Government Plans Major Construction Skills Training

There are many concerns over the widening skills gap in the UK construction industry. Aside from immediate worries related to Brexit and how that will affect workers coming into the UK, there is an acknowledgement in the sector that more people need to be trained.

Now the government has announced a £22 million fund designed to boost construction skills training, with the aim to train over 17,000 people by March 2020.

The money will be split across 26 innovative construction projects and will see people receive their training on live sites.

It’s not only training that the companies involved will be providing, as they have also committed to providing permanent jobs for those who develop their skills.

Damian Hinds, education secretary, announced the fund and noted that it’s “vital” for the UK to develop a strong workforce in this sector in the post-Brexit era.

He added: “Whether building new homes or contributing to major infrastructure projects to keep the country connected, working in construction means helping to shape Britain in the months and years ahead.”

The projects being supported by the funding are spread across the UK, with the Liverpool Waters Construction Hub among those named in the North West.

 

A growing construction workforce could mean greater demand for materials such as insulated roofing sheets if more projects are able to go ahead once there are more trained workers in the country.

This announcement comes as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors had some positive news for the sector last month, noting that it experienced growth in the third quarter of this year boosted by housing and infrastructure schemes.