The third annual Government Construction Summit, the UK’s most important annual construction event, has seen Vince Cable talk about the skills shortage the industry faces.
The event took place in London and announced what the government envisages for construction - to help stimulate and grow the economy.
Business Secretary Vince Cable MP opened the event talking about the importance of investing in the skills shortage the construction industry is currently experiencing, by creating apprenticeships.
“The construction industry has lost 350,000 people, many of them highly skilled, many won’t come back, they have dropped out of the labour market,” he said. “It’s worth noting construction is the only sector of the economy where apprenticeships have declined in the past couple of years, everywhere else apprenticeships have boomed.”
When asked what his main message to the construction industry was, Cable added: “I’d like the industry to start thinking five or ten years ahead… If I was to pick one area as a key priority it would be skills - what could bring the sector’s recovery to a shuddering halt, is a lack of skill.”
Government representatives used the event to announce the pipeline of future public construction opportunities, which is £116 billion up to and beyond 2020. The information, collated by Barbour ABI, reveals upcoming public projects, with the intention of providing firms of all sizes the forward notice and information they need to invest in the relevant skills, labour and capabilities to win contracts going forward.
Sir David Higgins, Chairman of HS2, Lord Young, Enterprise Adviser to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP, Minister of State for Business and Energy, Lord Deighton, Commercial Secretary to the Treasury and Andrew Wyllie, Chief Executive of Costain also addressed attendees to provide the sector with an update on issues such as sustainability, measuring the benefits of BIM, creating a strong supply chain and building long term partnerships between the sector and government. Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Peter Hansford’s appointment was extended by a year, meaning that he will be working with the government until at least November 2015.
