Upbeat forecasts from the Construction Industry Training Board that the sector will need to expand its professional and managerial capacity over the next five years in order to boost productivity have been endorsed by West builders Helm Construction.
The firm has made a number of senior appointments to keep up with projected growth through 2018 – with a significant number of sector professionals brought in to oversee an ambitious expansion programme on the M4 and M5 axes.
Among the latest recruits is West construction veteran Bill Kiernan, who takes up a newly created post in Business Development.
Commercial Manager Chris Catley said: “Bill is well known around Bristol and the wider West Country and brings valuable experience as we expand our commercial, healthcare, care home and education sectors. His appointment adds to our skills set and helps build our business profile – very much in line with the latest analysis of industry prospects from the CITB.”
New arrival Bill Kiernan said: “Helm Construction has built an enviable record in the construction industry and achieves high levels of repeat business through negotiated deals – a sure sign of a successful operation.
“Working closely with regular clients helps us improve our strategic planning, adjusting personnel levels to maintain our steady upward trajectory.”
The firm has doubled in size since 2015, with up to 70 people employed on more than a dozen sites across the South West.
In addition to Bill Kiernan the firm has also welcomed Quantity Surveyor Dan Jones.
The latest report from the CITB forecasts that 150,000 new construction jobs are likely to be created over the next five years – despite worries over the economy, Brexit and the collapse of Carillion.
While large numbers of tradespeople such as carpenters and labourers are essential, the CITB says professional and management roles will be key in driving productivity.
Helm Construction has launched a new website and has updated its corporate brochure to reflect its growing confidence as a major player on the Bristol house building and light commercial sector.
