Skills

Wages for “unskilled” labourers and plant operators are growing faster than for other construction roles, according to the latest data from recruitment company Hays and the Building Cost Information Service. Labourers and plant operators are usually among the lowest paid in the construction sector, but the data found these roles'…

More than 650 students passed the second annual set of T levels in subjects related to the building trade this week. The technical skills qualifications, introduced in 2020 as an alternative to A levels, last for two years and offer a mix of classroom learning and on-the-job experience through an…

The City of London Corporation is calling for urgent action and investment to meet “growing demand” for workers with the skills needed to deliver sustainable buildings. The Skills for Sustainable Skyline Taskforce report, released by the organisation on 9 August, said one of the biggest barriers to tackling the built…

Thousands of people will be trained to retrofit and insulate homes following a cash injection of almost £9m in energy-efficiency courses. The government said it expected up to 8,000 trainees to take advantage of the new courses, which will be rolled out for free or on a heavily subsidised basis…

Education regulator Ofsted has warned that considerable work is needed to improve the quality of T levels. The two-year post-GCSE qualifications, launched in 2020, combine theoretical learning with industry placements; there are now more than 400 qualifications available, including in building, construction and engineering, as well as in subjects related…

Some employers in the construction sector have suggested that apprentices should contribute to the cost of their own training, amid growing funding pressures. The views are included in a report from industry bodies the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), which says the levy on large…

A lack of companies' awareness of how to sponsor migrant workers through the government’s points-based system is hurting the sector’s ability to recruit, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has warned. In a new report, the skills body also found that the proportion of overseas workers in construction dropped from…

Willmott Dixon has launched its first drylining academy for prisoners in the North of England. The Hertfordshire-based contractor will teach inmates at HMP Lincoln plasterboard installation skills to help them find jobs on their release. It follows similar initiatives at HMP Elmley in Kent, HMP Cardiff in South Wales and…

Industry heavyweight Mark Farmer is to lead a major review of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), six years after the previous government-commissioned probe led to a serious shake-up of the skills body. Farmer, a productivity champion and chief executive of Cast Consultancy who wrote the oft-quoted Modernise or Die…

A major construction industry body is pushing for more trade roles to be added to the government’s Shortage Occupation List because of the difficulties employers are facing in filling crucial jobs. The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) has called for 13 occupations – including steel erectors, sheet metal workers and road…