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The construction business is growing at its fastest rate since 2004 and is the largest industry in Britain, employing more than two million people. The market is buoyant but there is a huge problem: there simply are not enough people with the right skills to maintain the growth of the industry. Last week Shropshire took two major steps in the right direction. Two new centres opened in the county, specifically to train people for a construction industry which is facing a crisis, with too few specialists - from architects to carpenters - to plug the jobs gap. Wrekin Construction opened its new, purpose-designed and -built training centre at the company's headquarters in Shifnal, offering trainees a wider range of career options. And Telford Construction Centre also opened its doors on Friday, giving youngsters the opportunity to train both in the classroom and in an on-site environment.
A Bucks County, Pa., contracting firm was awarded more than $38.4 million last week in its suit against the city of Newark, Del., for terminating its contract to build a reservoir and later tarnishing its reputation by accusing the contractor of quitting the job. In the suit, Donald M. Durkin Contracting Inc. of Southampton, Pa., claimed its contract to build a 318-million gallon reservoir was terminated after it raised concerns about whether the reservoir could be built as designed. Plaintiffs attorney Paul A. Logan of Powell Trachtman Logan Carrle & Lombardo in King of Prussia told the Delaware federal court jury that Newark city officials refused to address the problems and instead set out to ruin Durkin's reputation and interfere with its ability to obtain additional jobs.
Papar: Construction work at the General Operations Force (GOF) headquarters at Kinarut, here, will resume January next year, said Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum. Mohd Johari said Masenang Sdn Bhd, previously a sub-contractor in the project standstill, had been appointed by the Government as the main contractor. "Masenang was chosen to finish the project as it had been involved in the project from the beginning and they knew about the work well," he said to reporters at the project's site office, Monday. According to Mohd Johari, the RM215 million project, which is now 38 per cent complete, will be completed in 18 months. He said the project now requires RM120 million, which should be enough to see to its completion in early 2008. "The amount could run off a bit because we don't know exactly what is at the site," he said, adding a total of RM78 million had been paid off to the original main contractor before its service was terminated.
AMES, Iow -- Family members and several prominent Iowa lawmakers called on Thursday for a new investigation into the death of an Iowa contractor in Iraq after video surfaced of the killing. Keven Dagit of Jefferson was working for Halliburton last September when insurgents attacked his convoy. Dagit's parents, Lloyd and Gloria, want to know why U.S. troops left their son and a group of contractors alone, with no way of defending themselves after their convoy came under attack. The new video may shed fresh light on that and other questions. .
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