The South African construction sector needed to change its mindset, and look to supporting longer-term strategies to meet the challenges of the 2010 soccer World Cup, Johannesburg-based Landelahni group CEO Sandra Burmeister emphasised on Tuesday.Speaking at the company's presentation of the findings of its 2006 construction industry research report, Burmeister showed that, although skills development was on the rise in the building sector, it was lagging behind the levels that were required.She highlighted that participation from blacks and women in the sector was “dismal”, with the average board representation as low as 25%.A similar study conducted on the mining industry earlier this year showed that women and blacks had accounted for an average of 35% representation on local mining companies' directorships.Seeking out reasons for this, Burmeister highlighted that the total training of blacks in the construction industry was lower than the industry-wide average, while the total number of trained staff in the construction sector at management and professional levels was higher than the rest of the industry.Low economic growth in the past had resulted in a 'flat' industry that had invested little in skills development for the past decade.To mitigate this, the country would need consistent training and skills development to meet projected economic growth trends and infrastructure demands.“The construction industry needs to think more creatively about skills acquisition and employment equity and embark on a multi-pronged strategy, which includes transferable skills and contract labour,” Burmeister argued.Aggravating the skills shortage, which she said could well be a crisis, was a global skills shortage in the engineering and technical fields that had resulted in large numbers of South Africans leaving the country to work abroad.Burmeister suggested solutions to the current local skills dearth.

WASB approves creation of back-up bus contractor list

After past problems in which a contracted bus company backed out of scheduled transportation for student activities, Weatherly Area School Board approved a back-up list of contractors. The list was approved during the Oct. 10 voting meeting and authorizes Superintendent Gene Freeman to pick from the list should a contractor not be able to provide transportation to a scheduled event during the school year.Submitting the list of emergency bus contractors was a recommendation from the transportation committee.At a previous meeting, Freeman said that twice this year, a contractor could not find a bus driver to take students to scheduled activities, such as sporting events.Freeman said he had to decide whether to call another contractor to take the students or let the students forfeit the game. He said it would not have been fair to make students forfeit a game because the district didn’t get transportation.However, some directors were concerned students would ride with contractors that were not approved by the district.So to alleviate that concern, Freeman submitted the back-up bus list.On that list are: Kenneth Vogel Bus Co., Weatherly, at $10 an hour and $1.50 per mile; Hemlock Bus Co., Freeland, at $10 and $1.50 per mile; Evancho Transportation Co.

Contractor indicted in alleged scam

A Moreau builder has been indicted on five charges that accuse him of ripping off two customers in Washington County last year and this year -- thefts that nearly cost one of the victims his home, officials said.Thomas B. DuFore, 33, of Gansevoort Road faces felony counts of grand larceny and misappropriation of funds of a trust and a misdemeanor count of petit larceny.He operates DuFore Construction LLC.DuFore was arrested in July by State Police in Washington County after two customers came forward claiming he had taken tens of thousands of dollars from them and not completed the work, State Police Senior Investigator Thomas Aiken said.At one project in Argyle, DuFore is accused of taking $80,000 as partial payment to build a home but not completing the work. He also is accused of taking $52,700 to build an addition to a home in Kingsbury, but failing to complete the work there as well.

Building contractor shot dead in Amparai

Unidentified gunmen shot dead a contractor at Malkampity road in Samanthurai police division in Amparai district Sunday at 9:00 p.m., said Sammanthurai police. The victim succumbed to his wounds after being admitted to Akaraipattu hospital in a critical condition, hospital sources said.

The deceased is identified as contractor U. K. Rahim, 50, a father of four.

The assailants had called Rahim out of his house and shot him at close range before escaping, said the police.

The popular contractor was engaged in building and road constructions in Samanthurai, Karaithivu and Kalmunai.

Sammanthurai is located 17 km north east of Amparai. .

Bilfinger Berger receives new building construction orders

Bilfinger Berger will carry out the turn-key construction of the Stadt-Galerie in Passau. The order volume for this ambitious development project from ECE Projektmanagement amounts to 60 million.

Construction work begins in October 2006 and the shopping center is to be opened in fall 2008. 21,000 square meters of retail space, spread over three levels, provide an attractive location for up to 90 shops.

In Duisburg, Bilfinger Berger is building the Forum, another inner-city shopping center. The client is Multi Development Germany, the volume amounts to 85 million and Bilfinger Berger is the technical leader for the turn-key construction. The opening is planned for fall 2008. A few steps away, Bilfinger Berger is currently building the striking CityPalais for the Landesentwicklungsgesellschaft NRW with a concert hall as well as office and retail space.

Contractor charged with steering medical contracts

A former civilian contract specialist with Army Medical Command and a Maryland man have been charged with conspiring to influence contracting at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday.