Over 158,000 new jobs in the construction industry are expected to be created within the UK over the coming five years. In order to help ensure this goal is achieved, the government has introduced a £22 million Construction Skills Fund. The scheme will run for a total of 18 months, funded by the Department for Education and managed by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
Construction Skills Fund
Launched on 18th June 2018, the new fund will go towards training on construction sites, thereby allowing learners to achieve qualifications through vocational training. It has been introduced to address the severe skills gap within the construction industry, that if not dealt with swiftly, could lead to significant repercussions to the industry and UK economy as a whole.
With the government committing building 300,000 new homes by the mid-20s this scheme will take a step in the right direction, to build a professional, qualified and skilled construction workforce. The scheme’s focus on training in the workplace aims to ensure that trainees gain real-life experience of a construction site at a much quicker rate than they may have previously.
In particular, the funds made available to the scheme will go towards:
- An estimated 20 training hubs on-site
- Work experience and placement opportunities for individuals wanting to join the construction industry
- An entry path into construction careers for those currently unemployed
- An entry for those wanting to switch careers
Opinion within the Sterling office is that this is a positive step forward for construction contractors, particularly for those looking to begin their career in contracting but lack the knowledge, experience and skills to achieve this currently.
In order to be considered for this fund, companies must first submit an Expression of Interest that is ‘innovative, collaborative and with training at their heart’.
With more details still to be revealed on the Construction Skills Fund, we look forward to the coming months to gain a clearer view of how the construction industry will be impacted.
