If you're in a professional position such as Site Management, working as a Surveyor or in a Supervisory role, you'll be well aware of the importance of being aware of your own Continuing Professional Development to make sure that you're on top of your game. Each company tackles staff development and appraisal in its own way, but sooner or later we all have to take stock of our skills and make sure we're still working safely and are aware of legislation changes, especially those of us working in an ever-evolving industry like construction.

With so many different options for training and personal development, and undoubtedly some less than professional "training" websites and resources out there, finding the right certification to lead to certain career progression can be a minefield.

Even though asbestos was a building material of the last century and awareness has been raised of its danger to workers, it still haunts us every day. There are still many schools, office buildings, homes and hospitals that have asbestos within the building and when it becomes damaged it can be a hazard to anyone in the vicinity.

The construction trade creates a unique, multi-teamwork status that's hard to find in other industries. Any building project or renovation will command a vast array of trades to work together as part of a wider team. Construction is one of the only industries where sub-contracting is consistent and necessary; and with this trend comes its own set of benefits and challenges.

The last few years have been a troubling time for all types of industry with so many cutbacks and redundancies. Construction was one of the first trades to be hit at the start of the recession, and as many of us know all too well, the culture of working as a self-employed contractor can mean an unpredictable pattern of work and income, particularly in troubled times.

Gone are the days of the wooden spoon cement mixing method (for most of us anyway) as now we're in the age of the robot. We're already measuring with laser beams for a start. Technology is becoming so advanced that construction work will soon be so easy that we'll wonder how we ever coped before.

Do you feel like you need any of these beauties on your site?

If you're a manager or a business owner you'll have experience of many different types of employees. Leadership is not a skill you can learn and then forget about, it needs constant re-evaluation according to the people you manage.