A £75MILLION skills package to train more than 12,000 people to help tackle the region’s shortage of construction workers has been announced.
West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, said the three-year package will aid the ‘construction boom’ the region is about to head into.
Industry leaders say thousands of workers, including carpenters, electricians and plumbers are needed, as well as people for technical roles like surveying and engineering.
Research by Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) says around 4,000 extra workers will be needed annually over the coming few years with the region primed for a construction boom.
This is being driven by plans for 12,200 new homes across the region each year, a £2.4bn transport infrastructure programme, flagship schemes like the East Birmingham Sports Quarter and a £160million retrofit scheme to make thousands of homes more energy efficient.
Funding for the Mayor’s skills package is being drawn from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) adult skills budget and a government skills mission fund for construction. It is part of a broader ambition to unlock £100m of skills training investment.
The package sets out to train the 12,000 construction workers required over the next three years in jobs such as bricklaying, engineering, design, plastering and painting.
Mr Parker, said: “We’re heading into a construction boom that will power new jobs, new homes and new opportunities right across the West Midlands. But that growth will only last if local people have the skills to deliver it.
“That’s why I’m backing investment in training and apprenticeships – so people here get the first shot at the good jobs being created and businesses can draw on local talent with the latest skills and knowhow. This isn’t just about construction – we’re also working on engineering, design and all the supporting roles that keep our region building.”
Mal Cowgill, chair of the Mayor’s Jobs Taskforce, said: “This investment is key to ensuring the construction sector can respond to the regional demand for skilled workers across the full range of trades and will make a major contribution to the Mayor’s pledge of ‘jobs for everyone’.
“It’s a fantastic example of how to support local people into employment and to promote the existing workforce into higher paid jobs, making sure employers across the West Midlands have the skills in place to drive regional growth.”
The investment will bolster existing initiatives like the WMCA’s successful Path 2 Apprenticeship programme and Construction Gateway, as well as local programmes led by employers.
It will support people into work as well as upskilling the current workforce to keep pace with the needs of the sector and help deliver the Mayor’s Growth Plan.
Tim Balcon, chief executive of the CITB, said: “We know the Government is committed to getting Britain building again, and it’s vital that the regional mayoralties are working with the Government to achieve this. It’s fantastic to see the WMCA’s skills package to address the region’s shortage of construction workers.
“The WMCA’s skills package builds on the Government’s £600m construction skills package announced earlier this year, which CITB contributed to, as well as the Technical Excellence Colleges that will train tens of thousands of future construction workers.”
Employers in the region interested in getting involved in the programme can get in touch by emailing [email protected].
