While the current economic crisis continues to make headline news, there are a number of areas within this industry which are still showing signs of major activity and one of the main ones is schools.

The £45b Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme will refurbish or rebuild England’s secondary schools and provide a much-needed lifeline for the nation’s construction industry and its suppliers.

In addition only last year (November 2008) Schools Secretary Ed Balls confirmed that the Primary Capital Programme will release £3.5b of funding to begin refurbishing or rebuilding some 1500 primary schools over the next two years. 

For anyone involved with these projects there is good news in that the Government are committed to spending this money and therefore companies with this type of expertise can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

With this in mind we have a special supplement in BSEE this month which concentrates on schools, the projects currently taking place and the products and services which are available in this part of the industry.

One of the main areas in which we continue to see an abundance of new technology is building controls and because of the massive energy saving benefits which they offer it is no surprise that we are seeing an increase in their use in schools. But as you will see from our supplement these control systems are not just being used to ensure energy savings in the building, they are also being used as a teaching aid to educate children on the need to save energy – which is one of the best ways to ensure that the energy efficiency message continues to stay at the forefront of everyone’s thinking.

So if you have an interest in the BSF programme or the technology which is being used in the new generation of schools, turn to our special supplement to find out more.

See you next month

Tracey