8 January 2020
CITB Employer Autumn Engagement Results
A number of Build UK members, had their say about the industry’s future skills at a series of CITB roadshows in the autumn.
A total of 21 events took place across England, Scotland and Wales, with the aim of hearing directly from employers about the immediate skills issues they face and their priorities for the future.
Leaders from across the industry spoke about their most pressing topics. A wide variety of issues were discussed, with Graham Cleland from Berkeley Modular discussing Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in Maidstone, while in Durham Kier’s Alexandra Taylor shared insights on being a woman in the industry. Future skills and innovation was a common theme, with representatives of the Construction Wales Innovation Centre and its Scottish namesake appearing at a number of events.
Over 1,000 people attended the events, with employers of all sizes represented, and these discussions informing CITB’s strategic plan for the next three years to ensure that the industry Levy is being invested in ways that make the greatest difference.
Employers were asked before and after each event whether they felt positively or negatively about the steps CITB was taking to achieve its mission to attract and support the development of people to construct a better Britain. During the course of the presentation, positive sentiment increased from 83% to 92% when employers heard more about the work CITB was doing to support them.
Making construction a career destination and creating a site-ready workforce came out as the top factors employers believed would make the biggest difference to the construction industry, with 63% also wanting to see an increase in future skills funding.
Mark Noonan, Industry Relations Director at CITB, said: “These events are a vital tool to ensure that employers can tell us about the skills needs that they have and, perhaps more importantly, to share knowledge and best practice to drive the industry forward.
“We know that the industry faces significant challenges going forward, which means it is essential that the training market is delivering for employers.
“I was pleased to see Build UK members and other employers at the roadshows and hear their views. We are now putting together an exciting series of events for the spring which should be a must for employers who want to have their say and make the most of the training and funding opportunities available through CITB.”
The following presentations delivered at the roadshows are now available:
• Future Skills and Business Plan
• Training Model
• Apprenticeships