The UK building industry is predicted to need over 80,000 new workers each year between now and 2011. The type of jobs needed range from electricians and plumbers to civil and mechanical engineers. The Construction Centre commented that this short fall would put a massive strain on the industry and with projects such as the 2012 Olympics creating concentrated areas of work; the industry could face a skills crisis.
Many training providers throughout the country have indicated that the output of new apprentices each year is no where near the numbers quoted by the Construction Skills agency. The Construction Centre urged employers to consider investing more time and energy into apprenticeship schemes but recognised that the government needed to further promote and encourage employers to do so.
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Sir Michael Latham, Chairman of the Construction Skills Network said: "We've identified the scale of skills needs by project and region over coming years. Now it is essential that we work with employers and training providers to put in place the right practical, onsite training that will help local people get the skills they need to fill local job vacancies."
The Construction Centre commented that the ideal of driving skills training to areas where unemployment is high was commendable but the practicalities of encouraging people to actually get to work and train would be much harder. Areas where big projects are scheduled to take place such as the transport network in Scotland, the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street and the Olympic Park would serve to generate employment but would also serve to starve other areas from skilled workers who might be needed.
Richard Simmons, Managing Director at The Construction Centre said: "To only be putting these plans in place now is ludicrous as we already have a skills shortage. Projects like these will only serve to create pockets where contractors will have to either pay more or employ workers from Europe, which in itself causes complications in terms of communication and protocols such as health and safety."
He continued: "All building industry companies pay millions of pounds to the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) levy to ensure the promotion of ongoing skills training however judging by the figures released last week it doesn't seem to be working. Is it time to review this policy and work on developing the future of UK construction careers in another way?"
(CD/JM)
