News
2 | SEPTEMBER 2017
News
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changed jobs four times , and most people will make a major career change once every decade , making a ‘ job for life ’ today ’ s Holy Grail for the young .
Another emerging trend is for young men to adopt the trade of their granddad , after a blip in their dad ’ s generation towards transport and clerical / professional jobs . Some typical scenarios for the granddad , dad and son generations of a family are : builder - office clerk – builder , miner – plumber – plumber , and soldier / plasterer , driver , plasterer .
Out of all occupations ( not just in the building trades ) plastering and decorating businesses have the strongest family business tradition , as over one third are fatherto-son .
Why the building trades ?
Seventy-six per cent of tradespeople surveyed said they would recommend their trade to a young person starting out today ( that was 90 per cent in the plumbing trades ). Good income levels , and high job satisfaction (“ I ’ ve done it for 45 years and the rewards are many . Building care-homes , restoring monuments and improving social housing are worthwhile and good for the soul ”) were quoted almost as much as job stability . Chris Stephens ( 34 ), who followed his dad and granddad into London plumbing and heating firm W Stephens & Sons : “ My own son was born this week , and I feel I am building this business for him , just as my dad , uncle and granddad did for me . It is a good career for a young person today : treat your customers well , and you ’ ll have independence and a good life , and you will always have work .”
“ We have customers that go as far back as the 1960 ’ s , and we ’ ve gone through everything together . A lot ’ s changed since my granddad started out in 1945 carrying his tools on his bicycle around London . He wouldn ’ t recognise the trade , the technologies have changed so much , but we ’ ve adapted and we ’ ve survived through recession and everything life can throw at us .”
While the family tradition is overwhelmingly a male one in the building trades ( unsurprisingly , given that just 5.2 per cent of tradespeople are women today ), AXA did find evidence that ‘& daughter ’ businesses are a small , but growing , tradition there too . Seventeen per cent of tradeswomen say they were inspired by their dad to take up a trade , accounting for an estimated 15,600 building firms in the UK today . Gareth Howell , Managing Director , AXA Insurance , comments : “ University costs have soared in a generation , while automation , zero hours ’ culture and Brexit make many of the UK sectors that previously drove social mobility look uncertain . Returning to a family business tradition makes absolute sense . There are no or very low training costs if you ’ re largely learning your skills from family members . You have a living stake in your business , and threats like redundancy are less likely than when you ’ re working for strangers .”
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more secure than property or money on paper
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“ There is also a lasting legacy to pass to your children , which is more secure than property or money on paper . The building trades are one of the areas that lend themselves best to inter-generational businesses given the resilience of the core skills to change . As long as humans exist , it ’ s likely they ’ ll need homes built and maintained .”
PRESIDENT HIGHLIGHTS POSITIVE CHANGES
The Glass and Glazing Federation ( GGF ) is looking forward to a very positive future , despite some media speculation of internal disruption as the organisation undergoes a transitional period .
John Agnew , GGF president , issued the following statement to reassure GGF members and related stakeholders that the GGF and its group of subsidiary companies are on a progressive path to grow and serve the industry .
GGF President ’ s Statement
“ As president and chairman of the board of directors of the Glass and Glazing Federation , I would like to highlight the positive changes at the GGF in the last 12 months . The changes to the management structure and the organisation ’ s direction were unanimously agreed by the GGF board . It is worth noting that the GGF board is made up of representatives from across the main sectors of the glass and glazing industry . GGF board directors are democratically elected by GGF members and the positions are entirely voluntarily and unpaid . In the past , some board directors have resigned due to the non-declaration of conflicts of interest . The GGF has always had firm rules in place to declare any conflicts of interest and all board members must sign this agreement before being ratified as GGF board members and at every board meeting the chair reminds all in attendance of the rules regarding conflicts of interest .
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we will unveil the GGF ’ s long term strategy to help GGF members and the industry cope with the many challenges ahead
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The board decisions taken and resultant changes in the past year are to be applauded as they were strong decisions made in the best interests of GGF members and the wider industry . The changes have also been accepted and welcomed by the GGF group staff .
With the appointment of Phil Pluck as the new GGF chief executive in May this year , along with the subsequent management restructure aligned to the new additions to the GGF board , I can confidently state that the GGF and its group of subsidiary companies are now in a better position than ever before to serve GGF members and the industry .
As with most businesses during a transition period , there will inevitably be some more changes along the way , but rest assured none will be to the detriment of the GGF and its members . With record numbers of companies joining the Federation this year , we are now looking forward to our annual Members Day when we will unveil the GGF ’ s long term strategy to help GGF members and the industry cope with the many challenges ahead .”
http :// www . ggf . org . uk
Issue 54 | September 2017 www . proinstaller . co . uk
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