Industry bosses have hailed the new Construction Skills Mission Board as a ‘significant step’ towards addressing the skills gap in the construction sector.
The Construction Skills Mission Board is a new partnership between the Government and industry leaders that has committed to recruiting a further 100,000 workers per year to construction. The Government has also promised £625m for training in construction skills.
The agreement was signed by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Department for Work and Pensions. More than 40,000 industry placements will be funded through £100m of government funding, alongside a £32m contribution from the CITB.
Jemma Carmody, director of CECA Yorkshire and The Humber, said: ‘This is a significant step forward in addressing the long-standing workforce challenges faced by our industry.
‘The establishment of the Construction Skills Mission Board provides a platform for genuine partnership between government, industry, and training providers.
‘The scale of the ambition – recruiting an additional 100,000 workers each year – reflects the urgent need to grow capacity across the entire built environment, not only to meet our housing and infrastructure goals, but to provide rewarding careers for people in every part of the country.
‘We particularly welcome the investment in new pathways for young people, including the new construction foundation apprenticeships, and the expansion of Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes. These initiatives have the potential to improve access, diversity, and retention in the sector.’
The board is chaired by Mark Reynolds, Construction Leadership Council (CLC) co-chair. Other members in attendance include Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and housing secretary.
The board will focus on five key areas:
- 1. Confidence to employ and invest.
- 2. Clear new entrant pathways.
- 3. Access to provision and support to train.
- 4. Funding that works.
- 5. Reliable and rewarding careers.
Image credit: Shutterstock @photocritical
