Constructing Excellence SW calls on industry to build on achievements during COVID crisis.

The South West’s construction sector needs to make the most of an unprecedented opportunity for change by taking a national lead in transforming the industry into an innovative, lean, green sector where the next generation want to forge their careers.

Constructing Excellence South West (CESW) – set up to lead the change agenda in construction and already backed by many of the region’s key industry players – says while hugely disruptive, the Coronavirus pandemic has provided a watershed moment and one not to be wasted.

The challenge set out at CESW’s Annual Conference was backed by acclaimed British designer and keynote speaker at the virtual event, Wayne Hemingway, who told the meeting, “There has never been a better opportunity to drive change than in coming out of the situation we are currently in.”

He said CESW’s role should be to work with its industry partners, to challenge them and to help them do better in reflecting a wider wish in society for positive change and fully embracing the issue of sustainability, which for the younger generations in particular is now such an important part of their lives.

Constructing Excellence South West (CESW) leads the change agenda in construction regionally as part of Construction Excellence’s national mission to improve the industry’s performance and produce a better built environment.

It wants a much more collaborative culture within the industry, acknowledging  the need for committed leadership and a customer-focussed approach in the sector, while also working with the client base to encourage a more enlightened approach to procurement focussed on quality and delivery, and not just price.

Together with achieving more integrated supply chains and lean processes the aim is to pave the way for improved productivity, the adoption of new digital and off-site construction technologies , a focus on people and wellbeing and address the need to attract and recruit the next generation of industry leaders.

Andrew Goodenough, Chair of CESW, said: “This year’s CESW Annual Conference marked a tumultuous year but also one in which construction has distinguished itself in demonstrating its ability to pull together, adopt new working practices and deliver nationally critical schemes such as the Nightingale Hospitals.

“Now with the ear of government, and with building and infrastructure at the heart of the Roadmap to Recovery, we need to capitalise on the achievements made during the crisis and use these to drive a wider programme of change and improvement.”

More about Constructing Excellence South West, including links to the Annual Report and video recording of the AGM HERE