The Construction Federation, the Construction Forum, and the Chamber of Commerce Construction Sector will be launching a new industry representative body, ‘Construction Isle of Man’ in 2020, with the support of Business Isle of Man. This public-private partnership will be jointly funded by Government and Industry for its first three years of operation, and will combine the Construction Federation, Construction Forum and Chamber of Commerce Construction Sector into a single point of contact for industry and the public.
Over the past three years, these industry bodies have been working together informally to promote the sector, and during this time it has seen rapid growth in college enrolments on construction courses and increases in contributions to National Income. With this growth, there is scope for the sector to formalise these arrangements, specifically in relation to health & safety accreditation, quality standards, and coordinated marketing of the sector as a career choice.
The three-year funding plan for the sector includes allowance for dedicated staff to service Construction Isle of Man, including a three-year Chief Executive role to oversee the set-up and development of the body. This will include a review of the Manx Accredited Construction Contractor Scheme (MACCS) and the implementation of a new quality standard.
With the launch of the new ‘Construction Isle of Man’ industry body Business Isle of Man are looking for representatives from the industry to form the Board membership. The aim is to create a group of industry representatives from a variety of areas within the sector and to provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the industry.
Alan Clague, Isle of Man Construction Federation commented:
‘The Construction Federation supports the development of this new industry body ‘Construction Isle of Man’ and its key mission to drive economic growth, improve safety and quality standards and develop environmental strategies. By formalising the existing partnerships into a coordinated approach, this initiative will provide great value to the construction sector, supporting its role as a significant employer and contributor to the Isle of Man economy.'
Gary Crittenden, Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce Construction Sector Lead commented:
‘We fully support the creation of a single body to represent the Construction sector in the Isle of Man. The Island’s construction industry is the 7th largest contributor to the Manx Economy and must continue to grow so that it can provide continued support to the development of the Island’s important infrastructure. Creation of the Construction Isle of Man body will help further promote the industry and continue to grow its contribution to the Island’s economy.’
Stephen Smyth, Construction Sector Champion, Business Isle of Man, commented:
‘The Manx construction industry is vitally important to the Island’s economy. It provides the Island’s buildings and infrastructure and is an enabler to every other economic sector, whilst being a very significant employer. A single Construction Isle of Man body will provide a strong, unified voice to represent the entire industry, with the aim being to sustain, improve and grow a thriving construction sector to meet the Island’s needs now and in the future.’
Tim Crookall MLC, member with responsibility for Business Isle of Man, commented:
‘The development of Construction Isle of Man follows Business Isle of Man’s commitment to drive collaboration and knowledge-sharing with the private sector and industry experts. I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to the formation of Construction Isle of Man for all their continued hard work in promoting the sector and helping it go from strength to strength. Business Isle of Man looks forward to working with Construction Isle of Man in helping develop the sector.’
If you would like to express your interest in becoming part of the Construction Isle of Man Board please visit the following link and complete the associated application form by Saturday 1 February 2020.
The Board Member Expression of Interest Form can be found online.
