Skills

A major construction industry body is pushing for more trade roles to be added to the government’s Shortage Occupation List because of the difficulties employers are facing in filling crucial jobs. The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has called for 13 occupations – including steel erectors, sheet metal workers and road…

The Construction Industry Training Board has been judged to ‘require improvement’ in a damning Ofsted report, after the body announced a shift away from subcontracted apprenticeship provision. The CITB – rated ‘outstanding’ in its last inspection six years ago – was given the second-lowest rating across all five areas on…

The UK’s further education system should retrain older workers to help tackle the skills crisis in the construction sector, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). CITB chief executive Tim Balcon called for a greater focus on developing skills “for all ages and all people” in the further education…

A shake-up of migration rules that could have helped to plug skill shortages in the construction sector has been stalled by the Home Office. The review of the shortage occupation list, which specifies the roles that employers have the greatest difficulty recruiting for locally, was commissioned by the government last…

The president of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has urged the construction industry to target younger age groups and take a longer-term view in tackling the industry's skills shortage. In an interview with Construction News, Rab Fletcher argued for a different approach to highlight the attractions of a career…

A new apprenticeship accreditation set up by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) will focus on “quality control”, the organisation’s chief executive has said. The scheme, set up in conjunction with the Fire Service College, will involve an “end-point assessment” focusing on occupational competence and capability, designed to put fire-safety…

The number of apprentices starting their careers in construction increased for the first time in six years, according to figures released this week. Around 26,100 apprenticeships began in the year to July 2022, the latest figures available. This is an increase of more than 6,000 on the previous 12 months.…

More than 60,000 skills cards will no longer be valid from the end of next year, it has been revealed. Construction workers who obtained a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card through employer recommendation have just under two years to get the new qualifications or their cards will be withdrawn.…

Kier has developed a new scheme to entice workers back to the industry after a career break. The contractor’s new “returnship” scheme will see former workers reintegrate into Kier’s business over 12 weeks, which could then turn into a permanent position. The three-month programme will take the form of a…

National infrastructure goals are being undermined by the construction sector’s reluctance to modernise, a leading industry figure has warned. Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) chief executive Nick Smallwood said the industry had not changed in 40 years and actively resisted the adoption of new technologies as it was “paid the…