The Autumn Statement's commitment to a new £23bn national productivity investment fund, £3.7bn to build 140,000 new homes and £1.8bn to support local infrastructure, home building and skills needs will help to bolster confidence amongst employers to invest in skills and training.
Stephen Radley, Director of Policy at CITB, said: “(These) announcements offer more certainty for the pipeline of work ahead, not just nationally but at a regional and local level in infrastructure and housing.
“This will help to boost business confidence following the uncertainties thrown up by Brexit. The local and regional investment should help bring more small firms into the supply chain, where much of the training takes place.
“With action on several fronts to boost homebuilding, it’s vital that we have the workforce in place to deliver the extra homes. That’s why CITB has joined forces with the Home Building Federation to set up the Homes Building Skills Partnership to support businesses across the UK to address their training and recruitment needs.”
