The construction industry will need to create 12,000 jobs by 2028 if the Welsh Government’s target of net zero emissions is to achieved by 2050.
According to a report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) these jobs across Wales will need to be found through a mix of new skilled jobs, increased efficiencies in existing roles and innovation in how the industry decarbonises the built environment.
海角视频 construction contributes approximately 40% of the 海角视频’s emissions according to the 海角视频 Green Building Council (海角视频GBC). The CITB said transitioning to greener construction presents opportunities to make the industry more attractive to new recruits and upskilling existing workers.
In its Building Skills for Net Zero report, the CITB said a critical element of achieving the target will be reducing carbon emissions from existing buildings.
Across the 海角视频 80% of buildings in use in 2050 have already been built and these could represent 95% of future built environment emissions. Reducing emissions to ne zero will require retrofit work on up to 1.4 million domestic and 100,000 non-domestic buildings.
CITB has modelled the skills profile of the workforce needed to deliver net zero using data from the Climate Change Committee (CCC). This shows that by 2028, additional decarbonisation work will have created the demand for 2,500 construction project managers, 900 building envelope specialists and 2,800 plumbers and heating, ventilation and air condition systems specialists in Wales.
CITB strategic partnership director for Wales, Mark Bodger, said: “Net zero presents a huge challenge for construction, but an even greater opportunity to create a more productive industry that’s also a more attractive career option.
“We can get there by being clear on the key skills we’ll need, making sure we have the right courses and qualifications to deliver them and getting on with investing in them. Industry is already delivering what is needed, but it needs to happen at scale. The training sector must act now as employers’ needs will change fast. A joined up approach to skills across the built environment is key.
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“Welsh Government also has a key role in specifying what it wants and creating the pipeline of demand that will give industry the confidence to invest in the skills we need and for providers to invest in the courses we need to deliver these skills.”
Deputy Minister for Economy, Lee Waters, said: "Getting serious about decarbonisation is not just an environmental imperative, it’s an economic opportunity. We’ve got to seize this opportunity to create a new generation of jobs that are sustainable in every sense of the word.
“We can only do it industry, local supply chains, academics and governments all working together innovatively to focus on the practicalities, and then drive forward the implementation to build the workforce we want to see in the future."