Building bridges
The plan details how money will be invested in supporting apprenticeships and cementing the relationship between further education and work to get more learners into construction.
Money will be spent creating more accessible routes into construction, focusing on apprenticeships but partnering it with on-site experiences and the rollout of occupational traineeships. Some £60m in direct grands will be made available to employers who take on apprentices, helping to support the industry address the skills gap that has the potential to grow in the workforce.
CITB is also looking to support 300,000 Health Safety & Environment tests over the coming year, this will ensure that there’s a good availability of tests available in as many locations as possible. This will help employers ensure that their workforce can keep themselves and those around them safe.
Future skills
The longer-term challenges include reaching net zero, digitisation of the industry and modernising methods of construction.
Up to £2.1m will be invested into researching and better understand how the construction industry environment will evolve over the coming years and how they can shape training and standards to meet the future needs.
In a statement, Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, said;
“While progress has been made, the construction industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, including inflation, rising fuel prices, the pandemic and Brexit, to name a few. In many ways the industry is still experiencing and feeling the impact of these events, which we know has shifted priorities greatly and pushed the demand for skills to the forefront. It’s essential now more than ever that efforts are focused on helping to alleviate those pressures and address the needs of the industry.”
How this helps us & you
The latest announcement is great news for the industry as a whole, and will allow companies like Network Scaffolding to offer apprenticeships, developing new talent and maintaining the high standards they deliver everyday for their customers.
Get in touch with Network Scaffolding to learn about our work and how we can benefit your latest project.
