At John Perkins Construction, we see this as both a responsibility and an opportunity. Opening up our sites to students helps bridge the gap between education and industry, giving them a genuine insight into what a career in construction can look like.

There’s only so much that can be learned in the classroom. Seeing a live construction site, understanding how different trades work together, how projects are coordinated and how challenges are solved in real time, brings construction to life in a way that simply can’t be replicated through theory alone.

Bringing Learning to Life at Hengrove

We recently had the opportunity to welcome a group of students to our Animal Enclosure project at City of Bristol College. As a live construction site, it provided the ideal environment for students to experience the industry first-hand.

From understanding the sequencing of works to seeing how health and safety is managed every day, the visit offered a practical perspective on the planning, coordination and teamwork that goes into delivering a successful project.

A Valuable Real-World Experience

The feedback we received following the visit reinforced just how valuable these opportunities can be:

“Your team’s time, guidance and professional insight provided the students with a valuable real-world learning experience that cannot be replicated in the classroom.

The students gained a deeper understanding of construction processes, project coordination and the practical challenges of a live build environment. Many expressed how inspiring it was to see the development first-hand and to speak directly with industry professionals.”

That phrase – a learning experience that cannot be replicated in the classroom – perfectly captures why opening our sites to students is so important.

Challenging Perceptions

Experiences like this can often become a turning point. For many students, it’s the first opportunity to see the breadth of careers available within construction.

It’s about far more than the physical build. Students gain an appreciation of the planning, design, engineering, commercial management and collaboration that underpin every successful project, helping them understand that the industry offers a diverse range of rewarding career paths.

Just as importantly, these opportunities help challenge outdated perceptions of construction and encourage people from all backgrounds to see the industry as a place where they can build a successful career.

More Than a One-Off Visit

Supporting education isn’t something we see as a one-off initiative. We regularly look for opportunities to work with schools, colleges and organisations such as HW Ventures to provide site visits, careers engagement and practical learning experiences.

We have previously welcomed T-Level construction students onto our projects, delivered site tours and educational activities for schools, and remain committed to encouraging more young people to consider careers within the construction industry.

Looking Ahead

The future of construction depends on attracting the next generation of talent and supporting them as we all learn to work with AI. By opening our sites, sharing our knowledge and giving students meaningful, real-world experiences, we hope to inspire future surveyors, engineers, site managers, project managers and skilled tradespeople alike.

We’re proud to support opportunities like this and look forward to continuing to work alongside our education partners to help shape the future of our industry.

If you’re a local school, college or education provider looking to give your students a greater understanding of the construction industry, we’d love to hear from you. Whether it’s a site visit, careers talk or an opportunity to see a live project in action, we’re always keen to support the next generation and help showcase the many rewarding careers our industry has to offer.

Get in touch with the John Perkins Construction team to start the conversation.

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Modern slavery can exist beneath even the most well-managed supply chains. This blog explores what it means for construction, why it matters, and how to spot the warning signs in your own supply chain.

Why this matters

The construction sector faces a higher risk of labour exploitation and modern slavery. With materials and labour often passing through many tiers, it’s vital to spot the warning signs and act. For us, this goes beyond compliance – it’s about living our values of honesty, openness, integrity, and flexibility, while protecting our people, reputation, and the communities we build for.

What you should look for

Here are key indicators and practices to help identify modern slavery risk in your supply chain.

1. Risk areas in the supply chain

• Labour-intensive, low-skilled work is more vulnerable – especially when there are multiple sub-tiers involved.
• High reliance on migrant labour, temporary workers, or labour agencies can raise risk levels.
• Materials sourced from geographies with known higher prevalence of exploitation, or from sectors where subcontracting is layered and opaque.

2. Signs on site or from your supply partners

• Workers who appear unusually isolated, not free to leave, or whose documents (ID, right to work, labour contract) are held by someone else.
• Excessively long working hours, no rest breaks, restricted movement, inadequate living accommodations.
• Lack of transparency or reluctance from a supplier or sub-contractor to allow visits, audits or supply-chain traceability.

3. Your procurement and supplier management processes

• Do you carry out a risk-based assessment of your supply chain (including Tier 1, Tier 2) to prioritise scrutiny where risk is highest?
• Are your contractual terms clear about labour standards, human rights, and your expectations around ethical behaviour?
• Are you auditing or visiting higher-risk categories, engaging workers in their native languages, and creating a culture of openness and reporting?
• Is there training for your team and your supply chain on spotting and responding to modern slavery and labour exploitation?

What our supply chain approach means in practice

At JPC we regard our supply chain as part of our team, not simply as external parties. That means we aim to work collaboratively, bringing our subcontractors in early, sharing knowledge, and making sure we all uphold the same values.

To that end:

• We vet key suppliers and subcontractors to ensure they understand our expectations around ethics, labour standards and transparency.
• We maintain open lines of communication with our subcontractors, encouraging them to raise concerns or flag risks early.
• On site, we are vigilant about living conditions, contract compliance, working hours and documentation – especially where labour is provided via agencies or layered supply routes.
• We strive for “performance beyond compliance”, recognising that simply meeting minimum standards is not enough.

Clients, consultants, and supply chain partners all play a part in tackling modern slavery. Start by mapping where labour comes from, reviewing contracts and procurement for ethical compliance, and providing training on exploitation and human rights.

On site, look beyond the paperwork – check worker welfare, documentation, and conditions. Most importantly, create open channels for concerns to be raised safely and respond quickly when issues arise.

We believe that building is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about people, communities and long-term value. Protecting human rights within our supply chain is non-negotiable. Recognising the risk of modern slavery, taking practical steps to address it, and working collaboratively with our supply partners ensures we continue to deliver projects with integrity, quality and care.

If you’d like to speak to us about supply chain ethics, labour standards or how we can work together on a project, please get in touch.

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Rob has been instrumental in the history and development of John Perkins Construction. Having started his career with John Perkins & Son Ltd. in 1978, Rob went on to co-found John Perkins (Bristol) Limited in 1992 alongside David Perkins. Following a rebranding and repositioning exercise in 2005 John Perkins (Bristol) Ltd. was renamed as John Perkins Construction Ltd.

From December 1992 until August 2020 in the position of Managing Director, Rob had a significant role in shaping the company, working with the other Directors to establish the values, standards and professional approach that continue to underpin the business today. His contribution to the formation and long-term direction of JPC was substantial.

As Rob steps into retirement, we thank him for his commitment and leadership over the years and wish him well in all his future endeavours.

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Over the last 5 years it’s in the field of digital technology that the fastest change has been occurring. This can seem bewildering and with constrained resources it is hard to know ‘which horse to back’.

At John Perkins Construction the primary step we have taken to help us reliably and repeatedly deliver our operational procedures, which have recently been reviewed and updated as part of our resilience journey, is to take on board Procore software.

This digitally based system works to support our delivery teams and makes communication within our project team more accountable and efficient, it has been transformative for us to the point at which we are receiving excellent feedback. Indeed, we are currently giving serious consideration to making a further investment to purchase the estimating and accountancy Procore ‘ad ons’ that wrap around the project management delivery software.

We have found that adopting this software supports our desire for collaboration by providing a Common Data Environment, producing transparency which in turn builds trust between our team and clients.

Here are some of the benefits that we are already obtaining from embracing Procore software:

1. Common Data Environment

In other words, all project data in one place – drawings, RFIs, submittals, schedules, financials – which reduces miscommunication and ensures everyone is working from the latest information. These documents are accessible from anywhere via cloud in real time.

2. Improved Collaboration and Communication

The fact that the documents and updates are available in real-time keeps staff in the office and on site in sync with one another. It also acts as version control preventing mistakes and miscommunications from outdated documents. By inviting Subcontractors, clients, and architects onto the project platform allows everyone to collaborate in one shared environment.

3. Better Project Visibility & Tracking

The online dashboards provide live status on tasks, deadlines, budgets, and issues which enables project managers to identify any bottlenecks early and take corrective action.

4. Enhanced On-Site Productivity

On-site staff can log time, submit photos, and update daily logs on mobile devices. Offline access means work can continue without internet, syncing later both of these aspects speeds up issue resolution and reporting from the job site.

5. Reduced Changes to Programme and Mistakes

By improving document accuracy and communication across the project it allows for errors to be caught early.

Fewer mistakes and changes equal lower costs, faster delivery, and higher client satisfaction.

What’s coming next.

We are aware that one eye always has to be on the future and in this case, increasingly, the future seems to involve the increased adoption of AI technologies and robotics to aid with the delivery certain construction operations. This does feel somewhat daunting and out of reach at the current time, but we know well how quickly the unnerving of tomorrow can become the routine of today.

Our next steps will be to listen and observes the excellence sources of guidance in our industry such as the National Federation of Builders.

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