For more information on the Construction Employers Federation, T: (028) 9087 7143 - E: mail@cefni.co.uk visit: www.cefni.co.uk
March saw the return to in-person events with the inaugural President’s Annual Dinner.
There were times to celebrate during 2022, such as the first in-person CEF Excellence Awards since pre-Covid reforms.
stakeholders. This was the year when, with industry colleagues, construction delivered NI’s first mental health strategy for the sector, notably now reflected in mandatory inclusion within CSR training. No longer must this issue be hidden; we can and must talk about it, much as we’d discuss a strain or pain. CELEBRATING THE INDUSTRY March saw the long-anticipated return to in-person events with the glamour of the inaugural President’s Annual Dinner with comedian Neil Delamere. We were also delighted to bring back the CEF Excellence Awards in-person this year – with a record number of entries, over 550 in attendance on the Awards Evening attended by the leaders of Irish and GB Construction as well as the leading contractors and clients in NI. In the second year of new awards recognising the individuals within our business, it was notable that, for the second time, the Apprentice of the Year was female, helping to dispel the myths and prejudices around our
changing industry. We saw world-class projects being recognised and the evening proved a positive reminder of what our industry, and, crucially, its people can achieve here and further afield. WHERE NEXT? While we remain exasperated at the lack of an NI Executive and Assembly, acknowledging the imperfections of that system, it did at least enable us to take the industry’s agenda to government who were empowered to consider and deliver the reform we need. Without an Executive, we face further delay in vital and overdue reforms and risk the application of more one-size-doesn’t-fit-all policy from Westminster. CEF has stepped up engagement with key public sector agencies, bodies and departments to ensure that in the absence of political direction, we can at the very least work more closely together to ensure that the limited funds available are spent on delivering priority infrastructure and maintaining high quality jobs across
the industry. These are fraught times, and the CEF is committed to dialogue and co-design as the only way to operate; these are not times for suspicion or misunderstanding due to isolated thinking. With limited public resources, but highly capable contractors, we can and must work together to ensure effective delivery of a built environment that modern living and working requires. This was highlighted in our manifesto for last May’s election where we identified 44 key recommendations for the Executive to deliver, in conjunction with industry, so that we can meet our undoubted potential. That agenda is now embedded in the context of what is forecast to be a prolonged recession that will form the backdrop of our activity into 2023. Just like any year, there will be high and low points in the year ahead, but the fundamental qualities and work ethos of NI’s construction sector remain and we at CEF will continue to do what we can to ensure the continued viability of our sector.
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