ConstructionSkills welcomes Government commitment to apprenticeships
Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of ConstructionSkills said: “We are pleased that the Government has prioritised the funding of apprenticeship places to improve Britain’s growth and ensure people are given the best opportunity to access skills and training. Apprenticeships are the lifeblood of this industry and we must ensure we are creating enough opportunities for young people - and that businesses are willing and able to invest in them.
“The announcement of 50,000 new SME apprenticeship places goes beyond the 20,000 previously announced and is a welcome boost for the UK construction industry – which contributes 8% of total UK GDP, but which has been battered by the recession.”
Construction is the most efficient industry for the public sector to invest in, with every £1 spent generating £2.84 in wider economic benefit. However, the recession has changed the industry, which now needs direct Government support to recover and deliver broader economic growth.
Mark Farrar continued: “We understand Government’s priority is in tackling the public deficit, but it will also be a key task of Government to ensure public sector investment in key construction based projects is sustained until the private sector picks up – and it is only by maintaining capital investment in Britain’s infrastructure that we will prevent significant job losses in the sector..
“It is this workforce who will be the key driver of future recovery and the Government’s recent commitments on social housing and the new ‘Green Deal’ for households announced in today’s Queen’s Speech are welcome news in support of jobs.
“ConstructionSkills has been at the heart of skills and training for over 40 years and we are uniquely positioned to help government deliver a simple, cost-effective and demand-led skills system, for both employers and individuals, that will help pull us out of recession and into a new era of growth.”