Pandemic restrictions brought working from home to the lives of many, which worked well for office-based roles, but what about those on site? This episode of The Engineers Collective podcast explores a major industry trial of flexible working practices by leading contractors in the UK.
“During the first lockdown many sites shut down for a few weeks but workers soon returned with social distancing precautions in place,” said NCE editor Claire Smith, who hosts the latest episode. “That could have meant back to business as usual for contractors, however, there were a group of businesses – Bam, Skanska and Willmott Dixon – that used the situation as an opportunity to try to do things differently and worked with flexible working consultancy Timewise and Build UK, with the support of the Construction Industry Training Board and Barclays Life Skills, to explore how that might work.”
Claire is joined by Timewise co-founder and development director Emma Stewart and Skanska project director Shaun Sheppard to discuss how the Construction Pioneers Programme came about and what has been learned over the last 12 months.
Emma discusses knowledge her business brought to the project from other sectors, while Shaun talks about the practicalities of applying a more flexible approach to work on site on High Speed 2 and the benefits that has brought.
Both Emma and Shaun use the phrase “win-win” when talking about the outcome of the programme as the research has shown the approach has no negative impact on construction costs or programmes but a huge positive impact on staff wellbeing.
To listen to the podcast click here and then read the Construction Pioneers Programme report to learn how you could bring the same benefits to your sites.
Smart Cities: emerging technologies, trends and innovations, with Dublin City Council smart city lead Jamie Cudden
Learning about The Office of Rail and Road with Steve Fletcher, Deputy Director, Engineering and Asset Management
Talking about Bentley Systems’ Year in Infrastructure conference which has gone digital, with Steve Cockerell and Shannon Clemons
Exploring the long-term impacts of Covid-19 on London Underground with managing director, Andy Lord
Pop-up infrastructure: temporary fix or here to stay? With Simeon Butterworth from WSP and Steve Tilby from Amey
Talking Thames Tideway with Andy Mitchell, CEO of Tideway
Exploring the benefits of pedestrian modelling software in designing, planning and delivering railway stations with Eduardo Lazzarotto from Bentley and Cameron MacDonald from Atkins
Talking future projects, and London Power Tunnels with Gareth Burden from National Grid
Learn about AECOM’s journey working digitally and the positive long-term impacts of Covid-19, with Michael Warren
Talking digital workflows and the long-term changes to the industry with Dustin Parkman from Bentley Systems
Opening the £1.5bn major A14 upgrade programme 8 months early with Highways England’s David Bray
HS2 notice to proceed, and civil engineering meets circular economy with Stephen Boyle
Coronavirus Special – What impact is Covid-19 having on the industry?
Heathrow West, the alternative plan for Heathrow Airport with Carlton Brown
Running mega projects and lessons learned with Crossrail’s Mark Wild
Talking Heathrow Airport’s Expansion Programme with Phil Wilbraham
The Climate Emergency and Net Zero with Keith Clarke
Meaningful Infrastructure with Sadie Morgan
Preposterous Politics: what does it all mean for infrastructure in the UK?
Crossrail 2 with Michèle Dix
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
WSJ Tech News Briefing
Rebel Tech
CyberWire Daily
The WAN Show
Cyber Security Headlines