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£600,000 on Offer to Boost Offsite Construction Skills

01 May 2014 | Updated 01 January 1970
 
The government backed UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) is inviting businesses in the offsite construction industry to bid for up to £600,000 for skills research and development.

It has launched a programme to co-invest with employers in pilot programmes to help develop new ways of getting the skills which the sector needs for growth. The money is available to co-invest with employers in testing ways of improving training and qualifications and how businesses can work together to boost growth in offsite construction.

Research by UKCES has shown that although careers within offsite construction are relatively popular, few applicants have the skills required.  Businesses do run their own training programmes but these are often short-term, and specific to the needs of that business at that time. This results in a less flexible and collaborative workforce. Currently, offsite accounts for an estimated 7% of total construction output value in the UK.

Bill McGinnis CBE, a UKCES commissioner and chairman of McAvoy Group (offsite solutions) said: “The offsite sector urgently needs to exploit new technologies and the links with manufacturing if it is to meet the demands being put on it – particularly the low-carbon agenda and pressure to build more low-cost housing. We hope that by making this money available, businesses and training providers can be encouraged to collaborate to design and develop high-quality training and qualifications which will be recognised and adopted right across the sector.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 01 May 2014

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