The South West construction industry needs to recruit 32,000 workers by 2025 in order for the sector to keep up with demand, according to new research.
A report published by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has forecasted that the industry is set to bounce back dramatically following the pandemic.
It forecasted that the amount of construction work in the South West set to grow by 3.9% annually, on average, over the next four years - slightly below the 海角视频 average of 4.4%.
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While the region’s workforce of 244,000 is set to increase by 0.7% over the next few years, the CITB report estimated that an extra 32,000 workers would be needed in order to deliver large-scale projects such as the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset and a boom in private housing development.
The study highlighted a particular need for an extra 1,550 woodworkers and interior fitters and an additional 750 electricians per year.
Overall, the report found that an extra 6,400 workers would be needed per year to fulfil the amount of work forecasted for the period.
It comes after energy giant EDF announced that it expects an additional 1,700 people, including in construction, welding, electrical and equipment installation roles, will be hired in the next year to help work on the construction of Hinkley Point C
Nick James, CITB’s senior customer engagement manager for the South West, said the organisation would work closely with construction businesses in the region to help them recruit and train and support the country to “build its way back” to economic recovery.
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CITB policy director Steve Radley said despite the possibility of tighter government finances following the pandemic, investment was needed in skills to meet growing needs in the sector, including the drive towards net-zero carbon emissions.
Mr Radley said: “It’s great to see construction coming back so strongly and creating lots of job opportunities.
“We need to adopt new approaches to meet these growing skills needs and deliver these quickly. We are working closely with government and further education to build better bridges between centres of learning and work and make apprenticeships more flexible.
“We are also making significant investments in supporting work experience that make it easier for employers to bring in new blood."
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One of the CITB’s training partners Weston College is set to introduce a new Construction T-level qualification. Launched last year, the A-level equivalent courses offer a mixture of study with onsite work experience.
The college’s head of business growth and employer partnerships, Dave Crew, said: “Weston College are seeing an increase in construction training activity, supporting employers to access talent through apprenticeships in trades, plant and scaffolding.
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“We’re increasing capacity to support those looking to retrain at our Construction Training Centre in Weston-super-Mare to access new jobs.”
In May, City of Bristol College was presented with the Levelling Up Award for its new Advanced Construction Skills Centre (ACSC), which is due to open in September.
According to deputy principal and chief executive Richard Harris, the centre, which is based in South Bristol, will offer more opportunities for local people and will develop the talent the construction sector requires to continue to grow.
“We have been able to continue the build throughout the pandemic and the work is all on time,” he said. “We are confident of the benefits and that it will be a great success," he said.