PRESS RELEASE: HSC calls for better collaboration across the sector to make ‘Highways a career of choice’
Earlier this year, a survey was launched by the Highways Sector Council (HSC) Future Leaders Group to help understand how to make highways a career of choice. The survey aim was to better understand how the sector can continue to attract skilled candidates from all backgrounds, understand future skills required and retain its existing talent.
Over 1,000 individuals responded from the public and private sector across the UK in both the strategic and local road networks, covering over 200 roles at every level.
Today the HSC has released the report and its findings.
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Landmark Survey Sets to Make Highways A Career of Choice | PRESS RELEASE
A survey designed to make highways a career of choice has been launched by the Highways Sector Council (HSC) Future Leaders Group to ensure the highways sector attracts skilled candidates from all backgrounds and retains its existing talent.
The aim of the survey is to generate a credible and independent baseline of data and evidence to:
- Explore the reasons why individuals enjoy working for the highways sector in a consolidated and coordinated way.
- Explore any barriers and how they could be addressed to fix any promotion, attraction and retention challenges at all job levels
- Identify where training is needed for digital and decarbonisation skills (e.g., by geography or another demographic).
- Better understand the needs of our current early career professionals, emerging leaders and future leaders, and how we can capitalise on this to help them further.
- Use the findings to develop a campaign that promotes highways as a career of choice.
This survey, which will build on existing data and information, forms a key part of HSC’s research to develop the overall campaign to make highways a career of choice. We are seeking views from those in the highways sector, at every level, about what they believe makes it great and some of the opportunities and barriers it faces. The survey’s findings will provide the foundation elements that will take the sector forward, shaping it to attract a diverse range of people and, more importantly, position it as an attractive career option full of potential, opportunity and reward.
The survey is open to all individuals working within the highways sector, including both operational and non-operational employees, from CEOs through to apprentices and job roles ranging from ecologists to site managers, administrators and project directors.
Baroness Vere, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said:
‘I am pleased to be supporting this first of its kind survey to help understand how we can make the highways sector a career of choice for young people across the country. Our people within highways carry out an essential job in keeping our strategic and local road networks running, and it is critical that we can attract new, emerging talent, while retaining the invaluable skills and experience of our existing workforce.’
Anna Delvecchio, Chair of the Future Leaders Group, and a founding member of the HSC said:
‘The Highways Sector Council promotes cross industry collaboration to transform highways and at the centre of this are our people. We need to attract a new diverse workforce and retain the fantastic people we already have across the sector.
This survey will help us understand what attracts people to the sector and identify any barriers that we can work together to break down.
I look forward to seeing the results and further promoting the sector for the rewarding career that it is.”
Dipesh J Shah OBE, National Highways Chair said:
“I welcome this new survey. For our industry to meet the current and future challenges we face, we need to attract and retain the right people with the right skills. The survey will help us to understand what we need to do to make the highways sector a career of choice for young people and one where our people with a wealth of experience can thrive.”
The survey, which can be accessed here takes only five minutes to complete and all responses are completely anonymous, so please be completely open in your responses.
Highways Sector Council proposal to transform industry | Press Release
Highways Sector Council proposal to transform industry
The Highways Sector Council (HSC) has developed a proposal to transform the industry, support delivery of the government’s priorities and strengthen the UK economy as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposal sets out four areas for development and focus in the highways sector which have been agreed with the Department for Transport (DfT) and Highways England (HE). These include:
- Environment: Supporting the transition to Net Zero, by developing a sector wide plan, assessing asset classes, launching trials of zero carbon products/approaches, and testing innovative techniques for carbon lock up.
- Models: Identifying ways in which the sector can support the Government’s Project Speed, delivering more quickly and more productively; developing a business case which defines benefits to UK plc of having a five and ten year local Government funding programme.
- Innovation: Supporting highways’ transition to digital particularly across the local and strategic network boundary.
- Skills: Undertaking a Highways Sector Skills Assessment to better inform future work in this area.
The HSC will work with DfT and HE to develop key deliverables for the highways sector that demonstrate real value to the Government, road users and the wider economy.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said:
“The Highways Sector Council has made good progress in developing a set of proposals which are well-aligned to key national and Departmental objectives.
“We are keen to see how HSC progresses in developing these proposals for the benefit of the highways sector throughout the UK.”
Elliot Shaw, Highways England's Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, said: “We’re pleased to support the ambition set out by the Highways Sector Council. We look forward to continuing to work on these proposals with HSC in the coming weeks to develop the proposal further."
Anna Delvecchio, Founding Member of the HSC and Mott MacDonald’s Transportation Development Director said:
“We have been developing a series of proposals to establish better cross industry collaboration with Government to transform the sector. Developing the partnership has been a great example of public and private sector collaboration during the pandemic.”
Anna added: “None of this would have been possible without the expertise and determination of Steve Berry who sadly passed away last month. Through his and the industry’s collective efforts, we’re now much better placed to partner with government and support the country’s economic recovery.”
Leon Daniels, Chair of the HSC said: “It has been a privilege to Chair the Council during its formative period and we’ve made great progress towards establishing a partnership between Government agencies and the private sector. This will be critical to delivering innovation, excellence and value for money.”
Established in 2019, the HSC seeks to transform delivery in the sector, using a unified industry voice and approach to work more collaboratively with central and local government to transform and improve how the sector works across a number of key areas: people and skills, innovation, safety, environment, value, investment and delivery models. It has responded swiftly to the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, particularly in the local highways sector, and has been working closely with DfT and HE, providing guidance on impacts with a focus on working towards building a stronger programme for recovery to support the sector and the wider economy.
As a valued member of the Sector
The HSC is seeking input from the industry to support development of these initial areas of focus. Please register your interest by completing the form on the HSC website here – https://highwayssectorcouncil.com/contact-us. . We will be launching the task and finish groups shortly.
Ends
Download the Press Release here
Notes to Editors:
For press or general enquiries for the HSC Council please contact Anna.Delvecchio@mottmac.com
About the Highways Sector Council
The Highways Sector Council (HSC) is a partnership of private and public sector organisations. Partners include the UK’s leading highways contractors, local authority bodies and national agencies. The Council has been created to help transform delivery in the highways sector, using a unified voice and approach so the industry can work in greater partnership with central and local government. It aims to drive innovation across the sector to deliver economic, environmental, and social benefits for business, communities, and all road users. Its work has been focused on developing a collaborative approach to transform and improve how the sector works across a number of key areas: people and skills, innovation, safety, environment, value, investment, and delivery models.
Members
AECOM, Atkins, Asphalt Group, Balfour Beatty, Breedon Group, Costain, Eurovia Ringway, FM Conway, Chevron Group, Fortel Group, Gaist Solutions Ltd, Highways England, Jacobs, Kier, Leon Daniels and Associates Ltd, Mott MacDonald, Tarmac. Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning & Transport (ADEPT), Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT), Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), England’s Economic Heartland, Leicester shire County Council, Highways UK, Local Government Association, The RAC Foundation and, Innovate UK.
HSC announces new council members and launches Future Leaders Group
The Highways Sector Council has announced nine new appointments to broaden its representation of the industry and to transform delivery in the highways sector, using a unified voice and approach so the industry can work in greater partnership with central and local government.
The new appointments are:
- Nick Jones, Sky Blue
- Tim Cockayne, Chevron Traffic Management Group
- Ann Carruthers, Leicestershire County Council
- Steve Gooding, RAC Foundation and the new President of CILT
- John Lamb, Braintree District Council
- Steve Birdsall, Gaist Solutions Limited
- Steve Hill, McLaren Applied
- Howard Cooke, Asphalt Group Ltd and
- Karla Jakeman, Innovate UK
HSC Chair Leon Daniels OBE said: “The Council has already made a big difference in helping the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as discussing with Department of Transport how huge strides the sector can make together. Following a long process, I am delighted that we can appoint these talented and amazing people as full members of the Highways Sector Council.”
The HSC has also announced a newly formed Future Leaders Group which will be chaired by existing Council member Anna Delvecchio of Mott MacDonald. The HSC is committed to promoting, attracting and supporting a diverse and inclusive sector. The new Group will play a key role in ensuring the highways sector attracts skilled candidates from all backgrounds and retains its existing talent.
“We have established a Future Leaders Group who will take a lead role in delivering ‘making highways a career of choice’. This is an incredibly important piece of work that will shape the future of the sector and we believe is best delivered by our future leaders,” Leon added. “It is vital that we invest in our future and by bringing talented young people into close contact with industry leaders and Government we can establish a strong talent pool.”
The HSC will be soon announcing further appointments of a number of other important highways sector leaders to new roles to further support the work of the Council.
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Highways Sector Council officially launched in UK amid Covid-19 crisis
The recently formed Highways Sector Council (HSC) has been officially launched in the UK amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The council, which first came together in September last year, will work to facilitate collaboration between the highway sector and the central and state governments.
In addition, the council is expected to support innovation in the sector and drive economic and social benefits for the partners.
HSC members include highways contractors, local authority organisations and national agencies, including CIHT.
Highways Sector Council chair Leon Daniels said: “The Council was established to transform how the highways sector delivers.“ In creating this powerful alliance, we want to drive through change by addressing the challenges we face as a sector including decarbonisation, new technologies, skills, investment and delivery models.
The council has also formed a Covid-19 focus working group that will work to address the challenges, primarily in the highway sector, posed by the outbreak.
The Covid-19 focus group is currently working to develop guidance for the sector that will help stakeholders to ensure the delivery of maintenance and capital schemes.
It will also deliver a set of advice that will help highway operators carry out necessary tasks complying with government-mandated restrictions.
CIHT chief executive Sue Percy said: “CIHT is pleased to be a founding member of the Highways Sector Council. “We are committed to working as part of the Council to support the transformation of the highways sector through coming together in partnership to help address some key challenges.”
Senior leaders launch Highways Sector Council amid COVID-19
The recently formed Highways Sector Council (HSC), which has been working with Government to support the highways sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been now formally launched.
The Council, a partnership of private and public sector organisations, first came together in September 2019, and has been recently recognised by the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps. Partners include the UK’s leading highways contractors, local authority organisations and national agencies.
The Council has been created to help transform delivery in the highways sector, using a unified voice and approach so the industry can work in greater partnership with central and local government. It aims to drive innovation across the sector to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits for business, communities and all road users.
"The Council was established to transform how the highways sector delivers. In creating this powerful alliance, we want to drive through change by addressing the challenges we face as a sector including decarbonisation, new technologies, skills, investment and delivery models" - Leon Daniels OBE
Its work has been focused on developing a collaborative approach to transform and improve how the sector works across a number of key areas: people and skills, innovation, safety, environment, value, investment and delivery models. While this work continues, the HSC has also responded swiftly to the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, particularly in the local highways sector,creating a COVID-19 focus working group.The group has been working closely with the Department for Transport, collating information and providing guidance on impacts with a focus on working towards building a stronger programme for recovery to support the sector and the wider economy.
To address immediate impacts, the COVID-19 group has focused on two key areas:
- Developing guidance that could be used by local highway authorities and the wider supply chain to enable greater delivery of maintenance and capital schemes.
- Practical guidance designed to enable the highways sector to operate safely within the current restrictions when working on local highways.
Given that some local roads programmes have been reduced or paused, the outputs of this work will support the sector in bringing forward maintenance and highways projects, where it is safe and practical,to ensure that our roads can be maintained and remain fit for purpose during this crisis and beyond.
Leon Daniels OBE, Chair of the Highways Sector Council said: “The Council was established to transform how the highways sector delivers. In creating this powerful alliance, we want to drive through change by addressing the challenges we face as a sector including decarbonisation, new technologies, skills, investment and delivery models.
“COVID-19 hasn’t changed this commitment, but it has given a new urgency to our work, enabling us to work swiftly and collectively during this time of national crisis.
“As a partnership, our work in providing the Government with critical data and advice in this rapidly changing time is vital, both to keep our workforce safe and to support the development of rapidly changing policy-making.”