From April 1 construction companies who work on government projects will have to demonstrate how they will train their workforce.
CITB writes:
Employers will soon have to prove they intend to train workers before they can be awarded contracts for major government infrastructure projects, it has been announced.
It is hoped the plans will help to wipe out the UK’s skills shortages by encouraging investments in apprenticeships and developing workers’ abilities. HS2 Ltd, which has been charged with building the high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham, has already promised to apply the principles to its next bidding process.
Skills Minister Nick Boles said: ‘As economic growth continues, it is vitally important that there is significant and meaningful investment in skills. Under these new plans, bidders for all major government projects will have to demonstrate a clear commitment to developing the skills of the current and future workforce.’
From April 1, all firms that are successful in bids for a share of government work worth over £50 million will be contracted into making training a key priority. Bidders for smaller, lower-value projects will also be encouraged to focus on worker development. While ministers hope to place the onus on employers to develop their own skills practices, they have tasked the Construction Leadership Council with putting together a set of guidelines for procurers to follow.
Requirements and targets will be written into initial agreements, monitored and even taken into account when future bids are under consideration. With the construction sector thriving, it is hoped the changes will ensure there is a pool of skilled workers for firms to draw on, which will help to drive growth even further. And as predictions show that around 224,000 jobs will need to be created in the building sector by 2019, the plans should also make it easier for young people to get a start in the industry.
Lord Deighton, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, said: ‘This new approach to procurement will generate real and lasting changes in the sector’s investment in people, helping to avoid skills shortages.’
