Civils contractors today welcomed the launch of a new Construction Workforce Outlook (CWO) tool by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) by saying that it will allow industry to plan with confidence in delivering the UK’s infrastructure needs.
Available online at www.citb.co.uk/cwo, the CWO tool offers dynamic, interactive forecasts of construction workforce demand and supply across the UK for the rest of this decade, allowing businesses to analyse projected regional, devolved nation, and sector-specific employment need.
CITB forecasts that the UK construction industry will need over 250,000 additional workers over the next five years to meet project demand, with the infrastructure sector identified as one of the key drivers of growth.
Commenting, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Alasdair Reisner said: “This new interactive tool from CITB is a welcome step forward in ensuring the construction sector – and the UK infrastructure industry in particular – is equipped to meet the challenges of the future.
“CECA members are playing a vital role in delivering the UK’s infrastructure ambitions.
“Access to detailed, regionally specific workforce data will help contractors plan more effectively and engage with the training and recruitment support they need.
“CECA has been working closely with our members and the Government in the roll-out of more than £600m in new construction skills funding, overseen by a Construction Skills Mission Board, to make sure businesses are equipped to deliver the planned pipeline of work.
“The drive to deliver on construction skills will create thousands of high-paying, high-skilled jobs across the UK, and will act as the foundation for delivering the high-growth economy 21st Britain requires.
“We look forward to working closely with CITB, our members, and other industry partners, to ensure our industry is ready to get shovels in the ground on schemes all over the country – to the benefit of businesses, communities, and UK plc as a whole.”
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