Construction Skills Roundtable
Construction skills were in the spotlight at a roundtable event held by West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Construction Skills is a national priority in the UK with the sector facing an aging workforce and an under supply of qualified workers. When combined with significant house building targets and a number of large scale infrastructure projects planned across York and North Yorkshire, getting enough skilled people into the construction industry is key.
Carla Prickett, Senior Customer Engagement Manager for CITB, presented on the skills picture for the Yorkshire and Humber Region, highlighting the high salaries available in the sector, but stating that the opportunities on offer were not always recognised by young people and their parents.
The group discussed what would be needed to get a regional advantage around skills in the construction sector. They also recognised the resilience of jobs in the sector at a time when recruitment to many industries may be diminished due to AI and technology developments. They considered the construction sector, particularly home building to be resilient.
As in all sectors, student behaviour and attitude is key, as well as new entrants to the sector gaining the necessary technical skills.
There remains a need for more training provision in the sector. Leeds College of Building stated they had waiting lists of 1,000 students last year.
Tutor shortages are a part of the issue, as without sufficient tutors, providers cannot accommodate additional learners. Industry pay rates are high, making it harder now that in the past to attract skilled people to teach rather than remain in the trades, where they can potentially work less hours and earn more.
CITB are currently involved in a dual professional pilot in partnership with the House Building Federation, to help bring people from industry into teaching alongside their day job.
Furthermore, CITB are delivering an Innovation Impact Fund, with teaching and assessing being one of their areas of focus. They are also developing a national jobs board so that all construction roles can be delivered on one platform and will look to integrate this with DWP. And they are in the process of developing a training provider network for the construction sector.
It was suggested that a construction champion was needed at a senior level, such as the combined authority economy and skills boards to ensure effective representation for the sector.
Challenges of encouraging employers to bring young people into their businesses and train them up were discussed, recognising that there are sometimes skills and financial constraints for smaller businesses that act as barriers to them doing this. There is lots of support for mentoring them, for example through colleges or CITB, however costs were cited as a potential barrier, particularly given the increase in NI and minimum wage. There is also perhaps a lack of clarity with employers that they do not have to pay NI for apprentices aged under 25 years.
The groups discussed T levels as a route for employers to ‘try before they buy’ but it was felt that T Levels were sometimes too academic for young people wanting to go into the trades, and therefore apprenticeships were a more appropriate route, and we addressed looking at the opportunities for accelerated apprenticeships?
We watch with interest the impact that the national Construction Mission Board will have as it starts to mobilise. Its intention is to ensure:
- Joint skills intelligence
- An employment led system
- Strategic and local co-ordination
- Employer investment and delivery
It is hoped they will help to meet challenges across the sector, such as construction training not always translating to jobs within the sector.
There is good financial incentive for people to come into the industry too, with average earnings:
- Construction Managers £70,000
- Quantity surveyors £60,000
- Site Managers £60,000
- Brick layers £50,000
- Civil Engineers £47,000
There are many groups where additional recruitment could be targeted, including: unemployed, career changers, graduates, school leavers, people leaving care, ex-offenders and those with disabilities.
It was not all about apprentices, however. There is also a recognised need for effective short courses and continuing professional development within the sector, for example to give smaller business owners the leadership skills and confidence to take on more staff or apprentices and to grow their business. With perhaps more of these being delivered in the York and North Yorkshire area to help manage costs and ensure engagement for local businesses. Building trusted relationships with these employers is a key part of facilitating that.
