New ‘hubs’ based at live construction sites will train up
thousands of workers and help tackle skills shortages in
the construction industry, Education Secretary announced today (16
November).
Twenty six
innovative partnerships across the country have
won a share of the £22 million Construction Skills Fund to
set up the new ‘hubs’ which will train more than 17,000
people to be job and site-ready by March 2020. The winning
projects, including Southwark Construction Skills Centre in
South London and Liverpool Waters Construction Hub in the
North West, have collectively committed to training up over
7,000 people into permanent jobs by the end of the
programme.
With an estimated 158,000 new construction workers needed
in the UK over the next five years, the scheme will help
create the skilled workers to meet this challenge.
Education Secretary said:
It is vital that we have a strong workforce post-Brexit.
The Construction Skills Fund will ensure more people gain
the skills they need to forge a successful career and
help create the skilled workers we need to deliver on our
housing ambitions.
Today I’m pleased to announce the 26 winning projects
that will train up thousands of workers and help tackle
the skills shortages in the construction industry. To
support this drive further we are transforming technical
education including introducing a brand new T Level in
construction, a high-quality technical qualification
which will be rolled out from 2020.
Whether building new homes or contributing to major
infrastructure projects to keep our country connected,
working in construction means helping to shape Britain in
the months and years ahead.
All the ‘hubs’ will be based at live construction sites so
trainees learn in a real-world construction environment and
gain the practical skills they need to secure a rewarding
career in construction.
According to the
latest statistics, over 222,000 new homes were
delivered in 2017 to 2018 demonstrating that the government
is on track to deliver 300,000 new homes a year by the
mid-2020s. The training ‘hubs’ will help deliver on that
promise and provide a skills boost for the construction and
housing industry.
Minister of State for Housing said:
We can’t build the homes our communities need without a
dedicated and skilled construction workforce.
Our Construction Skills Fund will play a crucial role in
training the future labourers required to build more,
better and faster homes.
The Construction Skills Fund will help inform the design of
the National Retraining Scheme, which the Chancellor
recently announced will be backed by £100m. This ambitious
programme to drive adult learning and retraining forms a
part of the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy – a
long-term plan to build a Britain fit for the future by
helping businesses create jobs in every part of the UK.
The scheme is funded by the Department for Education and is
being delivered by the Construction Industry
Training Board (CITB).
Sarah Beale, Chief Executive of CITB, said:
The Construction Skills Fund can be a genuine
game-changer for both the construction industry and the
individuals being trained. We have a massive need for
homegrown talent and these projects will bring thousands
of new people into our sector, giving them the crucial
onsite experience they need to start a career in
construction. These 26 hubs will be based at some of the
most innovative sites in the UK, and CITB will be working
hard to make sure they deliver the skills our industry
critically needs.
