Training award

In the past 12 months just 2% of Alumet’s 81 staff have left. With “churn” rates across the construction industry generally closer to 20% this is no mean feat. The secret though, according to the building facade company, is remarkably simple – training. In 2002 Alumet employed a dedicated training manager and assistant and has not looked back. From a standing start all of its staff have attained CSCS certification; it has launched its own BE-SAFE campaign that has cut its accident rate by two-thirds; and has increased its training budget by 122% to £13,600 in the last 12 months. It plans to invest even more next year to allow an average of 10 day’s training a year for each employee.

Runners-up

Briggs Roofing & Cladding

The Construction Health and Safety Group has awarded this company its subcontractor training award three times in the past five years. If you’ll excuse the pun, this is no accident as in that time Briggs has attained Investors in People status, has raised its training spending to an average of £225 per employee giving 13 hours training each year,and provides internal and external training. Perhaps the biggest single success for a company whose staff have to continually work at height is the halving of its accident rate over the past three years to 15.7 incidents per 100 staff.

Advanced Brickwork

Brickwork contractor Advanced Brickwork has achieved Investors in People status by consistently supporting training at all levels and establishing individual training and development targets. It is worth noting that, although turnover has declined slightly over the past three years, investment in training has increased greatly. And when they say “supporting training at all levels” they really mean it – even group managing director Jim Morris is undertaking professional accountancy training over the next few years in order to ensure that the planned group expansion is carried out successfully.