It is using outreach facilities in deprived areas and taster courses for young people in summer schools. Given its strong presence in the North- east, and reputation in the construction industry, Bowey is well placed to work with local education providers to develop such initiatives.”In the short term, Bowey must continue to promote itself as an organisation dedicated to its staff. Offering flexible working may be one way of demonstrating this.”The other option is to ‘upskill’ existing employees. Appointing people who have the potential to grow, and giving them the appropriate support, would be a positive way of tackling skills shortages.”Rachel Hogarth, training adviser, CITB-ConstructionSkills”Unfortunately, there aren’t any quick-fix solutions to this problem. Taking on young apprentices brings many benefits, but it is also worth considering adult apprentices and career changers who have transferable skills.”Labourers could also be considered for career development opportunities. Investing in the skills of existing staff can bring the added advantages of increased loyalty and motivation.”In addition, Bowey should look at having a more diverse workforce. An increasing number of females and people from ethnic-minority backgrounds are being attracted to our industry at all levels, and we know that some women in particular are struggling to find employment.”On the issue of working hours, contracts of employment should clearly define expectations.

The company should involve its workers in discussions to help find a mutually acceptable solution.”Pamela Lindsay-Dunn, regional manager, Hays Construction & Property (recruitment consultancy)”Companies must consider all recruitment options in today’s competitive market. Skilled people are at a premium, and by limiting yourself to a particular employment strategy, you could be excluding a viable workforce.”Bowey’s desire to employ local candidates is praiseworthy, but it should also look outside the region. Companies are not going to have much recruitment success if they exclusively market themselves in a severely limited pool of candidates.”Bowey should also look at temporary as well as permanent solutions. Not too long ago, there was a stigma attached to temporary recruitment. However, because of the influx into the industry of many qualified and skilled candidates, sub-contract work has taken on an entirely different connotation.”There is a new-found sense of confidence in the services that temporary professionals provide, and companies are starting to realise that utilising this option can offer them an economic advantage over their competitors.”. When Google came to market a little over a year ago, it was everyone’s favourite underdog made good All its hippie sentiments were embraced and celebrated. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the two intellectuals who famously joined forces at Stanford University, refused to allow the float to be over-hyped.

Opting for the Nasdaq over the New York Stock Exchange, there was no preferred stock allocation and the prospectus clearly spelt out the risks. The founders also ran into trouble with an interview in Playboy, of all publications. Google may have raised $1.6bn (£886m), but it remained everything the domineering bogeyman Microsoft wasn’t. Yet in the intervening time, there has been a subtle shift. While Microsoft got on with settling anti-trust suits and Bill Gates popped up at Live 8, in between donating billions to good causes, Messrs Page and Brin have been carrying on – whisper it – like capitalists.
They have made acquisitions and sought to bolster revenues by building an arsenal of products and services to sit beside the core search engine. These range from a project to put libraries online and a price-comparison site called Froogle, to an email service, a search tool for your PC and Google Talk, the latest addition.