Watching the political fallout from the Brexit vote feels like an episode of House of Cards. So in light of this uncertainty what should we be doing to keep things on track for the construction industry?
We Need Reassurance
The industry relies on the confidence to invest in projects. But the issues around future pipelines, commitment to major infrastructure projects, housing the nation and private sector development are nothing new. What we need now is reassurance on the projects that will go ahead and confirmation that business will continue as usual.
Our Agenda Shouldn’t Change
The challenges surrounding labour, skills and procurement were at the top of the agenda before the referendum was promised, and they should continue to be our priorities as an industry. We now have the opportunity to determine what ‘good’ looks like on all of these issues. Yes, we need a source of skilled labour – so how do we continue to employ EU nationals in addition to fixing the training system so we also bring through a home-grown workforce?
Let’s Do Things Differently
We need smarter procurement. There are parts of the current process, much of which stems from the EU, that result in fairness and better decisions. There are also parts of the process that stifle innovation, investment and cause enormous inefficiencies. So how about we get it all on the table, and stop just talking about doing things differently, and do it differently.
Once it has been decided who will be leading our exit from the EU, they will need all the help they can get. Who better to determine the conditions that will enable construction to deliver the very best for the UK than those who live and breathe it every day?
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My name is Caroline Hairsine. I'm a Senior Construction Underwriter at CNA Hardy and have specialised in the construction industry for over ten years. Follow CNA Hardy’s blog series on LinkedIn.