Construction 'must do more' to support neurodiverse tradespeople

With October marking ADHD Awareness Month, Patricia Gardiner, Trades Expert for Trade Direct Insurance, outlines the barriers neurodiverse tradespeople still face and how the sector can adapt to better support them Tradies are significantly more likely to be neurodiverse than the general population. Research has found that whilst an estimated 15-20% of Brits are neurodiverse, over half (52%) of tradespeople consider themselves to have a neurodiverse condition For many people with neurodiversity, a practical career as a tradesperson offers many significant benefits over other career options that may lead them to pursue a career on the tools," Gardiner continues. Independence and flexibility, the nature of hands-on practical work, and individual learning in the form of apprenticeships and mentor schemes, are all positive factors that many people on the neurodiverse spectrum find appealing. However, the environment that attracts neurodiverse talent can also present challenges. If the sector wants to expand its current talent pool and secure a healthy future by growing the workforce, it must go further to accommodate the needs of all tradespeople. The hidden obstacles facing neurodiverse tradies It’s true that the trades play to many of the strengths associated with neurodiversity, but the day-to-day realities of working on-site also present unique challenges, particularly for those with ADHD. For a self-employed tradie, their job extends beyond practical work. Invoicing, communication, managing quotes, tracking inventories, and scheduling demands high levels of organisation and effective time management. For a tradesperson with ADHD, tackling these tasks can be overwhelming, and could lead to forgotten admin or even friction with clients, due to communication challenges or missed deadlines. These administrative problems are not usually an indicator of a tradie’s ability to do their job to a high standard, but can cause doubt or a loss of confidence for customers. Insurance, that can be vital for tradies but can be complex and difficult to understand, also presents challenges for neurodiverse tradespeople. Fully understanding the details of a policy can be daunting and can leave tradies under protected if they do not possess the right public liability insurance, their tools insurance does not cover the full value of their inventory, or if they plan to take on an apprentice but do not have the correct employer’s liability insurance policy. On-site communication is another hurdle. Many people with neurodiversity find it easier to follow written instructions or may need to clarify key points before they understand what is being asked of them, but asking for instructions to be written down or repeated can be perceived negatively. This could cause a tradie to choose not to ask for clarification in future, resulting in misunderstandings that could be avoided. Unlocking the overlooked potential for the industry Addressing these challenges is vital for solving the construction skills shortage the UK is facing. Younger generations have a much greater awareness of their neurodiversity than previous generations. Combined with this, a perceived lack of attractive career options is driving many into unemployment, as individuals feel uninspired and unsuited to the world of work. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims for young people aged 16–24 with ADHD and autism have tripled in recent years2, an issue which is contributing to increasing numbers of young people being out of work, education or training, commonly known as NEETs (Not in Employment Education or Training). The construction industry should recognise this as a significant recruitment opportunity. If the sector can become more accessible to neurodiverse individuals, and if we can successfully highlight the many perks and benefits that make it a genuinely attractive career for young people, we can address youth unemployment and the skills shortage crisis at the same time. Many young people claiming PIP or seeking adjustments are doing so because office jobs are not suited to their ways of working. Construction offers an environment that ticks many of the boxes that motivate neurodiverse individuals, such as variety and visible progress towards goals. By positioning the trades as a natural and rewarding path for young people, the industry can tap into a motivated pool of talent currently overlooked by office-based sectors. What’s more, many of the required adjustments are universally beneficial to all tradespeople, as well as being particularly helpful for those who are neurodiverse. We can adjust regulatory and insurance language to ensure that it’s clear, to the point, and easy to understand. We can change apprenticeship curriculums to make them focused on practical learning, digital management and organisation. Changing how we promote the trades as a career choice for young people will allow us to appeal to talented individuals who are struggling to find direction, by giving them greater awareness of an option that might just be a perfect match for them. Patricia Gardiner is Trades Expert for Trade Direct Insurance

Passiv to supply smart controls for Ample heat pump installations

Smart thermostats and energy management systems developer Passiv UK has been selected by Ample as its preferred smart controls provider for heat pump installations, with its technology set to help optimise systems and remotely monitor performance As part of the partnership, heat pump installation and finance specialist Ample will use the Passiv Smart Thermostat as its smart provider for all its heat pump installations. Passiv’s technology will enable ​compatible ​heat pumps to be optimised, including making use of time-of-use electricity tariffs and rooftop solar generation where available. Ample will also use Passiv’s remote monitoring capabilities, the Passiv Portal, across its heat pump installations, providing visibility of system performance after installation and helping ensure systems continue to operate as expected. Ian Rose, Managing Director at Passiv UK, says: “Ample’s approach is about giving homeowners and installers greater support throughout the ​whole ​life of a​ system, ​n​ot just the​ installation​.​​ "T​hat makes this partnership a natural fit. Ongoing support with Passiv’s smart controls and remote monitoring will help ensure every installation is set up​ correctly and continues​ to perform at its best.” ​​Alex Godsell, Co-founder​ ​of​ Ample, adds: “We want to ensure the transition to a heat pump is as straightforward as possible for both homeowners and installers. Passiv stood out to us because of its ability to ​intelligently ​optimise heat pumps for the home and for its ​powerful ​remote monitoring capabilities. Bringing those smart controls together gives ​us the tools we need to guarantee ​homeowners ​a truly delightful experience with their heat pump ​​long after ​installation.” The Passiv Smart Thermostat's ecoHeat function has been verified by the Energy Saving Trust to improve heat pump efficiency by 17% and can reduce household heating bills by up to 30%. For more from Passiv UK, click here

Amendment 4: are electricians ready for more connected installations?

From solar and batteries to EV chargers and smart technology, modern installs are converging fast. Darren Staniforth, Head of Technical Solutions at CEF explores what Amendment 4 to BS 7671 means for contractors As solar PV, battery storage, EV charging, and smart systems become standard features in modern properties, electricians are increasingly working on installations which are increasingly interconnected. Decisions made around one piece of kit now directly impact how the rest of the board and overall system perform. Amendment 4 to BS 7671, published in April this year, reflects this industry shift. It introduces clearer requirements designed to keep multi-technology installations safe and resilient as properties accommodate higher electrical loads, on-site generation, and smart controls. The update introduces significant changes, including a dedicated chapter on stationary secondary batteries, fresh requirements for Power over Ethernet (PoE), and updated rules for functional earthing and equipotential bonding for ICT systems. Where these may have once been treated as separate elements of a project, modern domestic and commercial jobs are blending them into a single, connected environment. Solar is a prime example of this crossover. The UK passed two million solar installations in March 2026, driven by 27,000 new installs that month alone. As generation becomes more common, electricians are regularly dealing with set-ups where solar sits alongside battery storage and heavy EV charging loads. That means choices made on site carry wider knock-on effects, from the capacity available for EV chargers to how stored energy is managed and how the overall installation is protected. Navigating battery storage, PoE, and site complexities The new chapter on stationary secondary batteries sets out much clearer rules for storage systems, whether fitted alongside solar PV or as standalone units. Once storage is introduced, contractors need to evaluate how it interacts with the incoming supply, any on-site generation, and the loads it supports, rather than treating the battery as a simple add-on. While experienced installers understand the fundamentals, the overall complexity of these jobs is stepping up. A similar trend is driving the Amendment’s PoE coverage, where cabling primarily used for data is increasingly supplying power to hardware like security cameras. Amendment 4 introduces specific requirements for PoE, highlighting the need to look at power and communications infrastructure together. For electricians, this means selecting the correct equipment requires looking at the bigger picture. Products can no longer be chosen in isolation; they must fit the context of the entire installation, particularly when renewables and energy management are involved. Darren Staniforth is Head of Technical Solutions for CEF For more from CEF, click here.

Luceco Group partners with SELECT for £18k apprenticeship funding

Luceco Group, a designer and manufacturer of residential and commercial electrification products and systems, has partnered with Scottish construction trade association SELECT to launch a new £18,000 apprenticeship funding initiative  The Powering Potential scheme saw three SELECT member firms receive grants to help support the cost of employing a first-year electrical installation apprentice. Announced at the SELECT President’s Lunch on in September, the initiative responds to growing concerns around the cost of apprentice recruitment and training. A recent SELECT survey found that high wage costs and low levels of employer funding are among the biggest barriers businesses face when recruiting apprentices. The inaugural recipients, representing the east, west and north of Scotland, are: V C Electrical, Gullane, supporting apprentice Reece Michie; T Walsh Contracts Ltd, Ayr, supporting apprentice Thomas Shirkie; and A B Electrical Scotland Ltd, Aboyne, supporting apprentice Ritchie Pirie. Each company received its funding at The Balmoral in Edinburgh from SELECT President Darren Crockett and Ian Hunter, UK Trade Sales Director at Luceco. The apprentices will also receive a toolkit, workwear and a selection of electrical products supplied by Luceco. Hunter says: “As someone who started my own career as an apprentice, I know first-hand the opportunities that apprenticeship training can create. “Luceco is proud to support this initiative because we recognise the pressures many employers face when investing in new talent. Supporting apprentices is an investment in the future of our industry and a way of giving something back to the contractors who support our business every day." The three apprentices will also be invited to visit Luceco's headquarters in Telford, giving them an opportunity to learn more about the wider electrical industry and gain first-hand insight into manufacturing, product development and the electrical supply chain. V C apprentice Reece Michie adds: “I am looking forward to gaining practical experience on site, learning from qualified electricians, developing new skills and working towards becoming a fully qualified electrician.” For more from Luceco, click here, and for more from SELECT, click here.

Thorn Lighting cuts environmental impact of new Carlisle road

A new lighting scheme on the £259.4 million Southern Link Road in Carlisle is using changing light levels and colour temperatures to reduce energy use and limit the impact of artificial light on the environment Thorn Lighting, a global supplier of outdoor and indoor luminaires and integrated controls, has supplied 379 R2L2 road luminaires with its NightTune technology for the 8km stretch, which connects Junction 42 of the M6 with the A595 at Newby West. The scheme was designed to meet the lighting requirements of a major new highway while taking into account the route’s rural setting and the needs of nocturnal wildlife. Rather than operating at a fixed colour temperature throughout the night, the NightTune system automatically adjusts both the intensity and colour temperature of the lighting according to the time. From dusk until 9pm, the luminaires operate at 2700K and 100% output. Between 9pm and midnight, output falls to 50% while the colour temperature drops to 2400K. From midnight until 5am, the lighting moves to 2200K before gradually returning to 2700K and full output ahead of dawn. According to Thorn, reducing light output and shifting towards warmer colour temperatures can reduce the amount of shorter-wavelength blue light introduced into the nocturnal environment. The approach was specified by Cumberland Council, which wanted to minimise the impact of artificial light on the surrounding landscape and ecology without compromising highway safety. 'Ecology was part of the brief from the start' Craig Lensky, Key Account Manager, Outdoor Lighting at Thorn Lighting, says: “What makes this project particularly interesting is that ecology wasn't treated as something to consider once the road lighting had been designed. It was part of the lighting brief from the beginning. We had to provide the right light for people using a major new road but also think very carefully about what that light was doing beyond it and throughout the night.” The project required Thorn to develop several customised optical variants of its R2L2 platform to achieve the required road lighting levels across the changing colour-temperature range. The installation also uses zero-tilt luminaires, while R2L2 is independently DarkSky Approved at colour temperatures of 3000K and below when installed within the relevant approval conditions. Thorn says the NightTune approach can also deliver energy savings by reducing light levels during periods when traffic and pedestrian activity is lower. Its comparative spectral analysis found that, against a fixed 3000K dimmable solution using an equivalent dimming programme, a NightTune cycle produces an average blue peak 13% lower and overall low-wavelength output 18% lower. The Carlisle Southern Link Road opened to traffic in June 2026. Alongside the new carriageway, the project includes walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure, although part of the shared-use route across the Caldew Crossing has deliberately been left unlit for environmental reasons. For more from Thorn Lighting, click here.

New charging scheme targets rising costs for commercial EV fleets

Businesses operating electric vehicle (EV) fleets could cut public charging costs by up to 30% under a new scheme launched by Octopus Fleet The EV fleet management and charging platform's FleetBoost initiative will give commercial EV drivers access to discounted rates across participating charge point networks, with Octopus claiming potential savings of up to £730 per vehicle each year. The project has initially launched with MFG EV Power, IONITY and Be.EV, giving fleet drivers access to thousands of public charging points across the UK. Octopus says the network has also been designed to address charger accessibility, with analysis claiming 99% of UK areas covered by FleetBoost are within 14 miles of an eligible charge point. Matt Davies, Founder of Octopus Fleet, says: “We know that switching a fleet to electric is about much more than putting an EV on the road – businesses need charging to be affordable, reliable and easy for drivers to use, and we’re tackling this all in one go. “By bringing together some of the UK's biggest charging brands, we can help accelerate the transition to commercial EVs and slash the cost of public charging for businesses.” Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV, adds: “For too long, public charging has felt like the wild west for fleets, with little control over the experience drivers get. "By joining FleetBoost alongside other trusted networks, we can give businesses the confidence to transition knowing their drivers have reliable, good-value public charging across the country – at a cost that can compete with, or even beat, petrol and diesel." For more from Octopus Fleet, click here.

Charity launches new bursary to help stimulate job market

National construction charity Band of Builders (BoB) has launched a new bursary scheme to provide the next generation of tradespeople with the tools, PPE and workwear needed to kickstart their careers The charity unveiled the BoB Bursary at its annual fundraising ball in Birmingham, with Leeds College of Building, Bedford College, and South Staffordshire College being selected to launch the scheme to existing students. BoB projects that students from more than 250 UK colleges could also benefit from the bursary. The new bursary comes amid the government's plan to train 40,000 construction learners through Construction Technical Excellence Colleges by 2029 as part of efforts to amass the skilled workforce needed to deliver 1.5 million new homes alongside major infrastructure projects. Eligible applicants to the BoB Bursary will be able to apply for support towards essential items including tools and equipment, PPE and workwear, as well as other items needed to support their training and development. 'Construction needs the next generation' The bursary is part of the charity’s Next Generation agenda, which aims to encourage more young people to consider construction and help develop the pipeline of skilled people in the industry. Band of Builders CEO Gavin Crane says: “Construction needs the next generation, but we cannot simply tell young people that this is a fantastic industry and then leave them to overcome the practical barriers of getting started on their own. “Through our work with colleges and learners, we’ve seen that the cost of tools, PPE and workwear can be a very real obstacle. For a young person at the beginning of their career, those costs can mean the difference between taking an opportunity and having to walk away from it. “If we are serious about tackling the skills shortage and bringing tens of thousands of new people into construction, we have to remove those barriers." For more from Band of Builders, click here.

SELECT honours former MD Wilson with Lifetime Achievement Award

Former SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson has been presented with the trade body’s Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of more than 40 years of service to the Scottish construction industry The award, sponsored by energy technology company Schneider Electric, was presented to the industry veteran by association President Darren Crockett at the 2026 SELECT President’s Lunch at The Balmoral in Edinburgh last month. Wilson retired in August after 12 years with SELECT. Presenting the award at the lunch, sponsored by Luceco Group, Crockett paid tribute to Wilson's longstanding commitment to the sector and his leadership during some of the industry’s most challenging periods. He says: “Alan has been a tireless advocate for our industry throughout an exceptional career spanning more than 40 years. His knowledge, integrity and leadership have earned him enormous respect not only across Scotland but throughout the wider construction sector. “His contribution during the COVID pandemic was particularly significant. At a time of unprecedented uncertainty, Alan brought organisations together to establish the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum, creating a single voice for the industry and ensuring contractors’ concerns were heard at the highest levels of government." Wilson adds: “I am genuinely honoured and humbled to receive this award. While my name may be on the trophy, it really reflects the support, commitment and hard work of the many colleagues, members, presidents and industry partners I have had the privilege to work alongside throughout my career. “The construction industry has given me tremendous opportunities and I have always believed in the importance of standing up for contractors, improving standards and ensuring our industry has a strong and respected voice. Seeing the sector come together during difficult times and continue to innovate and adapt has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career." For more from SELECT, click here.

Brits turn to tradespeople for help tackling rising energy costs

UK consumers are turning to tradespeople for advice on cutting their energy bills as rising prices continue to put pressure on household incomes New research from trade tool retailer Screwfix revealed that 91 per cent of tradespeople surveyed have dealt with a customer enquiry relating to an energy-saving product or solution over the last year. More than three quarters (76 per cent) of respondents said their customers seem more worried about their household energy bills now than they were last year. Nearly half (47 per cent) predict demand for energy-efficient products will be higher during the winter months ahead than in the previous year, with only 3 per cent thinking it will be lower. Despite a growing appetite for energy-saving improvements, the research also identified several barriers preventing households from acting, with more than four in ten (42 per cent) tradespeople identifying upfront cost as the biggest barrier to customers adopting energy-saving measures. Other factors holding consumers back include uncertainty over the level of savings that could be achieved (13 per cent) and a perceived lack of government support and incentives (12 per cent). However, the findings also demonstrate that consumers are actively seeking solutions. LED lighting, solar panels, smart thermostats/smart heating and loft insulation, were cited as the most enquired about solutions from the last 12 months. Max Britten, Managing Director at Screwfix, said: “Once again, the day-to-day experiences of the UK's tradespeople provide a valuable insight into how households are thinking about the energy efficiency challenge and the steps they are taking to address it. "They are at the forefront of helping homeowners understand the changes they can make to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use. We're committed to helping tradespeople get every job done quickly, affordably and right first time. That support matters more than ever as they help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce energy costs." For more from Screwfix, click here.

New guidance tackles hidden fire safety risk in cable management

BEAMA has published new guidance setting out best practice for the design, installation and inspection of cable management systems to help the electrical industry meet BS 7671 requirements around the prevention of premature cable collapse in the event of a fire Marshall-Tufflex, a UK manufacturer of cable management products, which contributed to the guidance through its involvement with the BEAMA Cable Management Technical Committee, has welcomed the publication and is encouraging contractors, specifiers and installers to consider its recommendations in future projects. Prevention of Premature Collapse: A Guide to the Design, Installation and Inspection of Cable Management Systems highlights the importance of adequately supporting wiring systems so they remain secure under fire conditions, reducing the risk of cables collapsing and creating hazards for firefighters and building occupants. It also provides guidance on design considerations, installation practices and inspection requirements to help ensure compliance with current regulations. "Preventing the premature collapse of wiring systems is a critical aspect of building and life safety. As buildings become more complex and electrification continues to increase, it is essential that designers and installers have access to clear, practical guidance that supports safe and compliant installations," says Martin Russell, Marshall-Tufflex Group Product and Technical Services Manager and BEAMA Chair of the Premature Collapse Working Group. To coincide with the launch of the guide, BEAMA released a podcast where Nick Hayler, Director of Member Services and Head of Building Electrical Systems and Russell discuss the importance of preventing premature collapse of wiring systems and the role that compliant cable management solutions play in protecting building occupants.  For more from Marshall-Tufflex, click here.