According to Forbes, females account for just 15% of the construction workforce in the UK*, a figure which has seen no improvement in a number of years. blu-3’s Lead Planner Marta Coll explains why more women in the sector is a win-win…

What’s your role at blu-3?

“I started working with blu-3 in 2018. My role as Lead Planner is varied and busy; I oversee projects in the UK and Ireland and I’m involved in every phase of construction, from tender stage to build completion. It is my responsibility to monitor the progress of our projects and support our delivery team to complete the works on time and within budget without compromising on safety or quality. I also have two graduate planners in my team that I manage and coach to progress within their planning careers.”

How does blu-3 support diversity in the workplace?

“My male colleagues are really appreciative of having a more diverse workforce and see the benefits it can bring to every project; a variety of people means a wider perspective to finding solutions to complex challenges. Everyone at blu-3 understands the value in inspiring future generations of all backgrounds to consider a career in the sector.

“blu-3 offers ongoing training opportunities to all its employees and proactively supports its workforce in expanding their skills to reach high-level positions. I was enrolled on the leadership programme in 2022; the course is designed for managerial staff development and educates individuals on how to be an effective leader. This includes understanding how to better respect all opinions and views regardless of age, cultural background, physical abilities and disabilities, race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.

“Recently, blu-3 visited numerous universities across the country to meet students at career fayres and speak about the varied career paths on offer – these talks are often led by female role models from various departments at blu-3, sharing their personal experiences of working in a male-dominated industry, to help inspire young women.”

To find out more about blu-3 and employment opportunities, visit careers.blu-3.co.uk.

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However, this project has presented various challenges, in 2021 supply chains across the globe were greatly affected, and this was hugely problematic as blu-3 were instructed to source over 5000 square meters of paving stone materials which could only be found in India. Furthermore, as the timeframe of the slowly increased so did the magnitude of the overall project!

Despite these setbacks, blu-3 has overcome every obstacle and the transformative regeneration of Paddington Square is currently on track for completion in March 2024!

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According to PCB Today*, the average age of a surveyor is 55, however, over the last six years, the number of young people, aged 18-30, qualifying as surveyors has steadily increased year on year. In 2013, 1,125 18–30-year-olds qualified and in 2018 this increased to 1,520.

Sean states: “I consider myself immensely fortunate to occupy the position I do today. My trajectory here has been shaped by unrelenting determination, coupled with the progressive ethos of blu-3, which extends its opportunities impartially, regardless of age.”

However, securing such a senior role at such a young age has presented Sean with several challenges. Sean comments: “Transitioning into an international managerial role has presented exciting challenges in understanding each countries way of operation whilst maintaining the blu-3 core values. The cultural, and legal differences are vast across Europe and require the highest level of collaboration to ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget for our clients. Additionally, my progression into a managerial role has been supported by blu-3’s Leadership Development Programme enabling me to provide my teams with the support they require to operate at their highest efficiency”.

Sean’s role as a Managing Quantity Surveyor involves supporting project teams’ business strategies and plans, working closely with the teams to roll out key initiatives and achieve strategic goals and providing comprehensive commercial advice and guidance. Sean is responsible for a team of six people and has an overview on a wide range of international projects where he manages risks and reduces costs where appropriate.

Over the last year Sean has been involved with a number of international projects. He comments: “Project AMS13/14 located in the Netherlands stands out as my favourite so far because of the challenges it has presented. Thanks to the difficulties I faced, I was pushed to be the best I can be, not only on a professional level but on a personal one. I had to adapt under problematic circumstances and come up with unorthodox solutions which forced me out of my comfort zone. Looking back, I now feel more confident and more capable thanks to these challenges.”

To those considering a similar career, Sean concludes: “If you enjoy fast-paced surroundings, an ever-changing environment and a keen eye for numbers then this is the best job in the world. If you are prepared to work hard, a managerial role in this industry is achievable at any age.”

If you are interested in a role at blu-3, check out our current vacancies here: careers.blu-3.co.uk

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blu-3 and our valued supply chain partner Plaspipes Ltd created a new, innovative closed-loop duct recycling initiative, which has claimed a prize in the following categories:
Innovation
Waste Management
Partnerships

The award presentation is on 20th November – stay tuned to hear which prizes we have scooped!

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Danny Chaney, our CEO and Founder, shared insight with Construction & Civil Engineering Magazine into the organization’s successful expansion, current projects and capabilities, and bright future.

“Our track record of long-term relationships with our clients is testament to our passion for people, innovation, and excellence.”

Read the full Construction & Civil Engineering Magazine feature here: https://ow.ly/GPgz50PAozv

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 The Construction News Awards, celebrating its 27^th year in 2023, brought together 1,200 of the UK’s leading clients and contractors for a glittering evening of celebration, recognition and networking at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel.

Hayley Marshall, Head of People and Culture at blu-3 comments: “blu-3 has been identified as a leading business within the construction and civil engineering industry for our outstanding staff training and development scheme, known as the blu-3 Leadership Development Programme. The programme has been fundamental in developing and sharpening leadership skills among senior members of the blu-3 team.”

Judges comments included: “blu-3 was recognised for its transformative programme which was people-led and inspired a change in culture, with emphasis on staff wellbeing and mind fitness. This sets an inspiring way forward for behaviours and is an exemplary and innovative approach.”

Colin Marrs, editor of Construction News, commented: “Our judging process was thorough and rigorous, with shortlisted entries asked to present in front of peers from the top of our industry. With a plethora of high-quality entries, credit is due to all those who were shortlisted, not just the winners and shortlisted entrants. The awards prove that construction remains the most exciting and inspiring industry to work in.”

©Simon Sadek and 360 Virtual Tour Co. – www.360virtualtour.co
www.simonsadek.photography

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Richard comments: “My first project at blu-3 was on the Battersea Power Station regeneration and I progressively took on more projects. I found my value aligned with the business particularly around our client engagement and our pro-active attitude. I began taking on more responsibilities and my career at blu-3 quickly took off.”

Since obtaining a senior management position, Richard began participating in blu-3s Leadership Development Programme.  The programme has been fundamental in developing and sharpening leadership skills among senior members of the blu-3 team. Richard comments: “I am a huge advocate of the Leadership Development Programme which addresses the key behaviours identified as being essential to success in management roles. Not only does create greater workers, but greater leaders as well. It’s been crucial in shaping my outlook as a leader in the business.”

The Leadership Development Programme is run over six months to sustainably change habits. It takes an experiential approach to learning, using leading edge experience from positive psychology, sports science, neuroscience and cognitive science, and uses a strong emphasis on coaching to help people discover their own answers.

Richard continues: “This outstanding commitment to training and development, led from the top, is embedding a robust culture of training throughout the company. People are blu-3s most important asset, so it is vital that we dedicate quality time and effort to developing our leadership team to ensure they have the skills to nurture and grow their teams. If we have the best leaders, everybody else’s career will benefit.”

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Sneak peek: Aerial drone footage of Project Adler

Project Adler is a 40-mega-watt data centre facility in Bischofsheim, 40k from central Frankfurt, Germany.

blu-3’s scope includes extensive underground services, substation, guard house and hard & soft landscaping.

Works began on 15th May, with plans for phase 1 to be complete by January 2024.

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Daniel joined blu-3 as a Senior QS in early 2018 working on an array of UK based projects. In the 5 years with blu-3, he has continued to take on new challenges, seeing him move across to International Business. As of February 2022, Daniel was promoted to International Commercial Director.

Daniel is responsible for developing and implementing effective commercial strategies across Europe, he regularly travels to live projects throughout Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Spain to meet with project teams, clients and supply chain. Daniel comments: “My objective in the immediate term is to assure our live projects are delivered successfully for our clients, on time and within budget. I look forward to my role evolving as we continue to establish new relationships with clients in new countries and push for that Tier 1 General Contractor status”.

He continues: “To facilitate the growth demands, we need to keep attracting the best talent at all levels. I’m very invested in our blu-3 Graduate Programme where I’ve looked to build on my own experiences and tailor a programme that provides everyone with the necessary support, autonomy in their role and clear targets for progression”.

Daniel is very proud of the commitment his commercial team showcase every day: “They’re amazing, we have some really talented people in the team, it’s great to see them learning so quickly and implementing best practices”.

Why work at blu-3?
“Being part of the International Business comes with excellent internal progression opportunities and provides the chance to live in some great places throughout Europe such as Madrid, Vienna and Amsterdam. I would encourage anyone looking for a fast-paced role in a rapidly expanding business to apply now!”

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Levi has competed nationally, in competitions including the Bridgestone British Masters, where he placed 14^th out of 39 riders in the MXY2 category in 2022 – and where he will be competing again this year, and the Revo ACU British Motocross Championship 2023 where he came seventh out of 21 riders.

Levi says: “My uncle took me to watch motocross when I was 11 years old and I was instantly hooked! I knew this was what I wanted to do as I get big buzz when I’m riding. I would love to have a career in motocross and my dream is to be able to compete in America one day.”

Karl Saunders, Levi’s dad, comments: “Levi works incredibly hard – on and off the track – he trains every day on his bike, visits the gym several times a week and has a personal trainer. I’m unbelievably proud of his hard work and achievements and I would like to thank blu-3 for helping to get Levi where he is today.”

Danny Chaney, Chief Executive of blu-3, spotted Levi’s potential whilst at a motocross event with his son. He says: “It was clear Levi had great potential, but he didn’t have the right equipment to allow him to be more competitive. blu-3s support has enabled Levi to compete at a higher level and in prestigious motocross events, along with ensuring the upkeep of his bikes, other equipment and kit.

“It’s been a privilege to support a young, local talent like Levi, helping him towards his goal to become a professional motocross competitor. He works really hard doing what he loves and has already achieved a lot in his first six years in the sport. We look forward to seeing Levi’s successes to come.”

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