News

Learning at Work Week is a superb initiative designed to build workplace learning cultures and highlight the benefits of continual employee development.

Taking place between May 13^th to 19^th, this year’s LAW Week theme, ‘Learning Power’, focuses on knowledge and learning as a catalyst for personal growth and change, as well as achieving team and organisational goals.  

BriggsAmasco is fully supportive of this positive campaign, which is led by Campaign for Learning, and organisational champions. As well as helping boost learning opportunities for employees of all ages nationwide, LAW Week is a chance for us to highlight staff training initiated by BriggsAmasco.

Our employees are our greatest asset, and to this effect we have implemented a range of training programmes from NVQs and apprentices, through to Mental Health Awareness and First Aid courses, in order to boost staff personal development and create a workplace environment in which they feel valued and supported. 

With our training programmes, staff can study for degrees in professions including quantity surveying, IEMA (environment and sustainability studies) and Inspector of Record (IOR). Human Resources CIPD qualifications also form part of our personal development strategy. 

Currently, we have six trainees and seven apprentices learning and plying their trade throughout the business. We’re proud of our long-established record of nurturing young individuals as they take their first tentative steps along their desired career path. Many of our trainees have progressed to senior positions within the company, using their experience to support apprentices following in their footsteps. This lineage is crucial to not only developing the skills of a new generation of construction-based employees at a time when the UK building trade’s talent pool is known to be shallow, it is vital to enshrining the company’s best practice culture across all areas of the business.

Progression of In-house Training

In terms of the way in-house training culture has progressed throughout the decades, our health and safety programmes have increased exponentially as the construction industry has sharpened its focus on worker protections as its highest priority. Digital data capture and storage has also improved the way we are able to monitor staff health and safety performance to further improve training processes. 

The passing years have also seen us place a greater emphasis on safeguarding employees’ mental health awareness with the introduction of a series of exceptionally beneficial professionally-prescribed courses. Once something of a taboo subject, the building industry fully acknowledges that employees are more susceptible to mental stresses and strains than other professions due to construction’s unrelenting physical demands. BriggsAmasco has appointed more than 20 qualified mental health first aiders from its staffing pool. It means for anyone struggling with personal or work-based problems, a colleague is available to confide in and help ease mental burdens.

There is no doubt that campaigns such as LAW Week are the way forward for creating a contented, motivated, productive workforce. Hence, we will continue to provide training and personal development programmes that are commensurate with employee needs, giving staff the best possible chance to thrive in their day-to-day duties for their long-term fulfilment and success.

BriggsAmasco is a shortlisted finalist in two categories at this year’s NFRC UK Roofing Awards

The annual contest, a red-letter roofing event, recognises and rewards outstanding standards of workmanship and safety within the UK industry.

BriggsAmasco’s expert delivery of complex, high profile roofing projects at Perry Barr in Birmingham, and Sumburgh Head Lighthouse and Visitors Centre in Shetland have been respectively nominated in the Bituminous Hot Applied Liquid Waterproofing category, and the Mastic Asphalt category.

Tony Lawther, Managing Director at BriggsAmasco said: “This is excellent news. The NFRC Awards are revered throughout the roofing sector. Therefore, to be nominated in not one, but two categories is a real coup. We look forward to the finalists’ presentation event and hope our nominations extend to us being announced as category winners.”

For the Perry Barr project, BriggsAmasco was selected by Vinci Construction to design and install waterproofing for multiple roofs and a communal podium. The large, complex programme was integral to the residential scheme that will supply 1,400 sustainable new homes for the north Birmingham district.

At Sumburgh Head Lighthouse and Visitors Centre, DITT Construction appointed BriggsAmasco to supply a new roof to the historic site’s engine room. The project was on behalf of the Shetland Amenity Trust. This meant it was imperative costs were minimised during the roof’s refurbishment, which BriggsAmasco operatives carried out whilst the centre’s accommodation blocks were occupied by holidaymakers.

Tony continued: “Whatever the outcome of the NFRC Awards, it cannot be denied that our teams deployed the highest skills and workmanship to complete the two projects. We are proud of their achievements and thank them for their continued efforts. Their ability to deliver a wide range of roofing projects is BriggsAmasco’s greatest advocate.”

The 2024 NFRC UK Roofing Awards take place on Friday, May 10^th at InterContinental London – The O2.

Scotland

This week is BriggsAmasco Fire Safety Week, as part of this, every live site we are currently on will be visited by our Directors, Senior Management, Area Safety Advisors and Chairman.

On 30th April Allan Dorris (Glasgow Brnach Manager), Dave Maginnis (Chairman) and Tony Lawther (Managing Director) travelled to the West Coast of Scotland with a visit to the Rothesay Pavillion Project which we are delivering the Flat Roofing Package for the Robertson Group on the Isle of Rothesay.

Overall it was a really good visit, ensuring we are constantly reviewing our procedures and processes and on this occasion we had the added pleasure of a boat journey, perfect scenery and very good dialogue with the Roberston Site Team.

London

Whilst we have invested heavily in Gas free equipment and fire safety training, we actively strive for feedback and the continued support of our operatives, subcontractors and site management teams in delivering our best practices and procedures.

Pictured left to right Neil Harrison (Pre-Construction Director), Lee Virgin (Operations Director London) & John Ross (Area Safety Advisor)

A beautiful morning to visit our Tower Bridge Project which is being delivered in partnership with Willmot Dixon.

Yorkshire & NE

Completing our fire safety audit on Caddick’s site Railway Street Apartments in Leeds. In addition we utilised the opportunity for a site visit for our office based apprentices to gain valuable on site experience.

Pictured left to right Shona MacMillan (H&S Advisor), Keith Melling (Operations Director), Patrick Harvey (Trainee Quantity Surveyor) & Archie Melling (Trainee Designer / O&M & Warranty Coordinator).

BriggsAmasco won the IKO annual recognition awards 2023-2024 for the Perry Barr, Battersea Power Station and Sumburgh Head Lighthouse projects, showing the company’s diverse skill sets across 3 different projects across the UK.

View IKO’s post on Linkedin

Dave Maginnis, our Chairman, will be taking part in a 2 hour Body Combat fundraiser on Sunday 28th April, to raise funds for playground improvements and playground equipment that was destroyed after years of intense flooding at Joseph Hood primary school, Raynes Park, close to our Chessington Office.

Briggs Amasco has also donate £1,250.00 to the cause.

Their Story
After nearly a year of solid fundraising, the school’s Parent and Teacher’s Association has so far helped raise an impressive £14,600, yet there is still a way to go. Now Jaclyn Hughes, a Trustee of the school and the PTFA’s Chair with the rest of the parents and carers at the school, are kindly asking the wider community for support in meeting the final target. And what better way of raising the much-needed cash, than organising a mega fitness class at Raynes Park High, inviting the whole community to come and take part.

View the short video on Instagram

Dave warmed up with a 1.5 hour session in the morning, followed by the 2 hour body combat in the afternoon, burning just over 3,000 calories!

BriggsAmasco Fearless Foursome to Take on The Mighty Multiplex Three Peaks Challenge

Four BriggsAmasco employees have signed up for a charity challenge that promises to be no walkover for the plucky participants.

Allan Doris (Glasgow Branch Manager), Lee Virgin (Operations Director London/South), Kenny Scott (Plant Fitter) and Shona MacMillan (Area Safety Advisor) will each be putting their best foot forward for the Multiplex Three Peaks Challenge. One of the UK’s most popular fundraising feats, the challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks of Scotland, England and Wales. Three of BriggsAmasco’s intrepid quartet have set themselves a 24-hour target to complete the potentially gruelling trek.

Allan, Lee, Shona and Kenny embark on their Multiplex Three Peaks Challenge on Friday, April 26th. BriggsAmasco is sponsoring the group to the tune of £4,000, with each of the four employees contributing to the total with their own donations. Monies raised will be donated to two small, but very deserving charities (The Royal British Legion and Project Recce) for service veterans.

Tony Lawther, Managing Director said: “The Three Peaks Challenge is a renowned test of mental and physical stamina. We salute Allan, Lee, Shona and Kenny for putting themselves forward for the event. They shall be raising money for an extremely worthy cause whilst completing a journey that they will forever look back on with great pride. We wish them all the very best of luck in their exceptional endeavour.”

The Three Peaks Challenge is not for the faint-hearted. The three mountains are Snowdon, in Wales (1,085m); Scafell Pike, in England (978m), and Ben Nevis, in Scotland (1,345m). The triumvirate of peaks incurs a walking distance of 23 miles (37km) and an accumulative climb of 10,052ft (3,064 metres). It equates to double the ascent of the Yorkshire Three Peaks over a similar total walking distance. The Three Peaks total driving distance is 462 miles.

Allan Doris, Glasgow Branch Manager said: “I think we’re all a little daunted by the prospect of taking on the Three Peaks, but we’re excited at the same time. I envisage a real team effort will be essential to us conquering all three peaks. Initiatives such as this are a brilliant way to raise much-needed cash for some great charities. They are also a good excuse to get fit. I’d like to thank everyone for their sponsorship so far. Your support will be our incentive throughout our incredible journey.”

To sponsor Allan, Lee, Shona and Kenny for the Multiplex Three Peaks Challenge, click here.

‘Inspire Inclusion’ is the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8th. The campaign is advocating inclusivity as a means of instilling women with a sense of belonging, relevance and empowerment.

Its stance is fully-supported by BriggsAmasco, a commercial roofing and waterproofing specialist committed to ensuring a fair and inclusive workplace for all. The company employs a number of women in key roles – previously held by men – throughout the business. These are not limited to administrative or supportive positions. Hence, roles including Technical Manager, Area Safety Adviser, and Supply Chain Manager require female employees to display a high degree of negotiation and leadership skills onsite and with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

Janice Johnson, BriggsAmasco Supply Chain and Sustainability Manager, said women in senior company roles were respected for their opinions and for their influence on business operations. Explaining the need to encourage more females to embark on a career in construction, she said: “Women have an ability to see things from various angles but also remain focussed on the needs of the business. Any industry or business that is dominated by either male or female is going to suffer by not having the natural skills and talents of both sexes to benefit it. Bringing men and women together in collaboration will help any business reach its optimum.”

As reported via constructionnews.co.uk in October 2023, women account for a higher proportion of the UK construction workforce than at any time since official records began. In April to June 2023, Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the construction workforce was 15.8% female, representing a 1.2% increase on the previous quarter. This relatively higher figure is reportedly attributed to a decrease in the number of men working in the industry. In 2023 Q2, about 1.8 million men were employed in construction, 200,000 fewer than 2020 Q1.

Janice Johnson said doors were opening for women to continue to populate the building industry in increasing number, but more was needed to be done to promote the opportunities available to them. “Construction will always lean towards being a male industry,” she said. “However, in many cases, being female is no longer a barrier to joining the sector. The biggest challenge is getting women to want to join the industry in the first place and this needs to take place when careers are being discussed at school. This applies to construction and all trades, whether male or female.”

Janice began her BriggsAmasco career in 1994. She said in the intervening 30 years, the workplace culture had progressed markedly in terms of becoming a more equal and inclusive environment. “When I first joined the company, it was difficult to find safety boots in my size – now there’s a huge variety of suitable PPE available for women and to me, that demonstrates practical progression.”

According to Janice, role models – fictional or otherwise – also had a part to play in inspiring women to continue to defy gender stereotypes and join the construction industry. “We should be promoting Betty the Builder, as well as Bob the Builder,” she said.

For more information on International Women’s Day and how to get involved, visit: internationalwomensday.com

To celebrate Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2024, our Jordan Short was interviewed as a revisit to last year’s news article. The article can be found on talentview, it’s a really good read.

Well done Jordan.

Allan Doris
Glasgow Branch Manager

A celebration of the value young trainees bring to UK businesses takes place in February with National Apprenticeship Week.

The government initiative, which began in 2007, is this year themed ‘Skills for Life’. Its aim is to encourage businesses large and small to consider how apprenticeships can help individuals develop the skills and knowledge for a rewarding career. It is also an incentive for employees to develop a workforce with future-ready skills.

Commercial roofing specialist BriggsAmasco is an advocate of National Apprenticeship Week, having successfully employed trainees across all areas of the business for many years.

Karl Waddicor is one of 10 apprentices currently employed with the company. Based at BriggsAmasco’s Manchester branch, the 25-year-old is on a Roofer Level 2 apprenticeship known as ‘Trailblazer’.

Karl began his apprenticeship in September 2021. The programme incorporates all elements of the roofing sector including liquid, single-ply and reinforced bitumen membranes, with Karl due to take his final assessment in 2024. His hard work and progress were acknowledged when he was named BriggsAmasco’s ‘Apprentice of the Year’ for the 2021/2022 academic period.

Karl said a family member, a former BriggsAmasco roofing apprentice, encouraged him to take the same career path. “Watching how my older brother has worked and progressed in the roofing trade really inspired me to always work hard, “ he said. “He started as an apprentice roofer at BriggsAmasco, progressed to become a branch supervisor and now works for Bauder. His journey has really inspired me and thanks to BriggsAmasco, I know there are plenty of opportunities for me to similarly progress.”

Tony Lawther, BriggsAmasco’s Managing Director, provides an ideal example of the company’s successful apprenticeship scheme. Having joined the company as an asphalt apprenticeship in 1984, Tony progressed to a Chargehand before ascending all the way up to his current position in 2023. He said: “BriggsAmasco has always given brilliant support to its apprentices. I guess I’m proof of that. For the right person, BriggsAmasco provides a real opportunity to learn, work and pursue a successful career. An apprenticeship is the ideal route to make that happen.”

In the 2022/23 academic year, there were 752,150 people participating in an apprenticeship in England. The figure includes 337,140 apprenticeship starts, which represents a 33% decrease on the number of people embarking on a traineeship in 2015/16. With the UK construction sector continuing to suffer a skills shortage, an uptick in trainees enrolling in work placements that include an industry qualification remains crucial to fulfilling the country’s building needs.

Karl Waddicor has a message for those considering signing-up to an apprenticeship programme. “I would highly recommend it. Just remember to always put the maximum effort in, whatever you’re working on. And most importantly, ask questions. Because at BriggsAmasco if I ever have an issue, I know my colleague is there to give me any advice I need” he said.

National Apprenticeship Week takes place between February 5th and 11th. To find out how to get involved and download the toolkit at National Apprenticeship Week.

Malcolm Grinstead director of the Mastic Asphalt Council (MAC) spoke to RCI Magazine about the future of Mastic Asphalt in the roofing Industry.

Read the full article in January’s 2024 issue of the RCI Magaine.