The Building and Construction Industry Forum – End of Year Update
Date: 01/12/2009 
The Building and Construction Industry Forum (BCIF) has just completed its first year of delivering 'Developing Construction', funded by Scottish Enterprise. BCIF has been successfully providing help, support and advice to the construction sector in the Scottish Borders since 2003, but from November 2008 BCIF's remit expanded to cover Dumfries and Galloway and therefore the whole of South of Scotland.
Through 'Developing Construction' BCIF received funding to help the industry tackle the areas of procurement, sustainability, renewable technologies, heritage, management skills and business development. Although a difficult year for construction businesses, 2009 has been a busy and productive year for the Forum. As BCIF got to know the west of the region it has had to flexible at times to provide the help that was needed to meet current economic challenges.
BCIF now has over 2,000 construction companies on its database and provides news, information, events and workshops for the industry to help keep them up to date and make the most of new opportunities as they arise. Changes in legislation, government guidelines and European directives have meant that there has been a lot to keep up with!
Over the year the BCIF have delivered over 20 seminars or workshops for over 300 delegates across the South of Scotland and provided sectoral advice and support on a one to basis to over 70 businesses. The biggest area of interest this year has been in the area of sustainability and renewable energy where there is much work to be done to meet upcoming carbon reduction targets. The other area of particular activity currently is in procurement and prequalification delivery skills. BCIF has been oversubscribed for workshops on procurement skills and is currently scheduling more for early 2010. These are being delivered alongside Waste Management training sessions - again to meet potential new regulations in the future.
BCIF continues with its Health and Safety Testing facilities to help local businesses gain their CSCS cards. It has also assisted other organisations such as Targeting Innovation, Business Gateway, Skills Development Scotland and the local Chambers of Commerce to communicate with the construction sector and promote events that are of help and interest. BCIF has been represented in numerous events in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders over the past year. BCIF hosted a table at the Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Commerce Annual Lunch in October which was very successful and helped promote the work of the Forum in Dumfries and Galloway where work is still underway to raise the Forum's profile. 'Building Bites', BCIF's construction radio programme continues weekly in the Borders and has been expanded to cover Dumfries and Galloway through West Sound Radio.
Making the most of technology BCIF will be trailing web seminars in 2010 to help rural construction companies to engage with the national agenda through on line seminars and forums linking into the CIC Start Online project. It will be looking at the opportunities that may be presented through heritage work across the region. So 2010 has plenty to look forward to!