Skills

The chief executives of the Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) and Construction Products Association (CPA) have warned that challenging market conditions are leading to cutbacks in recruitment. In a statement, they said slowing activity and demand in housebuilding and the domestic repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI) market means employers are cutting…

A 22-strong coalition of industry bodies has written to prime minister Keir Starmer calling for the government’s proposed reforms to apprenticeships to be suspended as they will be a “disaster” for construction. In an open letter, the industry groups argued that the changes will weaken skills standards, damage employer confidence…

New vocational V level qualifications are set to be introduced as part of a government effort to tackle the skills crisis in sectors such as construction. Under the proposals, revealed in a 72-page skills white paper on Monday (21 October), V levels will replace technical qualifications at level 3, including…

Most ─ but not all ─ construction roles remain on an initial list of key occupations that allow professionals to move to the UK, as the sector is considered crucial to delivering government ambitions. However, rail and rolling stock builders and repairers, and toolmakers, were eligible occupations under the previous…

Control over the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has moved from the Department for Education (DfE) to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Construction News understands that the transfer of departmental sponsorship formed part of changes to skills administration announced by prime minister Keir Starmer on 16 September. Although…

The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) has issued revised contracts to training centres after months of negotiations, with its chair defending its proposed reforms. The scheme, owned by the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC), has faced sustained criticism from some training providers over the planned reforms, leading to…

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has warned that net-zero schemes will be in direct competition with infrastructure projects for labour in the next five years. The skills body, which covers sectors including nuclear, power generation and offshore wind, said 40,000 new engineering construction workers are needed for major…

A new guide for managers in construction has been launched to help reduce the barriers faced by neurodiverse workers. The Neurodiversity in Construction: A Manager’s Toolkit has been published in the wake of the development of an industry training programme on the topic earlier this year. The scheme followed a…

A new independent body has been created to oversee training quality and governance in the scaffolding and access sector. The Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme (CISRS) has confirmed the launch of CISRS Quality Assurance Committee (CISRSQAC) Ltd, which will act as the sector’s new independent Sector Representative Organisation (SRO). Its…

Cost increases and rising wages have led half of SME firms to report lower-than-expected profits or losses, a new report has revealed. In their latest half-year SME State of Trade Survey, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) have found a quarter of firms…