LJ Construction Carpentry Contractors Limited News

New Wages System Goes Live!

Great news - the new LJ Construction Wages system has gone live!

We're really excited; we're releasing the 2015 update to the Site Assyst which will make LJ Construction better at paying your wages!

The improvements included are:

Quicker and easier to book in
Quicker and easier to request prices
Quicker and easier to Sign off Documents

Our focus has been to make the system as user friendly as possible. We hope you will take the time to support us with this; ultimately we want your booking in process to be the quickest and simplest process.

Please take the steps shown below to ensure your update goes as smoothly as possible.

1. Early Booking In (EXISTING SYSTEM)

WK28 will be an early booking in; you will book in on the current Site Assyst system. The booking in deadline will be 8am on Wednesday 7th October 2015.

Late booking in will not be accepted as we have strict deadlines for the System Release.

2. Viewing WK28 Payment (EXISTING SYSTEM)

If you wish to view your payment on Site Assyst for WK28 you will need to do this before 11am on Saturday 10th October. After this time the current Site Assyst will be unavailable until the launch date shown below.

3. System Launch

The system goes live on the 14th October 2015. You will receive a SMS message notifying you your account has been activated and details on how to log in.

Please begin your application for WK30 at this time (see step 5. Learn the System below). At this point log any issues which arise and bring them up during your allocated time (see step 4. Your Queries below).

4. Your Queries

We have allocated you a day in which you can call and ask questions regarding the System Updates. Your day is the 20thth October 2015 between 3pm-7pm.

5. Learn the System

Prior to this time, you can view the training videos found here

Once the Updates go live on 14th October 2015 you will be able to access these training videos from your individual account.

CQR SCORE AVERAGE (LJC) - 5.17

Contractor of the Quarter - Miller Homes South Midlands

3 out of 3 for LJC in quarter 4 2025!

We are delighted to have been awarded Q4 2025 Contractor of the Quarter on...

Pembroke Chase
Stanton Cross
Norwood Quarter

And as a result, we also won the overall contractor of the quarter award.

We always strive to drive and deliver consistency across our full business, so when two of our contracts managers are recognised by the same business unit for the service they are delivering, we know it's working!

Huge well done to both Freddy Mahon and Brenton Boyes.

Not just that, a few other small wins here...

employed apprentices on all 3 jobs
Q4 is always a testing period; so great to see the efforts recognised
a great working relationship with the team at Millers, which makes it a pleasure to continue to support where we can

As always, a huge thank you and well done to our internal team, carpenters and apprentices for their continued efforts.

Contractor of the Year - Taylor Wimpey South Midlands!

We are delighted to have been awarded the Large Contractor of the Year for the South Midlands division at Taylor Wimpey.

This award is extra special to us for a number of reasons...

Our first-ever Timber Frame erection site at Salden Park
(Big shout-out to our Training and Development Manager, Paul Connor, for leading this for the business)
3 of our contracts managers involved in Taylor Wimpey South Midlands sites
Apprentices on all jobs for the region

A huge thank you to all the team at TWSM!

And as always, thank you to our team of Carpenters, Timber Frame Erectors, Crane Team, Apprentices and our whole management team.

Pictured above:

Hayden Dolby (MD TWSM), Ben Jones (Commercial Director), James McMahon (Contracts Manager), Lee Jones (Construction Director), Kev Salisbury (Construction Director TWSM)

Supporting the Next Generation

As a business, we love supporting local sport, especially for children in our local area.

This year, we have supported several different sports and teams to ensure local sport can continue.

The Carpentry Academy's goal is to offer great opportunities to the younger generation and, in turn, go some way to filling the industry skills gap.

Supporting the teams listed below, and having The Carpentry Academy logo on their kits, hopefully gives some exposure to opportunities in our industry.

Woodford United Wolverines - Under 12s - Northamptonshire Women and Girls Football League - Away Kit
Woodbourne Sports FC - All youth Teams - Kit
Easington Sports - Under 13s - Oxford Boys C League - Kit Bags
Banbury United - Under 8s - Oxford C League - Kit
Coventry Blaze - National Ice Hockey League 2

Wishing you all a great season ahead!

Here's to the next generation of sport and construction talents!

LJ Construction Becomes Approved Member of the CITB Training Provider Network

The approval recognises our ability to deliver construction training at the required level and quality the industry requires.

The application process assesses our Qualifications, Competence and Facility to deliver the required training.

What this means for us...

CITB Recognised training for our workforce
Ability to be reactive to Industry Compliance Requirements

Big thanks to the team at CITB for supporting us with getting this setup.

More to come from The Carpentry Academy later this year as we continue to develop and grow this arm of the business to meet the increasing skills and compliance requirements.

Our Year In Review...2025

With the daily challenges in the industry, it can be difficult to step back and reflect on the key performance of the company throughout the year. But as we look back at this past year, we take great pride in our company's achievements.

This year, we...

Brought 23 new trainees and 14 new apprentices into the housebuilding industry, supporting the next generation of carpenters.
Worked alongside 13 NHBC Quality Award-Winning Site Managers.
Maintained a Construction Quality Review (CQR) score of 5.16 across the business.
Began working with 5 new housebuilders.
Achieved 94% of our customer care SLAs.

Continued investment in ourselves, the future of the company, and the future of the industry...

Tackling the skills shortage - The challenge gets harder year on year to tackle the skills shortage, with rising Apprenticeship wages, increased training requirements to meet compliance along with an ageing workforce. However, we continue to do everything we can to combat this.

Growing the business - Strengthening existing relationships and welcoming new housebuilder partners, we are super grateful for the opportunity.

Quality first - We continue to audit, train and educate our teams to deliver the best possible service we can to our clients.

Data-driven improvement - Ongoing analysis of customer care performance to better understand trends and drive continuous improvement.

Looking ahead, our focus remains clear: raising standards, developing people, and continuing to play an active role in addressing the skills gap within our industry. The investment made this year is only the beginning, and we're excited about what lies ahead.

As we close out the year and head into our Christmas break, we'd like to thank everyone who has supported and worked alongside LJC throughout the year.

With a special thank you to all the internal and Sub-Contractor team working with LJC, we couldn't do any of the above without you.

We wish all our Clients, Suppliers and the entire LJC team a very Merry Christmas and a successful New Year.

Site-Ready Course - Complete

We have today completed our Site Ready course with our 14 New Apprentices for 2025 and are happy to confirm they have all been released onto site.

Over a 4-week course here at our Carpentry Academy in Banbury, we have completed core knowledge and competency training to get the apprentices ready for the site environment, including...

Power Tool Competency Training (CITB Approved)
Manual handling (CITB Approved)
Carpentry basics, including stud work, skirting, internal doors, joists, and roofs
Face fit tested
Inductions
CSCS card tests
Material and product knowledge
Crane awareness and basic signalling

A change in structure

With 2024 being our first full apprentice intake, we learnt a lot as a business.

We used this experience to improve, and this year we made many changes to our recruitment, enrolment, and site-ready course.

Kieron Sear, our Apprenticeship Manager, has offered fresh ideas and a wealth of experience in the teaching field.

One key change we made was reducing the group size for the site-ready course from 1 group of 14 to 2 groups of 7.

Whilst this has taken up a lot more time internally, it has given the apprentices a much better experience and closer teaching during this initial period.

Bridging the skills gap

As the skills gap continues to grow, we will continue to invest in the future of our industry.

Whilst the focus now is on this group of talented future carpenters and how we can support them in their journey.

We will also begin planning for 2026 and make minor tweaks to give us and the industry the best chance of retaining the generational future.

Congratulations to all the apprentices. We're proud of all you've achieved so far and can't wait to see how you all progress.

LJ Construction Win CQR Award

We are delighted to announce that we have won the Bloor Homes East Midlands CQR Award for 2025.

Since the NHBC introduced the Construction Quality Review process, we have always reviewed and tracked each score received.

We therefore don't talk about our best scores; we talk about our average score across all our sites.

That's why this is a great award for us!

Thanks to Bloor Homes' Craig Vincent (Construction Director) and Adam Tippins (Commercial Director) for presenting.

We're One of the Top Apprenticeship Employers in England

We're officially one of the Top Apprenticeship Employers in England!

We're so proud to share that LJ Construction has been ranked 23rd in the Top 50 SME Apprenticeship Employers 2025 - and 5th nationwide for Construction, Property & Surveying companies.

The Top 50 rankings celebrate employers across England who demonstrate outstanding commitment to apprenticeships, measured on achievements, intake, diversity, and learner feedback. To be recognised at this level is a huge honour and a reflection of our dedication to developing the next generation of carpenters through the LJC Carpentry Academy.

Yesterday, Ryan Jones collected the award at a special celebration event at the House of Lords.

With the current trade-wide skills shortage being such an important issue, we remain committed to training, inspiring, and supporting future talent in construction.

A massive thank you to our apprentices, Apprenticeship Manager Kieron Sear, our mentors and all the team at LJ Construction - this achievement belongs to you all.

Also, a huge thank you to our clients who continue to provide great site opportunities which makes all this possible.

LJ Construction Team Gain NVQ Level 6s

Congratulations to our management team on the completion of their NVQ Level 6 in Construction Operations.

Supervision, Golden Thread, Duty Holders are all hot topics right now!

Also, with the loss of the grandfather rights last year, the challenge was on to retrain and get the team certifications back up to date as soon as we could.

Following a lengthy examination and evidence process, all of our team successfully passed and have now obtained their black CSCS Card.

This now brings LJC back to 100% compliant across our full workforce with CSCS Cards.

NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2025

The NHBC Pride in the Job Awards recognise the very best in housebuilding - and this year's winners include 13 brilliant Site Managers we're proud to work alongside.

Just 5% of site managers win an NHBC Pride in the Job Award... this year, 34% of sites LJC supported won a Quality Award!

Congratulations to...

Ross Jenkins - Bellway Homes North Home Counties - Staverton Lodge - Daventry
Graham Mason - Taylor Wimpey Midlands - Bramcote Grange - Nuneaton
Wes Hosking - Taylor Wimpey South Midlands - Thorn Fields - Houghton Regis
Tom Carter - Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton - Priors Hall Park - Corby
Sam Watson - Bellway Homes West Midlands - Yew Tree Park - Nuneaton
David Butterly - Taylor Wimpey Midlands - The Asps - Warwick
Rob Parker - Taylor Wimpey South Midlands - Bronze Park - Milton Keynes
Lee Joyce - Miller Homes South Midlands - Norwood Quarter - Northampton
Cymon Robinson - Bellway Homes North Home Counties - Weaver Fields - Desborough
Mark Butler - Bloor Homes Western - Banbury Rise - Banbury
Adam Breakspear - Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia - The Pavilions - Banbury
William Yates - Persimmon Homes Midlands - Overstone Gate - Moulton
Pete Hurst - Bloor Homes East Midlands - Hollycroft Grange - Hinckley

We're proud to be part of your success, and as always, a big thank you to all the team at LJC for your continued drive for quality.

The Carpentry Academy Welcomes Kieron Sear

We are delighted to welcome qualified Teacher and Carpentry Lecturer Kieron Sear to LJC!

Kieron joins us to support our delivery of the apprenticeship programme as well as developing our in-house training department to keep up with industry compliance demands.

Kieron will split his time between the Academy in Banbury and remote site visits.

Kieron will also be involved in the delivery of our CITB Approved Training Courses to our current workforce.

The skills shortage remains a huge topic in the industry and we continue to invest to do our bit and train our future workforce.

Also, with the ever-changing outlook of construction and the increasing competency demands from the Building Safety Act, Kieron will work to ensure our workforce remains compliant.

Kieron said: "I am looking forward to working with our crop of promising young carpentry apprentices. I am confident that the Carpentry Academy, alongside LJ Construction, can have a positive impact within the construction industry training space. I am excited to be back in the industry, bridging the construction skills gap and producing top-quality apprentices and future carpenters."

Ryan Jones, LJC Director, said: "Kieron brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the Carpentry Training field. I met him over four years ago at Milton Keynes College and was always impressed with his approach and rapport with the students. It's great to bring these skill sets into the business to increase our delivery of training and apprenticeship opportunities."

CITB Approved Training Organisation: LJ Construction Achieves ATO Status

We're proud to announce that LJ Construction has officially achieved CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO) status as of March 2025, enabling us to deliver Assured training courses recognised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

With the industry's increase in compliance and regulatory requirements, we're investing further in our internal training structure to ensure we can deliver on this.

Our Initial Rollout: Apprenticeship-Focused Assured Courses

Initially, the Assured courses will support our apprenticeship delivery, covering core certificates such as:

Manual Handling (GET2649)
Power Tools (GET2646)

These courses will be delivered both on site and at our Carpentry Academy, ensuring the competency level of our new entrants is met.

Next Step: Upskilling Our Team

Beyond apprenticeships, we will then begin expanding our in-house training to support our qualified workforce, starting with specialised courses such as:

Fire Door Installation & Maintenance (GET2622)
Timber Frame Erection (GET2153)

This forms part of our commitment to continuous improvement and compliance as regulations evolve.

Looking Ahead: Delivering Recognised Industry Certifications

The future of LJC as a CITB ATO extends beyond internal development. With this status, we're now in a position to become a recognised training provider for established industry qualifications, such as the CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS).

We'll share more on these offerings later in the year - but this move signals our goal to help lead on site training innovation.

Collaborating with the NHBC: Strengthening Quality and Skills in 2025

An action-packed start to 2025 has seen us working closely with the NHBC across a number of exciting initiatives.

Carpentry Construction Quality Reviews (CQRs)

In early February, we completed three Trade CQRs for Carpentry*, conducting walkthroughs of live developments alongside NHBC's Ryan Duff (Senior Construction Quality Analyst), Richard Jarvis (Senior Construction Quality Analyst), and Yvett Hackett (Principal Construction Quality Analyst). These site visits focused on all aspects of carpentry.

Our team gained valuable insights during these sessions and we have already begun adjusting internal processes to improve and develop in the areas identified.

We look forward to taking part in additional Carpentry Trade-Only CQRs when they go live in the coming months.

*The carpentry CQR is currently only at pilot stage

For more information: Construction Quality Reviews | NHBC

Quality Assurance Review (QAR) Trial Participation

At the end of February we completed a Quality Assurance Review with NHBC's Construction Quality Assurance Manager, Ian Butterfield.

This new initiative from NHBC is currently in its trial stages and we were pleased to be invited to take part.

Following an in-depth five-hour review, we received a QAR report outlining key strengths and areas for future development. We look forward once again to participating when the QAR process officially launches.
We attended the working party at the NHBC offices bringing our experience into the group working party.

For more information: Quality Assurance Reviews and Certification

Supporting Future Talent: NHBC Training Hub

We also had the opportunity to visit the NHBC Training Hub in Tamworth.

The visit focused on exploring ideas to help shape a high-quality training facility that maximises both learning outcomes and material efficiency. LJ Construction look forward to supporting with the build stage of the Lichfield Training Hub that is due to open later this year. When open it promises to be an outstanding resource that will help address the industry's ongoing skills gap.

Find out more about NHBC apprenticeship training hubs.

We sincerely thank Marc Separovic, John Coates, Ian Butterfield, Graeme West, Linda Flynn, Luke Carter, Geoff Man, Lucy Cook, Dean Dale, Yvett Hackett, Ryan Duff, and Richard Jarvis for their time, support and involvement with LJ Construction and our teams over the past few months.

We look forward to continuing to work closely with all the team at NHBC in the future.

Marc Separovic, Construction Quality Services at NHBC said "It is great to see LJC actively involved in NHBC's Trade CQR/QAR pilot initiatives and taking the time to visit our training hub in Tamworth. We truly value the partnership and are excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue working together."

Helping to Build Futures: LJ Construction's Apprenticeship Opportunities 2025

Applications now open for September 2025 intake - limited spaces available!

This September, LJ Construction will welcome another 15 new apprentices to join our growing team - future tradespeople who'll help shape the construction industry for years to come.

Following the success of our 2024 programme, where 12 out of 14 apprentices are still with us and are making excellent progress - we're excited to keep building on that momentum with a refined structure, better support, and more hands-on experience for these future tradesmen and women.

What's New for 2025?

Teaming up with MT Training, the first 4 weeks of the apprenticeship programme will be spent at the Carpentry Academy Banbury, Oxfordshire. Here, apprentices will gain essential knowledge in key topics such as:

Site Environment
Manual Handling
Health & Safety Basics
Power Tool Competency

Our goal is to make sure every apprentice is "Site Ready" from day one. After that time, the apprentices will head out to site, working close to their home with our chosen mentors as they start their journey in the industry.

Where Are Apprenticeships Available?

We're happy to be offering apprenticeships in the following locations:

Please note: Due to incredibly high demand, we simply can't respond to every applicant. Last year, we received over 550 applications for 15 places!

Why Choose LJ Construction?

At LJ Construction, we're passionate about building for the future.

We're committed to addressing the skills shortage facing the construction industry by actively training the next generation of carpenters. With more workers leaving the industry than entering it, the lack of skilled construction workers is predicted to be one of the biggest challenges the sector will face in the coming years.

We're proud to be part of the solution by:

Actively training young talent
Providing real mentorship from experienced carpenters
Delivering structured, practical, and meaningful experience

We believe in striking the right balance - fresh energy from apprentices combined with the experience and wisdom of seasoned professionals. It's how we ensure quality, continuity, and pride in every project we take on. The guidance and mentorship provided by our skilled carpenters is essential in shaping the next generation's development, creating a solid foundation for the industry's future.

Ready to Start Your Carpentry Journey?

If you're enthusiastic, hard-working, and ready to learn a skilled trade that lasts a lifetime, we want to hear from you.

Apply now through the links above - we look forward to hearing from you!

LJ Health Surveillance Update: Lung & Blood Pressure Testing

In line with HSE requirements, we have completed our annual health surveillance program. The comprehensive lung and blood pressure sampling tests are designed to verify that our onsite control measures are working with a focus on reducing the risks associated with dust exposure.

Our sample is made up of operatives of different ages, industry backgrounds and current working practices to ensure we cover all parts of the workforce.

We're pleased to report that all operatives passed their assessments and have been certified as fit for work, with no present health issues identified.

As part of our ongoing commitment to workplace safety, we will continue to conduct regular H&S audits and monitor our practices to maintain these high standards.

Our Year In Review...2024

This year, we...

Maintained a Construction Quality Review (CQR) score of 5.1 across the business
Achieved 95% of our customer care SLAs
Introduced 14 Apprentices and 15 Trainees into the industry
Worked with 2 NHBC Regional Award-Winning Site Managers

Continued investment in ourselves, the future of the company, and the future of the industry....

Growing LJC - We're proud to have begun working with 4 new housebuilders this year!
Further investment in the carpenters of the future - With a successful first year of our new apprenticeship programme... Capentryacademy.co.uk
Crunching down the data - Further analysed the root cause of customer care defects and presented this to some of our valued housebuilder clients.
Training and Qualifications - Got the ball rolling on some new company qualifications, more on this in 2025.

This has been an award-winning year for LJC. We've received some incredible customer care feedback, and we're proud to have contributed to some important charitable causes with our golf days and Movember 'tache growing efforts, we continued our annual support pledge to construction community charity The Lighthouse Club and provided support to those in need with our Christmas donations.

And there will be more of the same from us in 2025 as we continue to invest and develop in our team, the next wave of carpenter talent and the business as a whole!

So, as we shut the doors for the Christmas break, here's to a healthy and successful 2025 for all.

We wish all our Clients, Suppliers and our team here at LJC a very merry Christmas!

LJ Takes Part in Movember

Did you know that globally we lose one man to suicide every minute of every hour of every day? Or that testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15-34 and around 10.8M men around the world are facing life with a prostate cancer diagnosis?

That's why this year and every year, we tackle Movember for our dads, grandads, partners, brothers, sons, friends and colleagues.

All of our internal management team are in and ready to join the challenge!

So please dig deep and donate if you can.

To get us started, LJC has donated £100 for every internal team member that's taking part and £15 for every sub-contractor.

If you'd like to find out more, or donate to the LJC team's Movember fundraising, visit the LJ team page here.

Our team will also take on our Tash-Trek from Banbury to Oxford, a 45km walk to raise funds to support men's health.

Carpenter Dust Disclaimer: Your tash must be trimmed to maintain the full seal of your Face Mask as per HSE guidance.

Site Ready Course - Complete!

Wow what a 4 weeks!

We are delighted that all 14 of our new apprentices are still with us after their testing 4-week site ready course.

Over the last week they have been introduced to the site environment and met their mentors. From the 14 that walked in 4 weeks ago, their knowledge and competency have grown in many areas...

power tool competency training
manual handling
carpentry basics, including stud work, skirting, internal doors, joists and roofs
face fit tested
inductions
CSCS card tests
material and product knowledge
fire door training

Some huge thank yous, as it takes a lot of work to get these things up and running.

Internally at LJC...

Luke & Connor - our trainee development managers who have spent time teaching over the 4 weeks.
Contracts Managers - who have been part of each apprentice's site induction and introduction to their new mentor.

Then externally...

Rob and the team at MT Training - they adapted their Apprenticeship programme to work with us for the 4 weeks! A great company to work with who share our passion for training the next generation.
The team at CITB - they arranged the students' accommodation here in Banbury for the full 4 weeks.
CSCS - the external team who came here to Banbury remotely for the CSCS card tests! They all passed the first time!
NHBC - Lucy and Geoff for popping in to see how progress was going! Looking forward to working more with you and the team on your upcoming projects.

Finally, a note to the apprentices. Your dedication and hard work has made a difference! As you head out to site, we all want to wish you the very best of luck and we can't wait to see everything you will accomplish!

LJ Construction Subcontractor of the Year 2024 - Barratt Homes Northampton

Award win for LJ Construction!

We're happy to announce that Barratt Homes Northampton has once again named LJ Construction the Subcontractor of the Year for 2024.

This award is a testament to our entire team's dedication and hard work and reflects the efforts we put into every project. Receiving this award from Barratt Homes means a great deal, and it motivates us to continue improving the service we provide.

This year, 3 out of 4 of our Contracts Managers are directly involved with a Barratt site, and we would like to express our deepest gratitude and congratulations to our management and site teams. Without their commitment to excellence, recognitions like this wouldn't be possible. Thank you to everyone who continues to help us grow and succeed in our ever-evolving industry.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with Barratt Homes and thank them for this year's award.

The Lighthouse Club – LJ Construction Renew Annual Pledge

We're proud to announce that we're a Company Supporter of The Lighthouse Club and we've renewed our annual pledge to this amazing charity.

Every working day in the UK, two construction workers take their own lives. Stress, anxiety & depression account for over a quarter of all work-related illnesses in construction.

The Lighthouse Club is a charity that provides emotional, physical, and financial well-being support to the construction community and their families.

The Lighthouse Club

Their mission is that no construction worker or their family should feel alone in a crisis.

They are the only charity that is 100% dedicated to our construction community in the UK and Ireland and a crucial element of their strategy is to provide free and easy access to a wide range of proactive resources to support the wellbeing of our workforce.

They believe that no construction worker or their family should be alone in a crisis. They know that improving people's welfare and wellbeing can prevent them from reaching a crisis point and the charity strives to:

Reduce suicides in the construction industry
Improve workforce welfare and wellbeing
Keep our key support services free for everyone in our industry

Industry Support For Workforces & Their Families

Every single working day in the UK, 2 construction workers take their own life
Last year there were 30 fatalities on building sites
Stress, depression or anxiety accounts for 27% of work-related illnesses in construction
Over 46% of all occupational cancer cases in the UK are directly attributed to working in construction
Every year there are over 2,000 major accidents that incapacitate the worker in such a way they can't return to work
Every year there are over 82,000 new cases of work-related illness that can be directly attributed to working in construction
Every year over 2.4 million working days are lost through injury or illness in our industry

Their support of construction workers & their families makes us so proud to pledge to support such an incredible charity.

24/7, confidential support on a variety of issues

Get Help Now

If you would like to apply for wellbeing or financial support, you can get in touch with the Lighthouse Club in many ways:

24/7 free, confidential helpline

UK - 0345 605 1956
ROI - 1800 939 122
Request a call here: https://www.constructionindustryhelpline.com/request-a-call-or-email.html

Text
If you'd prefer to text rather than talk, chat with a trained volunteer via text

UK - Text HARDHAT to 85258
ROI - Text HARDHAT to 50808

Free App
Download their FREE Helpline App. Each section of the app offers advice on various conditions or issues, self-assessment tools, coping strategies and referral pathways to access expert advice and support.

Full app details are here: https://www.constructionindustryhelpline.com/app.html
Download on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/construction-industry-helpline/id1441007687?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Get it on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coins_global.buildingbuddy&hl=en_GB

Local Support
Find support in your area via Lighthouse Beacons - safe spaces for people to come together and talk in a confidential and supportive environment. You can share problems or issues you have faced or are still facing with people from all walks of life in a non-judgemental setting.

Find support in your local area here: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/d/viewer?mid=1LjRChZDreZ_VXYjmgbGy_cIYpMIJfsje&ll=53.90067124773741%2C-2.0772215500000035&z=6

Full contact information is available on their website: https://www.constructionindustryhelpline.com/application.html

NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2024

NHBC Awards 2024!

The winners of the first round of the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards have been announced & 8 Site Managers who we work alongside have won a Quality Award!

Congratulations to...

Cymon Robinson, Bellway Homes Northern Home Counties, for his site Weavers Fields in Desborough
Leigh Larkins, Bellway Homes West Midlands, for his site Yew Tree Meadows in Nuneaton
Jamie Taylor-Bowen, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Heritage Grange in Upper Lighthorne
Sergiu Rusu, Redrow Homes South Midlands, for his site Bloxham Vale in Banbury
Mike Smith, Spitfire Bespoke Homes Limited, for his site Malabar Farm in Daventry
David Butterly, Taylor Wimpey Midlands, for his site The Asps in Warwick
Andy Tromans, Taylor Wimpey Midlands, for his site Valiant Fields in Upper Lighthorne
Karl Haddon, Taylor Wimpey South Midlands, for his site Shenley Park in Milton Keynes

It's great to work with so many great site managers and construction teams!

A huge well done to you all, and a big thank you to our Contracts Managers and Carpenters for your hard work and contributions.

NHBC Carpentry Trade Talk at LJC

It was great to have Chris Stuart from the NHBC into the LJ Construction HQ this week to discuss all things carpentry.

Whilst the team already has extensive knowledge of the NHBC standards, it was a great opportunity to discuss the more fashionable items as well as items we had queried and wanted clarity on.

Thanks to Chris and the team at NHBC for a valuable session.

New Apprenticeship Programme Announced

LJ Construction will welcome 15 new apprentices to the business this September.

Applications and interviews are now closed and we are delighted to confirm 15 positions have been accepted by great candidates.

Teaming up with MTT Training, the first 4 weeks of the programme will be spent at the Carpentry Academy here in Banbury. Focusing initially on the Site Environment, H&S Basics and Tool Competency to ensure the aspiring carpenters are 'Site Ready' for their first day.

After that time, the apprentices will head out to site working closely with our chosen mentors as they start their journey in the industry.

More to come on this in the coming months!...

LJ's commitment to bringing through the next generation of carpenters

We're facing a skills shortage throughout the construction industry - more people are currently leaving than entering it. Skills shortages are predicted to be the biggest issue facing the industry.

The Chartered Institute of Building surveyed 2,096 construction workers, and the most popular reason the workers gave for the construction sector's ageing workforce was the reduction in young people entering the industry.

This reinforces our mission to train the next generation of carpenters. Every young carpenter we train is a step towards a stronger, more resilient construction sector, helping to secure the future of our industry

There's a balance to be made - introducing the new generation of carpenters to work alongside our talented and experienced carpenters who have "been there and done it".

We feel ensuring the younger generation's development is guided by experienced workers is invaluable.

Taylor Wimpey South Midlands – Customer Service Award

Annual Presentation Evening for Subcontractors, Suppliers & Consultants

Taylor Wimpey South Midlands - Customer Service Award

Last Friday, we attended the Annual Presentation Evening for Subcontractors & Suppliers in Milton Keynes.

We are delighted to announce that we picked up the Customer Service award for the year.

A huge thank you to our site teams for all their work towards this.

But a special thank you to our Maintenance team, who complete a full defect resolution service for the Taylor Wimpey South Midlands division when required.

We are even more proud of this award following the introduction of The New Homes Ombudsman Service with extra focus on customer satisfaction.

Further investment is going into our customer care area in the coming months, but more about that soon...

LJ Construction Celebrates Award Win as Taylor Wimpey Midlands' Sub Contractor of the Year 2023

Awards Success for LJ Construction!

Taylor Wimpey Midlands' Sub Contractor of the Year 2023 - LJ Construction

We're delighted to announce that last week we were presented the Subcontractor of the Year award by Taylor Wimpey Midlands.

Taylor Wimpey evaluates all subcontractors on criteria based on Working to Programme, Quality of Workmanship, Health & Safety, Customer Care and Commercial.

And out of 54 companies, we managed to finish the year with the top spot!

As the construction sector faces increasing challenges, our focus on enhancing and expanding our services whilst maintaining consistency in all other areas of the business remains a priority.

A huge thank you to our Internal Team, to Tom, our Contracts Manager, and our on-site teams for their continued hard work and dedication.

Also, a big thanks to the Team at Taylor Wimpey Midlands, who all create the team environment on site, allowing us to perform.

1 Year of LJC Crane Lifts

The LJC crane has been active for a year this February.

In the last 12 months, we have completed 154 lifts across 7 developments.

It's been great to have full control over scheduling of the crane, allowing us to support the housebuilders with drop-in lifts and ensure the programmes are met on site.

We look forward to developing and growing the crane side of LJ Construction in the coming years.

A special thanks to our Crane Manager Sam for all his efforts.

Our Year In Review...2023

As we reflect on the challenges and successes of the past year in the industry, we take great pride in our company's achievements. Our commitment to delivering quality in our production has always gone hand in hand with our dedication to assisting housebuilders in reaching their targets whilst supporting our local community.

Our LJC team achieved so much in 2023. This year we...

Maintained a Construction Quality Review (CQR) score of 5.15 across the business
Achieved 94% of our customer care SLAs
Funded another 9 NVQ qualifications
Introduced another 17 trainees into the industry

Continued investment in ourselves, the future of the company, and the future of the industry....

Growing LJC - This year we're proud to have begun working with 3 new housebuilders!
Further investment in the carpenters of the future - Established a new apprenticeship programme for 2024! More to come on this in the new year... Capentryacademy.co.uk
Crunching down the data - Developed analysis for our technical teams on squeaky floors - If any clients would like this please get in contact.
Helping to keep occupants and buildings safe with our Fire Door Training - We have provided Fire Door Training to both our own carpenters and a number of our client's Site Teams.

This has been an award-winning year for LJC, we've received some incredible customer care feedback and we're proud to have contributed to some important charitable causes with our golf days, continued our annual support pledge to construction community charity The Lighthouse Club and provided support to those in need with our Christmas donations.

And there will be more of the same from us in 2024, as we continue to invest and develop in our team, the next wave of carpenter talent and the business as a whole!

So whilst we shut the doors for the Christmas break, here's to a healthy and successful 2024 for all.

We wish all of our Clients, Suppliers and our team here at LJC a very merry Christmas!

A Gift this Christmas!

The LJ Construction team wanted to give something back to the community this year.

The cost-of-living crisis is being felt more than ever, and we wanted to do what we could to spread some joy at this time of year.

Working with some amazing groups and individuals we managed to donate...

£1,000 to The Lunchbox Project

Who are creating 500 food parcels for individuals and families that need support in the Banbury area.

50 Toys to The Oxfordshire Toy Bank

Working with South Moreton Boxing Club to support the Oxfordshire Toy Bank, getting toys to children and families who would otherwise be without this Christmas.

Whilst it's a sad reality that these schemes are required, it's amazing the work they do, and we have loved being part of it.

If any other business would like any more info on these charities or would like to support next year, please get in contact.

From everyone at LJC, we'd like to wish our clients and suppliers a very Merry Christmas!

Sub Contractor Awards Success - LJ Recognised for Performance Excellence

We're delighted to announce that LJ Construction has been recognised for performance excellence by Miller Homes and we've been awarded as their Sub Contractor of the Quarter (Q3) for the Norwood Quarter Development.

Miller Homes conducts quarterly reviews of all their sub contractors across multiple criteria "in order to acknowledge excellent performance."

Here's how we did:

Safety, Health and Environment - 5.85 / 6.00
Programme Delivery - 5.85 / 6.00
Quality, Cleanliness and Waste - 5.85 / 6.00
Commercial Fairness - 5.85 / 6.00
Management and Supervision - 5.85 / 6.00

These scores outperformed all other sub-contractors, but they also provide us with an opportunity to evolve and improve - which is always the goal!

We have already implemented new processes as we go all out to get even higher scores and reach those 6s.

Discussing the Miller Homes Award, LJC Director, Ryan Jones, said,

"We're delighted to be recognised by Miller Homes South Midlands as their Sub Contractor of the Quarter (Q3) on Norwood Quarter.

"As a new client, it's great to feel that the value our structure, approach and team brings has been recognised.

"We look forward to working on many future developments for the team at Miller Homes."

A huge thank you and congratulations for this award achievement to all our Sub Contractors, Contracts Manager and Internal Team who continue to strive to deliver at the highest level.

Charity Golf Days 2023 Roundup!

FORE!!!

10 Charity Golf Days!
Over £142k Raised by the housebuilders for Charity!
0 Victories! A couple of Birdies! Lots of Bogeys!

Once again this year, LJ Construction attended as many Charity Golf Days as we could.

From hitting a couple of birdies, suffering our fair share of bogeys and coming away with a dramatic 0 (yes, zero!) victories, it's been a rollercoaster of a golfing year. But, the housebuilders this year have raised a whopping £142k for some truly deserving charities.

As passionate supporters of the housebuilding industry's ongoing commitment to giving back, we've been honoured to contribute to 10 Charity Golf Days this year. These events aren't just about teeing off and having a great time; they're about making a real difference in the lives of those in need.

We want to give a shout-out to the incredible charities that these events have supported. From providing crucial care to patients at Myton Hospices / Parkinson's UK to backing local sports clubs like Shipston Football Club. Zoe's Place Baby Hospice, Help Harry, The Hope Centre, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Children First Derby, Action4Youth, and KidsAid have all benefited from the generosity and passion of the participants and donations.

It's not just about the fun of the game and the golf days themselves, though. It's about the people, companies and teams coming together to make a positive impact. We're proud to be part of this industry and all it does for these charities, so a big thanks to the housebuilders and the team at NHBC for their invitations and continued support.

So, here's to another successful year of swinging for charity - bring on 2024's fundraising!

Continued Commitment to Customer Care - LJ Receives Great Feedback

Customer care has always been a priority for LJ Construction, and with 2022's introduction of The New Homes Ombudsman Service & New Homes Quality Board, it's more important to the wider industry than ever.

Launched last October, The New Homes Ombudsman Service impartially investigates complaints about New Homes.

The independent service exists to help customers resolve issues with their new homes and its introduction has been a positive step for the industry, customers and, ultimately, new homeowners.

Ensuring new homeowners are happy is vitally important to us, and we continue to further invest in our Customer Care arm to ensure defect resolution is achieved and SLAs hit in every instance.

Some of our recent feedback is a testament to the team and shows that the full defect resolution approach ensures a positive outcome for all customers:

"A lovely young man Ollie attended on Monday, 4th September. What a wonderful, pleasant, and helpful young man. He did a terrific job!" September 2023
"This is what service is about, thank you." September 2023
"Really happy with the works your guys did, can't thank you enough...they were friendly and professional and did a fantastic job." July 2023
"I would like to take the opportunity to update you on the extremely high level of professionalism and workmanship of the works carried out to our property. The task was immensely time-consuming and labour-intensive; however, it was completed with utmost care and minimal external/internal wall damage, execution to detail and plastered/painted to a high standard. Jason must be commended, as he is highly competent and a perfectionist in his work." July 2023
"I just wanted to say that the guys that came out were absolutely great and I just wanted them to get some positive feedback. Really helpful, professional, and explained everything they were doing. Represented your company really well." April 2023

Thank you to all the homeowners who took the time to send their positive feedback and huge thanks to Dasher, Jason, Ollie, Dale and Liam, and Jack who navigates it all internally.

We're delighted with the feedback that reflects the care and attention we put into all our Customer Care projects.

Carpentry Academy Completes First Work Experience Programme!

Over the past 7 weeks, 10 students have attended our Carpentry Academy 1 day a week to complete their Work Experience programme.

Our 'Site Ready' course is there to fill the knowledge and skills void that most students leave college with.

The course curriculum is focused on Site-based practices such as stud walls and winding staircases. But we also use our facility to educate on Site Manager Support, Waste Management and Power Tool Competency.

We're very proud that 5 of the 10 Students have been awarded Trainee positions with us and will be working with us on site within 4-6 weeks.

Here they are pictured with their Carpentry Basics starter tool bags funded by LJ Construction.

Giving back

We feel the funding in the industry doesn't reach the right places...

This is why we feel it's important that companies such as ours have a responsibility and so we take it into our own hands to bring the next generation into the industry.

7 weeks of training, 10 tool kits, 10 CSCS cards and 10 large pizzas... why? Because the industry won't be here unless we give something back.

We look forward to welcoming not 10, but 20 students onto the programme in 2024!

For more detail please visit The Carpentry Academy and get in touch.

More Software Development at LJC!

We've been developing our own bespoke customer relationship management (CRM) technology since 2007, and since then it hasn't stopped growing and changing.

Every aspect of our business is now controlled and managed using the tech which is becoming more and more valuable as the industry continues to change.

From our tablet interface for our Contracts Managers to our smartphone interface for our Sub Contractors, the system controls everything from a Quality Item on to a Finance Application to a client.

Most recently we have completed upgrades to the following...

Fire Door Inspection Module - allowing us to inspect and sign off Fire Door Installations with a picture and text audit produced for each plot.
Sub Contractor Quality Training Analysis - allowing us to view the most common quality items allocated to an individual, allowing us then to train and educate to eliminate the issues in future.
Customer Care Updates - a few minor but important efficiency tweaks to this area, including customer signature sign-off at completion of a job, SLA timelines built into the system and appointment confirmations via text for each appointment!

Whilst tech is important, it is only part of the overall service we provide. We build and use the system to support us to do the things we would do anyway; it just makes us more efficient.

We will continue to reinvest and innovate to ensure we can continue to meet the ever-growing demands of the industry.

If we are working on your site, and you want to know more, speak to one of our Contracts Managers who will spend some time showing you how we use the system.

Sub Contractor of the Year 2023 - Barratt Homes Northampton

Awards success for LJ Construction!

Last week we were presented the Sub Contractor of the Year award by Barratt Homes Northampton.

We have always strived for consistency across the whole business, and this award from one of the UK's leading housebuilders feels like a true reflection of that.

4 out of 5 of our Contracts Managers actively look after a Barratt site, so winning this award demonstrates that consistency.

In these constantly more challenging times for the industry, we will continue to develop and improve the service we offer.

A huge thank you to our management team and to our site teams who continue to strive to deliver at the highest level.

LJ Construction: New crane is active!

We have now begun lifting roofs on some sites where we are contracted to do so with our brand-new Böcker crane. Another key step to ensuring we can deliver the best possible service to our clients.

Considered to be the no.1 in its weight class, the truck-mounted AK 37/4000 has lifting capabilities covering the majority of the roofs we complete on site and its low fuel consumption is definitely an environmental-friendly advantage.

We will continue to work closely with a number of external crane suppliers including ABA Crane Hire and NMT, ensuring we can deliver lifts in a timely manner where we are contracted.

As a business, we continue to reinvest in the services we provide and we're delighted to welcome Sam to the LJ Construction team as our Crane Manager!

LJ Construction: New ombudsman increases demand for Customer Care Service

We've always had a customer focus on everything we do & our multi-trade sister company RB Maintenance has been completing full-service defect resolution for over 20 years.

The team has gradually increased over the years, so we are ideally positioned to react to any customer care situation.

Customer care has always been a priority for us and with the introduction of The New Homes Ombudsman Service & New Homes Quality Board, it's more important than ever.

Launched in October last year, The New Homes Ombudsman Service exists to help customers resolve issues with their new homes and its introduction is a positive step for the industry, customers and, ultimately, new homeowners.

We are further investing in our Customer Care arm to ensure defect resolution is achieved and SLAs hit in every instance.

As well as focusing on completing defect resolution, we are also continuing to train and educate the next generation on defect avoidance and eliminating issues at source through our Carpentry Academy.

To read more on the changes coming to the industry, follow the links below...

New Homes Ombudsman Service: https://www.nhos.org.uk/

New Homes Quality Board (NHQB): https://www.nhqb.org.uk/

Our Year In Review...

As we look back on what's been another testing yet rewarding year in the industry, we're very proud of what we have all achieved together. As a business, we have always strived to achieve quality carpentry whilst supporting the house builders in delivering their target numbers as best we can.

Our LJ team achieved so much in 2022. This year we...

Maintained a CQR score of 5.15 across the business
Achieved 94% of our customer care SLAs
Funded another 18 NVQ qualifications
Introduced another 16 trainees into the industry

Investment in ourselves, the future of the company, and the future of the industry....

Restructured our Customer Care Team - We have invested further to ensure our high standards are met by restructuring and increasing our Customer Care team to meet the increased Ombudsman demands.
Purchase of our Crane - We have purchased a Bocker Crane and recruited a driver and appointed person - you'll see them on the road in January!
Carpentry Academy - There's been further development of the LJC training school and we're so proud of the progression of the trainee managers and all the carpenters of the future.
Fire Door Training - We have provided Fire Door Training to both our own carpenters, and also a number of our clients Site Teams.

So whilst we shut the doors for the Christmas break, here's to a healthy and successful 2023 for all.
There will be more of the above from LJC in 2023, as we continue to invest and develop in both our team and the business as a whole!

We wish all of our Clients and Suppliers a very merry Christmas!

And an extra special thanks to our Teams both internally and our active Sub Contractors, without them non of the above is possible!

More Fire Door Competency Training Completed!

As the construction industry continues to increase its focus on details and fire safety in homes, we are continuing to increase our knowledge and competency across the whole business.

With all our management team completing external training with Fire Doors Complete Ltd, we are now able to pass on our knowledge to all the teams on site.

All LJC Sub Contractors who fit fire doors are now completing their additional advanced competency training. Whilst the team are all capable of fitting the doors, the session expands further on the importance of all these components in the event of a fire.

The Carpentry Academy at LJ Construction will continue with more sessions like this, with focuses on other topics relating to Customer Care, Health and Safety and Quality.

www.carpentryacademy.co.uk

NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2022

A great day was spent at Royal Ascot celebrating with our Sub Contractors and Construction Teams.

The winners of the first round of the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards have been announced & 13 Site Managers who we work alongside have won a Quality Award!

Congratulations to...

Deklan Hurst, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton, for his site Fairfields in Milton Keynes
Jason Bond, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton, for his site Brooklands in Milton Keynes
Phil Ward, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton, for his site Brooklands in Milton Keynes
Mick Rose, Bloor Homes East Midlands, for his site Hollycroft Grange in Hinckley
Steve Beck, Bellway Homes North Home Counties, for his site Hanwood Park in Kettering
Jamie Taylor-Bowen, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Heritage Grange In Warwick
Adam Breakspear, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Kingfisher Meadows in Witney
Paul Moore, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site The Pavilions in Banbury
Joe O`Sullivan, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Beaumont Park in Warwick
Scott Harris, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Hemins Place in Bicester
Gerwyn Evans, Taylor Wimpey South Midlands, for his site Orchard Chase in Biggleswade
Andy Tromans, Taylor Wimpey Midlands, for his site Valiant Fields in Warwick
Sam Watson, Bellway Homes West Midlands, for his site Royal Park in Nuneaton

It's great to work with so many great site managers and construction teams!

A huge well done to you all, and a big thank you to our Contracts Managers and Carpenters for your hard work and contributions.

More Positive Feedback for Our Customer Care Team!

Our sister Company RB Maintenance attend all Customer Care works for us, but they also attend other sites which we haven't worked on to support the Main Contractors in providing maintenance and delivering their customer service.

RB Maintenance are our very own dedicated in-house customer care company, they are expert carpenters and also multi-skilled tradesmen.

They recently attended a property with a creaking floor for another Carpentry Contractor and had the situation resolved in less than a day. The happy homeowner took the time to provide positive feedback for the RB Maintenance team saying, 'A huge thank you to Dasher and the team for dealing with the creaking floorboards, we are really happy and the noise has greatly improved.'

Due to our team being multi-skilled, we can rectify defects from start to finish meaning the client does not have to get other trades for return visits.

Well done to all the RB Dream Team, keep up the great work!

Staircase Installation Video Live

For the past 3 years, LJ Construction has been working closely with leading staircase manufacturer Staircraft to support the development of stair products supplied to site.

Earlier this year, we arranged for a full day filming on-site to produce a full installation video for a winding staircase.

Teaming up with video producer and filmmaker Virgyl Sowah (Virtual Media), we spent a full day filming and utilised creative meetings with Staircraft to produce the final video.

Staircraft has just premiered the installation video for training all across the country!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eevZJLIL9U0

Leading The Way In The Industry

We love being involved in these projects. We feel it allows us to lead the way in the carpentry industry, demonstrating we are ahead of the game and ensuring our knowledge and expertise is available to all.

Video projects like this also enable us to support our customers in achieving higher CQR Scores, reducing RIs and eliminating customer care requirements.

We will now look to improve our working relationship with further suppliers to look for further collaboration projects and continue to improve the services we offer.

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Taylor Wimpey Visit The LJ Construction Carpentry Academy!

We're delighted to announce that recently we welcomed one of our major customers Taylor Wimpey South Midlands Region to our Academy.

A Great Success

On Thursday 15th July 2021, 8 Trainee Assistant Site Managers (TASMS) from the South Midlands Region attended our training day.

As part of the training day with Taylor Wimpey, we shared our knowledge and experience on External Doors and Winding Staircases. We demonstrated and discussed possible issues of inadequate supply, storage, fitting and sign off.

We also showed the TASMs our processes and training techniques to prevent these issues from ever happening.

Terry Mack, Production Manager of the Region said, "The team made us very welcome and produced a very good presentation explaining what they are developing as a company to raise standards improve their performance.

"They are clearly working hard producing training guides and fitting documents to achieve a consistent approach on all sites."

Marton Pampurik, Trainee Site Manager said, "I think it is a brilliant way to educate both us, and your own staff as well to overcome/avoid constant issues on site to provide the customers with the best quality possible.

"The whole workshop is a great idea, I think it should be standard for every sub-contractor to have similar facilities (where it's possible) where they can educate their own people."

Ongoing Quality Management

Our Quality management process starts in our Academy. It includes multiple methods and formats to ensure all our trainees are ready for site. We utilise installation guides and video content, our bespoke Quality Control System and ongoing analysis of Quality and Customer Care Defects.

Outside of the Academy, we've developed pro-active and reactive processes relating to CQR Scores and Reportable Items on site.

A Proud Day For LJ

This was a proud day for us and felt great to share our facilities with such a great customer and housebuilder, as well as having the opportunity to meet this next generation of future Site Managers. We were proud to welcome Taylor Wimpey to our Academy and it was great to have the TASMs join us for the day. We look forward to welcoming the new TASMs next year in 2022!

More NVQ Trainee Success at LJ Construction (22 More To Be Precise)!

Alongside our ongoing success of internal training at the LJ Construction Training Academy, since 2019 we've funded NVQ Qualifications for our trainees and continue to ensure future generations of carpenters are in a position to begin their careers.

We also ensure all our Sub Contractors have the correct Construction Skills Certification (CSCS cards) to work independently on site.

However, we don't simply enrol our trainees on the NVQ Programme. We have our own verification and check process to ensure all our Trainees are ready to work independently on site, not just ready to pass their assessment.

In 2019 we funded and completed 12 Sub Contractors with their NVQ Level 2 in Site Carpentry enabling them to gain their Blue CSCS Card.

In 2020, 10 more sub contractors achieved their qualifications and we're already working hard to make sure the next 2 years will be busy ones, increasing the number of NVQ Level 2 completions and helping the future wave of carpenters to develop and thrive!

We love seeing our Trainees develop and turn into not only great carpenters, but also helpful and supportive assets on their sites!

NHBC Awards 2021!

The winners of the first round of the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards have been announced & 12 Site Managers who we work alongside have won a Quality Award!

Congratulations to...

Deklan Hurst, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton, for his site Fairfields 1B in Milton Keynes
Joshua Croxford, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton, for his site Fairfields 1A in Milton Keynes
Ben Broome, Bellway Homes North Home Counties, for his site Hanwell View in Banbury
Stuart Parker, Bellway Homes West Midlands, for his site Royal Park in Nuneaton
Adam Breakspear, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Kingfisher Meadows in Witney
Joe O`Sullivan, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Beaumont Park in Warwick
Scott Harris, Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia, for his site Hemins Place in Bicester
Peter Scheu, Redrow Homes South Midlands, for his site Bloxham Vale in Banbury
Andy Tromans, Taylor Wimpey Midlands, for his site Meadowsweet Farm in Leamington Spa
Oliver Yazdianpour, Taylor Wimpey Midlands, for his site Wellington in Southam
Graham Mason, Taylor Wimpey Midlands, for his site Lancaster in Southam
Nik Eason, Taylor Wimpey South Midlands, for his site Thorn Fields in Dunstable

It's great to work with so many great site managers and construction teams!

A huge well done to you all, and a big thank you to our Contracts Managers and Carpenters for your hard work and contribution.

LJ Construction Training Academy Back Up & Running

Welcoming New & Existing Trainees With Two Exciting Training Initiatives!

We're delighted to announce that the LJ Construction Training Academy is back up & running with 2 new training initiatives to develop future carpenters to help them to become ready for site.

We have 2 new training initiatives currently running:

1. Intensive Classes - For current trainees

Intensive training focused on complicated & difficult elements.
Additional training to cover essential knowledge of items which cause the biggest customer care or quality issues.
We have just completed 3 weeks intense training with trainee Robert Ball doing a winding staircase.
He's now fitted a full set, on site, on his own with the support of our Trainee Development Manager, Paul Connor.
Paul will now supervise his next 2 sets & then sign him off as a fitter.
This process would take up to 6 months worth of training on site, all done in 6 weeks with the benefit of the training academy.

2. Night School - For new trainees

We're proud to be welcoming our first group of night school trainees.
5 keen future carpenters will receive 2 hours of training to learn the basics of the trade whilst developing future opportunities to become carpenters with us.
Thanks to their training when they arrive to site they will have an awareness of the site environment combined with their newly acquired skills.
As a business, we can also monitor and assess the skills, attitude and approach of the trainees before sending them on site to represent the company. All of these essential aspects continue to gradually raise standards on site.

The Ideal Preparation For Real Site Situations

As well as developing their carpentry trade skills, we are teaching the students about essential "real site situations" regarding site safety, material management, tool competency & support for the site team. With a focus on customer care related items, fire stopping & the 'know how' to support the site management team.

We feel this training prior to their introduction to real site environment gives these students a huge advantage in being ready for site & deliver consistent work in a safe environment.

The Opportunity To Push Skills & Confidence To The Next Level

Discussing his training at our academy, trainee Robert Bell said, "I have been working with LJ Construction for just over a year. It's been great on site working with my mentor, Will Hicks. He's taught me loads!

"To help my progression with more complicated tasks over the past 3 weeks I've been coming to the Intensive Evening Class with the Trainee Development Manager, Paul Connor.

"Within 3 sessions of intensive work on winding stair cases, I was able to fit a full set on site under his supervision which was quality inspected by my Contracts Manager.

"It's been great getting the confidence to work to this level & I would encourage all the other trainees to spend some time at the Academy to push themselves to the next level."

Supporting Future Carpenters’ Development & Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2021

It's National Apprenticeship Week (8-14 February, 2021) and to celebrate we have a new apprenticeship opportunity available with our sister company, RB Maintenance.

As we continue to deliver Carpentry Contracting services to the nations' largest house builders it's vital to us that we invest & grow the next generation of exceptional carpenters through in-house training with our dedicated Trainee Manager, ongoing support and new apprenticeship opportunities.

Exceptional Development With An LJ-Spin

As the demands and requirements of the industry continue to evolve, we're proud to put our own spin on the training and development of our future carpenters.

Whilst traditionally apprentices attend college and then go straight into work with the employer, we have found full time on-the-job training to be beneficial to the long-term development our trainees. This system ensures our training is adapted and suited to specific on-the-job requirements of each Site Management team we work for. Additionally with our purpose built Carpentry Academy we have the facilities to ensure our Trainees are 'Site Ready' before even arriving on a job.

Further opportunities are provided as we continue to invest in the future of trainee carpenters by covering the costs to put on average 10 trainees through their NVQ Level 2 qualification in Site Carpentry every year.

Our investment continues this year and we're looking to grow the amount of training opportunities on offer. With that in mind we are ensuring our training is focused on our current Sub Contractors ensuring they are fully equipped to fulfil the current demands of the construction industry.

Supporting The Development Of Future Carpenters

Last year our Carpentry Academy opened with the 1st ever LJ Construction Carpentry School program and whilst this has been disrupted by COVID-19 we look forward to welcoming some back students over the next few months.

Exciting Apprenticeship Opportunity Available Now

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week we're happy to announce we're currently recruiting for an Apprentice Maintenance Operative to join our sister company RB Maintenance.

An Investment In The Future

Our Director, Ryan said, "We're delighted to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week and offer this new apprenticeship opportunity with RB Maintenance.

"We firmly believe that our investment in training facilities and continued commitment to providing the best carpentry training is an investment in the future for us as a company and the exceptional carpenters of tomorrow."

NHBC Awards 2020!

Awards success for the LJC Team

The winners of the first round of the 40th anniversary NHBC Pride in the Job Awards have been announced & LJ Construction teams were involved with 11 award winning sites.

This is the 40th anniversary NHBC Pride in the Job Awards & from 11,000 sites throughout the UK that are eligible at the start of the competition, just 450 have been selected for their excellent standards on site & the quality of construction, & our work throughout central England has been recognised.

The following Award Winning sites contained LJC teams...

Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton - Fairfields (Phase 3D & 5E) - Milton Keynes
Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton - Fairfields (Phase 3C & 5D) - Milton Keynes
Barratt and David Wilson Homes Northampton - Woburn Downs - Milton Keynes
Bellway Homes North Home Counties - Victoria Fields - Bicester
Bellway Homes North Home Counties - Blackthorn Meadows - Bicester
Bellway Homes West Midlands - Royal Park - Nuneaton
Bloor Homes South Midlands - Red House Farm - Towcester
Barratt and David Wilson Homes Mercia - Kingfisher Meadows - Witney
Taylor Wimpey Midlands - Meadowsweet Farm - Leamington Spa
Taylor Wimpey Midlands - Flying Fields (Phase B) - Southam
Taylor Wimpey Oxfordshire - Bridal Ways - Banbury

With our teams back up & running on site utilising Covid-friendly practices & today's awards announcement, we're delighted with some positive news for the house builders & LJC!

Well done to everyone involved!

NHBC Awards 2019!

Another good year for the LJ Construction Team! 14 Award Winning Sites in the first round. Good luck to all the Site Teams for the Seals and Regionals in September!

The following Award Winning sites contained LJC teams...

- Bloor Homes South Midlands - Red House Farm, Towcester
- Barratt Northampton - Brooklands Ph2a, Milton Keynes
- Barratt Northampton - Fairfields P5/2, Milton Keynes
- Barratt Northampton - Fairfields P3/5, Milton Keynes
- Bellway Homes Northern Home Counties - Hanwell View, Banbury
- Bellway Homes Northern Home Counties - Blackthorn Meadows, Bicester
- Bellway Homes South Midlands - Cherry Fields, Banbury
- David Wilson Homes Mercia - Kingfisher Meadows, Witney
- Taylor Wimpey Midlands - Lower Farm, Nuneaton
- Taylor Wimpey Midlands - Meadowsweet Farm, Leamington Spa
- Taylor Wimpey Midlands - Flying Fields, Southam
- Taylor Wimpey East Midlands - Darcie Park, Raunds
- Taylor Wimpey Oxfordshire - Longford Park Ph4, Banbury
- Taylor Wimpey South Midlands - Blossom Park, Brackley