Firms in the East Midlands have been called upon to develop more employment-led training programmes to attract the brightest young people
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has urged construction firms in the East Midlands to look at developing more training programmes within the workplace. It is hoped this will attract the brightest A-level students.
The sector is expected to see some 190,000 job roles created by the end of 2018. However, the shortage of skilled workers means this target might not be met.
RICS regional director of the North and Midlands regions Victoria Hampson said: “We have to make it easier for young people to find an appropriate route into the industry, whether that is through apprenticeships or degree-level qualifications.
“Our research shows that if the skills epidemic doesn’t improve in the next three years, 27,000 planned buildings are at risk of not being built. If we’re to overcome this, we need to reduce the dropout rate from apprenticeships and other training courses by better linking them to the nature of the jobs that are likely to be available, along with relevant qualifications.”
Hampson added: “The construction industry looks set to grow over the next five years, but it’s very unlikely that we’ll have the capacity or the capability to fulfil planned projects. We are now calling for employers in the sector to support our work in bringing through the next generation of construction talent.”
