Education Provides Lifeline to Construction Industry

In the midst of the current economic downturn with recession predicted to be looming for at least another year its great to hear some good news every now and then.

Catalyst Education, a group of companies headed by Bovis Lend Lease and Catalyst Lend Lease have just secured a very impressive contract to rebuild or regenerate all of Birmingham’s eighty nine secondary schools, a contract that is expected to take another fifteen years.

The contract is reported to be worth £1.2bn and is expected to see local companies benefit from the funding that will be made available. The construction industry from builders through to providers of cranes and heavy lifting gear will benefit from the lucrative contract.

The funding provided through the Governments BSF initiative (Building Schools for the Future) was awarded to Catalyst Education by Birmingham City Council and is reported to be the largest single investment for school improvements in the last half century.

The first phase of the project will start next April and is expected to take twelve months to complete as it spans across a number of Birmingham schools including: Four Dwellings, Park View, Moseley, Broadway, George Dixon and a number of other secondary schools.

In working closely with the construction industry the Birmingham City Council has helped form a Local Education Partnership. This is great news for many companies involved in the building and construction industry including surrounding services from lifting gear suppliers to skilled labour requirements.