Home renovation platform Houzz Inc., has launched new tools for industry professionals that make it easier to manage complex projects, stay organised and reduce costly errors using Houzz Pro, the industry’s leading all-in-one project management and design software. The tools include the Subcontractor Dashboard, Google Drive Integration and Photo Documentation.  

“We understand the unique complexities that come with managing large teams and projects. With the release of these tools, we’re simplifying the process for larger firms, helping them track all the moving pieces of their projects in one place,” said Alon Cohen, Houzz co-founder and CEO. “By getting everyone on the same page, Houzz Pro software helps reduce errors and identify potential issues that could impact project timelines and budgets.”

The new tools include: 

• Subcontractor Dashboard: The Houzz Pro Subcontractor Dashboard helps building and renovation firms align with subcontractors (e.g., electricians and plumbers), giving firms the ability to share access to the project information subcontractors need to do work on time and on budget, including the project schedule, assigned tasks and key files. 

• Google Drive Integration: Houzz Pro’s Google Drive Integration enables pros to further streamline their project and file management. Now, pros can pull files and photos straight from their Google Drive into project documents within Houzz Pro, including estimates, invoices or daily logs. This helps pros both save time, eliminating the need to download and reupload files, and keeps projects organised by housing a single source of truth directly in Houzz Pro. 

• Photo Documentation: With Photo Documentation capabilities in Houzz Pro, pros can create an organised and easily accessible record of their work by saving an unlimited number of photos directly to a project’s Daily Logs or Files and Folders. Daily logs can be shared internally to track job-site activity, ensure crew alignment and safeguard against liabilities. Pros can also share daily logs (including photos) with clients, giving them transparency into project progress. 

Houzz Pro helps pros win projects, collaborate with clients and teams, and run their businesses efficiently and profitably, while delivering an outstanding client experience. The new tools are fully integrated into the software, which empowers pros to manage their entire project lifecycle in one place including Estimates, 3D Floor Plans, Selections, Invoices and Online Payments, and more. Sign up at houzz.co.uk/pro. 

Hundreds of thousands of GCSE students will receive their exam results this Thursday before deciding whether to pursue A-Levels and higher education or pursue a vocational course such as a T-Level or apprenticeship.

Data from Gov.uk reveals that 87% of pupils who finished their GCSEs in July 2017 went into education immediately after, with only 4% going on to take apprenticeships and 3% going straight into employment. There is a growing need for more young people to take apprenticeships in the UK, with data from the Department of Education revealing that only 1% of young people are studying for a T-Level.

The lack of encouragement onto the worksite poses another issue as young people aren’t being incentivised into a career in the trades as research from Fix Radio – the UK’s only national radio station for builders – finds that 65% of Brits say they did not receive enough encouragement to pursue a career in the trades during their academic years. Endemic labour shortages have been laid bare as the skills deficit cripples the construction sector, with 225,000 extra workers needed to fulfil existing construction demand. Broadcaster on Fix Radio, Clive Holland, discusses how national apathy towards apprenticeships has exacerbated the skills deficit and, by extension, the housing crisis. 

In light of GCSE results day, the newly launched National Construction Audit from Fix Radio has unveiled that 18% of British parents would not want their children to work in the construction industry because they don’t believe they will earn enough money. As the national average salary for a construction apprentice stands at £23,828 according to Glassdoor, apprentices will be able to not only earn on the job but also be debt-free. This also coincides with many tradespeople’s jobs earning sizeable amounts more than university graduates. According to research carried out by the Federation of Master Builders, brickies, plumbers, and other skilled professionals were taking home earnings that dwarfed those of graduates by thousands of pounds.

• Site manager – £51,266
• Plumbers – £48,675
• Supervisors – £48,407
• Electricians – £47,265
• Roofers – £42,303
• Bricklayers – £42,034
• Carpenters and joiners – £41,413
• Plasterers – £41,045
• Scaffolders – £40,942
• Painters and decorators – £34,587

With a further 67% of Brits (29.7 million) agreeing that their most valuable professional development came from learning on the job from skilled professionals, it is more imperative than ever for the UK to support apprenticeships. Research from the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) indicates that the average graduate salary in the UK sits at £33,229. As the number of people starting apprenticeships fell from 500,000 in 2015 to 337,000 last year, more must be done to encourage young people to opt for apprenticeships over traditional university degrees.  According to Clive Holland, failure to address the lack of builders in the UK will affect any measures introduced to tackle the housing crisis after the election, which could potentially be alleviated by encouraging more young people into apprenticeships. The CIPD states the number of apprenticeships starts has significantly decreased since the introduction of the current apprenticeship levy system in 2017, creating a bigger issue around labour shortages. Analysis of Department for Education figures shows a 41% decline (almost 54,000) in starts for those under 19 and a 36% decline (55,000) for those aged 19-24 between 2015 and 2023.

Clive Holland, host of The Clive Holland Show on Fix Radio, comments, “Apprenticeships are on the decline, and the Department of Education, by their own admission, shows that only one per cent of all young people are studying for a T-Level.

“Since Brexit, record numbers of tradespeople have left the country, and the stresses of an overstretched workforce are prompting thousands of colleagues to either retrain or leave the industry entirely. As Fix’s research has shown, the nation is starting to feel this pinch – with increasing numbers finding themselves waiting more than a year for a tradesperson to see them – imagine what this means for the housing crisis in the long term.

“Years of continually missed homebuilding targets are now pricing millions of people out of the property market, and it will only get worse. We simply need more builders. If political parties, irrespective of their stripe or colour, honestly believe they can address the housing crisis without having the serious conversation of addressing the skills deficit, we’re heading into a very dangerous position.”