Budget 2020- Highlights for Rail & Construction industries and employers

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Yesterday, the Chancellor announced his Budget for 2020 amid the growing COVID-19 crisis.

‘If the country needs it we will build it’ says Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Rishi Sunak, presenting his first budget in front of the House of Commons, announced a range of spending plans signaling growth for the Rail & Construction sectors.

Key highlights from the Chancellor’s budget include:

  • More than £600 billion in the budget earmarked for spending on roads, railways, broadband and housing by mid-2025.
  • Over £44 billion for transport and £32 billion for housing and environment in the budget for this coming year.
  • Rail industry is exempt as the Government plans to abolish the annual tax relief on red diesel by 2022.

For Rail and Construction Industries

Getting into the finer details of the Budget 2020- West Yorkshire has been allocated a deal that includes more than £1.8 billion in investment to ‘Drive up living standards’. Transport is included in this strategy. Midlands Connect’s Midlands Rail Hub has been awarded an additional £20 million for the project.

Approaching 3 years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy, £1 billion has been allocated to a ‘safety fund’ to remove combustible cladding from buildings above 59ft tall.

A £2.5 billion package is due to be spent on fixing the potholes crisis. Aiming to fix 10 million potholes per year, councils said they welcomed the plans as they are currently fixing a pothole every 17 seconds.

For Employers and Workers

Concerns for the self-employed as the COVID-19 outbreak is seeing more of the population advised to self-isolate has put pressure on the government to include this in the Budget. They’ve announced a £500m boost for self-employed workers that are hit by the Coronavirus. This entitles those who are self-employed, to claim Employment and Support Allowance from day one, as opposed to day eight.

Statutory Sick Pay is to be extended for all those that are advised to self-isolate (providing they are eligible). To support employers, they will meet the cost for businesses that have less than 250 employees, for 14 days.

To support cashflow through the COVID-19 outbreak, a temporary coronavirus business interruption loan will be available of up to £1.2 million. British Business Bank will offer the scheme, which will guarantee 80% of the value of the loan to lenders backed by the Government with no-charge.

Subject to economic conditions, the National Living Wage is set to rise to £10.50ph by 2024, and the National Insurance threshold from £8,362 to £9,500. This comes as both the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage are due for an increase in 3 weeks (see below image).

National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates

https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Will the announcements affect your business?

Career Focus- Working in the construction industry

Career Focus- Working in the construction industry

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2020 is a promising time to begin working in the construction industry. In 2017 there were around 2.73 million people employed either directly or indirectly by the construction industry. By 2020 they forecast this to increase by 1.5% to around 2.77 million.*

That means one thing is definite: more jobs for those already in the industry. The earlier someone enters the industry, the sooner they can start building their skills and experience. Then when new jobs arise, they’ll be more likely to get them.

About working in the construction industry

The construction industry, or ‘built environment’ as it is sometimes referred to, is vast in size and scale. Working in construction could mean building houses, designing bridges or fixing leaky taps. Project sizes could range from a garden shed to the Olympic Stadium. This means that the variety of roles within the industry is large as well. Roles can stretch across the project timeline, from architects in the early stages to decorators near the completion. You’ll find all types of people in the construction industry, from analytical thinkers to hard grafters.

Why you should consider working in the construction industry

One of the best reasons to become an experienced and qualified worker in the construction industry is that it isn’t restricted to one industry. As an example, with additional qualifications and skills, being a construction worker can be a fast-track into the rail industry. A lot of the applied skills are transferable and recognised within both industries.

Jobs in the Construction Industry- Architects

An architect’s main role is the designing of buildings and projects. They’re responsible for the early stage of the project, planning the building and structure.

Jobs in the Construction Industry- Surveyors

Construction industry surveyors come in two disciplines: building surveyors and quantity surveyors. Building surveyors take care of reporting on a building’s condition. Quantity surveys are responsible for the budget of the project. Including what the estimated cost will be and how that changes throughout the project.

Jobs in the Construction Industry- Civil/ Structural Engineers

Civil and structural engineers take the designs from architects and make sure they work in detail. They’re responsible for the structural and foundational security of the project and they can be in the office or out on-site.

Jobs in the Construction Industry- Site and Construction Managers

Site and construction managers are the people on the ground ensuring the construction project goes to plan. By managing the laborers and tradespeople, they’re responsible for making sure the project finishes on time to a high standard.

Jobs in the Construction Industry- Trades

From plumbers to scaffolders, every construction project requires the skills of a person trained in a specialist area. Getting started as a tradesperson means a long training period and qualification with a certified body.

Jobs in the Construction Industry- Labourer

Labourers are the general workers on construction sites. Their main role is to support the tradespeople, site managers and construction managers in their works. Working as a labourer can involve heavy lifting, light works, and other manual duties. Becoming a labourer can be a good entry point as it requires little-to-no qualifications.

At Crewit Resourcing, we’re specialists in the construction industry. If you’re looking for your next role or looking to hire a construction worker, you can find out more on our construction recruitment page here.

*https://www.statista.com/topics/3797/construction-industry-in-the-uk/