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                                                                                         NEWS







       Construction industry set to



       experience recruitment pinch





       NEW FIGURES FROM THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING

       BOARD (CITB) FORECAST A BIG RISE IN THE DEMAND FOR

       CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS



       Construction is set to experience
       recruitment pinch points, as over a
       quarter of a million additional workers
       will be needed by 2026 to meet
       growing demand in the industry, the
       latest Construction Skills Network (CSN)
       report finds.
       The report finds all major sectors are
       expected to experience increasing
       recruitment demands as demand for
       construction increases, but the most
       affected sectors are expected to be
       private housing, infrastructure and
       repair and maintenance.
       • Private housing output is forecasted
       to exceed pre-pandemic levels by
       2023, having seen strong growth since
       the pandemic.
       • Infrastructure: saw the shallowest fall   the next five years.          • Responding to the skills demands
       in output (5%) of any of the new work                                     • Developing the capacity and
       sectors in 2020 The government views   If projected growth is met,        capability of construction training
       investment in major infrastructure   construction employment will         provision
       projects and programmes of work as   reach a high of nearly 2.78 million   • Addressing future skills needs.
       key in delivering the post-pandemic   workers by 2026, with the largest
       economic recovery along with         increases in annual demand will be   The plan shows how CITB will invest
       levelling-up and future energy       for occupations such as carpenters,   over £233m across Britain to support
       security.                            joiners and construction managers,   construction throughout 2022/23.
       • Repair and maintenance: Growth     along with a range of technical roles.   CITB will create more accessible
       in repair and maintenance is         These include electronics technicians,   routes into construction, focus
       expected to be driven in part by the   civil engineering technicians,     on apprenticeships and on-site
       Government’s £9.2bn commitment       estimators and valuers, as well as   experience, and roll-out
       to increase the energy efficiency of   office-based support staff.        occupational traineeships in Further
       homes, schools and hospitals, which   This comes as CITB urges industry and   Education.
       includes funding to improve energy   government to come together in       This year, a total of £110m in training
       efficiency of social housing and grants   refreshing the way the industry hires   grants reaching 14,000 businesses
       for private home improvements.       and trains, making construction an   is available. This includes £60.3m
       With job vacancies at a record high,   attractive place for everyone to work.    in direct grants to employers who
       and unemployment at its lowest level   In CITB’s Business Plan,3 launched last   take on apprentices, supporting the
       in 50 years, the report forecasts that   month, three core challenges are set   industry to address its current and
       recruitment and developing a highly-  out. These challenges, which reflect   future need for a skilled workforce.
       skilled workforce will be the biggest   the views of employers and a wide   For more information, please visit:
       challenge construction will face over   variety of stakeholders, are:     https://www.citb.co.uk/

       www.modernbuilder.co.uk                                                               modern  builder - issue 103  9
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