safety in construction, lean construction and whole life costing. The SCC website provides signposting to additional sources of assistance for each theme.
The delegates attending the above events will also be interested in the SCC workshops on performance improvement (pi) and Demonstration Projects which assist the industry to remain competitive by improving performance and learn from best practice projects realised in Scotland. All the workshops are delivered by leading experts of CIRIA Scotland, BRE, Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Dundee. Presentation packs, guidance notes, statutory instruments and sample documentation are provided FREE. The SCC events are organised at easily accessible and high quality venues across Scotland.
CONTACTS:
For more information about the Tayside Construction Forum (TCF) contact:
Ashley Ryce on ashley.ryce@scocon.org or 01382 385 720
For press and communications enquiries, please contact:
Anna Drogon on anna.drogon@scocon.org or 01382 386093
For more information about the SCC please visit our website www.scocon.org or contact us on enquiries@scocon.org or 0845 863 0026.
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07800 581902
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