Hudson welcomes Lords verdict on training provision
20th January 2022 | Hudson Contract
Hudson Contract has welcomed a hard-hitting new House of Lords report calling on the government to reform the Apprenticeship Levy, pre-16 education and the Construction Industry Training Board to address skills shortages.
Chaired by former Tesco board director Baroness Neville-Rolfe, the Built Environment Committee took aim at the blockers making it more difficult to build new homes.
The committee looked at the roles of housing for the elderly, SMEs, planning, social housing, Help to Buy scheme and general uncertainty in making sure that Britain builds enough homes to meet future housing demand.
The committee urged the government to review the Apprenticeship Levy after the number of starts fell by more than a quarter since its introduction in 2017. The committee said the government should ensure wider and earlier engagement with built environment sectors across the school curriculum before and during GCSE level.
The committee added: “The Construction Industry Training Board has not addressed construction skills shortages in an effective manner over many years. Reform is needed to address this issue. The government should consider how the Construction Industry Training Board can upgrade its training offer for construction professionals. Failure to recruit and train the skills required to build new homes should cause the government to consider potential alternative models for a national construction careers body.”
Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, said: “We wholeheartedly welcome the findings of Baroness Neville-Jones and her House of Lords Built Environment Committee. Housebuilding is at the heart of the UK economy and relies on a steady supply of skilled tradespeople to support the specialist subcontractors who make up the lifeblood of our industry. Hudson Contract has long championed the need for changes to training provision to encourage more people to join our excellent industry and enjoy rewarding and meaningful careers.”
Hudson Contract is reminding construction firms to take advantage of the government’s incentive scheme for hiring new apprentices which is due to end at the end of this month.
Employers can apply for a payment of £3,000 for new apprentices with an employment start date from 1 October 2021 to 31 January 2022.
For more information on grants and funding available, please visit our dedicated apprenticeships website.
