Bernard Clarke, MD of Jackson Construction, recently became an FCIOB. Four of his colleagues became Fellows, too. Not only that, a further 11 staff became MCIOBs and six ICIOBs. Here, Clarke explains why membership matters

CM: What is the biggest advantage of having such a high proportion of chartered builders?

Clarke: Having professionally qualified staff at all levels and age ranges clearly demonstrates Jackson’s capabilities to clients and consultants. Within the business, we have seen major benefits from skill sharing, and internal training sessions have further bonded teams, with this process continuing through Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions.

Has it ever been the decisive factor in winning a contract?

I have no doubt that fielding a well balanced and qualified team has ensured that we pre-qualify for projects over and above our competitors.

How much of your turnover goes on training?

I don’t think that training relates to turnover, but to budget, and as such we invest between 6% and 7% year on year on staff training which, when related to an industry that typically generates profits of between 1½% and 2%, is a considerable commitment.

What is your staff churn rate compared to your competitors?

As we do not have information on our competitors’ churn rates, it is hard to comment other than saying that our strong staff retention rate has further improved over the last three years. The company also has no problem attracting talented new staff members and we are consistently oversubscribed for our graduate training and trainee programmes.

Are you better builders than other companies? If so, how do you do it?

We believe that the very high proportion of repeat business from clients and consultants alike, indicates that we both understand our clients’ needs and exceed expectations with the quality of our product, the service provided, and in delivering real value.

You must watch the Institute very closely. How do you think it is doing?

Jackson Construction participates with the Institute in a number of ways, not only by having senior staff on the local branch committees, but also by regularly hosting CIOB lectures at our head office. The response to these lectures, and the range of services provided, clearly indicates that the Institute has established itself as a professional body that really understands the industry and the needs of its members.

The CIOB supports making directors personally liable for safety on site. Do you?

Safety has to be a top down ethos and so I wholeheartedly endorse the CIOB’s view on this key industry issue.

Would you like to be president of the CIOB?

I think that the position of president of the CIOB is a very high honour and a real opportunity to put something back into the Institute.

How often, in the past 10 years, have you been to the Annual Dinner?

We support the local CIOB Dinner and numerous functions and always have representation at these events.

Do you think that it’s too easy to become chartered these days?

After reviewing the examination criteria and the final paper last year, I am delighted to report the benchmark continues to be raised annually, and everyone receiving “chartered” status can be rightly proud of their accomplishments in achieving this industry recognition. cm

Source

Construction Manager