Latest News & Events
Highland Construction Bosses Seek Funding Reassurances from Ministers at Special Summit
May 15th, 2012
Highland construction bosses will seek urgent clarification on the level of future funding to be committed to affordable housing across the region when they meet Scottish Government ministers in Inverness today (Monday, 14th May 2012).
The Official Statistics on Construction Activity Just Got Worse....
May 11th, 2012
While industry surveys suggest there are grounds to hope that recovery may be on its way, the official statistics on construction activity just get worse.
Scottish Apprenticeship Week 21st to 25th May 2012
May 10th, 2012
SDS' Scottish Apprenticeship Week is taking place this year from 21st to 25th May 2012
Scottish Apprenticeship Week 21- 25 May 2012
May 8th, 2012
Working in partnership with ConstructionSkills, SBATC will be participating in two SAW events - all employers of apprentices are welcome!!
Fresh Call for Investment as Scottish Construction Bankruptcies Skyrocket
May 4th, 2012
An alarming rise in Scottish construction firms going bust requires immediate action to prevent further job losses, industry bosses have today warned.
Construction Output Fall Signals Need for Urgent Capital Spending - SBF
April 25th, 2012
SBF states that the latest GDP figures make for grim reading.
Construction Should be Top Election Issue
April 16th, 2012
Local election candidates are being urged to make investment in building projects a top priority
SBF Comments on February 2012 ONS Figures
April 16th, 2012
SBF comments in February 2012 ONS figures
Parliament Approves Changes to the CITB-ConstructionSkills' Levy Order
March 20th, 2012
Parliament Approves Changes to the CITB-ConstructionSkills' Levy Order
Highland Builders Welcome Decision to Approve Inverness West Link
March 9th, 2012
Highland construction employers have strongly welcomed Highland Council's decision to approve a preferred route for the proposed Inverness West Link.
Homes for Scotland Announces Appointment of new Chief Executive
March 8th, 2012
Home building industry body Homes for Scotland has announced the appointment of Philip Hogg as new Chief Executive.
Professor Ewart Keep Raises a Critical Issue When he Asks Whether the Rapid Growth in Apprenticeship Numbers in Scotland has Led to a Trade-Off Between Volume and Quality
February 29th, 2012
The construction sector has traditionally been the cornerstone of Scotland’s apprenticeship system and remains the most popular modern apprenticeship framework.
Building Sector Confidence Drops as Employers Anticipate Tough Conditions in 2012
February 20th, 2012
A challenging outlook has prompted a further drop in confidence in the Scottish construction sector.
Unemployment in Scotland Rose by 16,000 in Period October to December
February 15th, 2012
Unemployment in Scotland rose by 16,000 in the three months from October to December to reach 231,000 according to official figures.
Adoption of the Scottish Budget for 2012-13
February 9th, 2012
Michael Levack, SBF Chief Executive comments on the adoption by the Scottish Parliament of the Scottish Budget for 2012-13.
Public Sector Procurement Reform - Launch Public Consultation Immediately, says SBF
February 6th, 2012
SBF comments on Infrastructure and Cabinet Investment Cabinet Secretary Alex Neil’s announcement today (6th February) that he intends to introduce further reform to the public procurement process,
Public Sector Procurement Reform - Launch Public Consultation Immediately, says SBF
February 6th, 2012
Key conclusions of Jim and Margaret Cuthbert’s report ‘Using Out Buying Power to Benefit Scotland’ that many Scottish businesses are being locked out of public procurement will come as little surprise to many in the construction sector.
Scottish Budget - Still Time to Build a Budget for Housing
January 25th, 2012
Housing and construction groups join forces for call to support jobs and communities.
Partner Announced to Deliver £200m Public Sector Infrastructure Programme for West Scotland
January 23rd, 2012
SFT has announced the appointment of WellSpring Partnership Limited as the partner to deliver over £200m of public sector infrastructure projects for West Scotland's 17 hub partners.
Latest Scottish GDP Figures Show Construction Output Still Falling
January 18th, 2012
Latest GDP figures for the Scottish economy have today (18th January 2012) shown a fourth consecutive quarter of stagnation in the Scottish construction industry.
Q3 2011 GDP Figures Released
January 18th, 2012
Scotland’s Chief Statistician today announced the release of GDP for Scotland for 2011 Q3.
Loss of 30,000 Construction Jobs 'Requires Immediate Action to Get Firms Building'
December 19th, 2011
Latest labour market figures for Scotland for the third quarter of 2011 show a further 7,000 jobs lost from the Scottish construction industry during the three months to September.
East Kilbride Plasterer Named Scottish Craft Apprentice of 2011
December 9th, 2011
Kenny McAllister is Crowned Scotland's Craft Apprentice of the Year for 2011
East Kilbride Plasterer Named Scottish Craft Apprentice of 2011
December 9th, 2011
Kenny McAllister has been crowned Scotland's Craft Apprentice of the Year.
Six Join Forces to Call for Extra Housing Investment
December 7th, 2011
Housing and Construction Groups Lobby Scottish Government
SBF Welcomes £60bn Infrastructure Plan
December 6th, 2011
SBF comments on the launch today (Tuesday, 6th December) of the Scottish Government's Infrastructure and Investment Plan.
Capital Spending Announcement
December 6th, 2011
Capital spending worth up to £60 billion will mean substantial investment in Scotland's rail network and the dualling of road network between all of Scotland's cities, Alex Neil confirmed today.
SBF React to Chancellor's Autumn Statement
November 29th, 2011
The Chancellor's autumn statement provides little comfort to construction firms that the economic environment is likely to improve any time soon.
Construction Industry Plan to Rebuild Growth Unveiled
November 24th, 2011
A rebalancing of public expenditure in favour of capital investment, a targeted cut in VAT on works to make homes greener, and new models for financing major infrastructure are needed to unlock growth in the UK’s strategically crucial construction industr
David Cameron Vows to Get Britain Building
November 21st, 2011
First-time buyers of new homes will be able to borrow up to 95% of their value as part of plans to get "Britain building again".
Stalled Construction Output Prompts Call to Cut Procurement Costs
November 11th, 2011
SBF raises further concerns with ONS figures released today (11th November 2011).
Output in the Construction Industry - Q3, 2011
November 11th, 2011
The total volume ofconstruction output fell 0.2% in 3rd quarter of 2011.
Increase in Youth Unemployment Gives Cause for Concern
November 9th, 2011
Reports that unemployment amongst young people is rising throughout Scotland give serious cause for concern.
SBF Comments on Latest UK Construction PMI
November 2nd, 2011
SBF Chief Executive Michael Levack comments on the latest UK Construction PMI, published 2nd November 2011.
Falling Confidence and Construction Apprentice Numbers Prompt Calls for Government Action
October 20th, 2011
Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack has called for more government action after GDP figures showed a 2.3% decline in construction output between April and June this year.
“Construction slump in GDP figures must be a wake up call” – Levack
October 20th, 2011
Scottish Building Federation Chief Executive Michael Levack has called for more government action after GDP figures showed a 2.3% decline in construction output between April and June this year.
Search is on for 2011 Scottish Craft and Civil Apprentice of the Year
August 22nd, 2011
The Scottish Building and Apprenticeship Training Council (SBATC) has officially launched its search for Scotland’s Craft Apprentice of the Year 2011.
We're on Twitter!
August 1st, 2011
Follow latest tweets and soundbites from the Scottish Building Federation on Twitter
Construction Bosses Back 'Budget for Jobs' Call
Construction bosses have backed Scottish Government calls for a UK Budget for jobs next week and say the construction industry should be top of the Chancellor's list for support.