Construction Body Calls for Investment in Construction Industry Skills

The UK construction industry is doing its best to ride the wave of the Covid-19 epidemic. With projects slowing down and workers having to social distancing on site, working in the sector has never been so challenging.  

Now, Construction body CITB is calling for the UK Government to further invest in industry skills, ensuring the Construction workforce is equipped with the right skillset to bounce back and secure its future. The organisation believes that without new talent in the industry, it will not be able to keep up with Government’s plans surrounding infrastructure, new homes and zero-carbon or modernising to boost productivity. 

Four key recommendations for the government are: 

• Protect and retain as much of construction’s existing talent as possible 

• Make construction a priority sector in the new National Skills Fund 

• Reform the Apprenticeship Levy so that more money can be spent on smaller companies in the supply chain 

• Help get more college students into construction jobs and apprenticeships. 

Steve Radley, CITB policy director, said: 

“This forecast shows that a recovery will be slower than previously hoped but that construction will grow and create more jobs over the next five years. 

“This will create skills challenges and it is vital that CITB, industry and government work together to meet them. 

“CITB is investing levy funds to make it easier for people to join construction, to place people who have lost their jobs, to help learners complete their apprenticeships and to carry out essential training and retraining. 

“Government can play a key role and providing certainty on its infrastructure pipeline, working with industry to help more college students into construction jobs and apprenticeship and prioritising construction in the new National Skills Fund to help it recruit and train fresh talent. 

“It should also look at reforming the Apprenticeship Levy to allow employers to pass on unspent vouchers in bulk.” 

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