UK construction skills ambassador and membership organisation, Constructure, announced it has become a Charitable Member of NOCN Group.

The Department for Education has introduced minimum off-the-job training (OTJ) hours for each apprenticeship standard for the first time.

Mark Reynolds, Mace Group’s Executive Chairman, has been appointed as Co-Chair of the Construction Skills Mission Board, a new entity sponsored by the UK government to ensure the industry can secure the next generation of workers to meet future demand.

Plans include technical excellence colleges, cash incentives for foundation apprenticeships, skills bootcamps and more.

The next organisation to feature in our on-going series of Member Spotlights is UK registered Charity - Youthbuild UK

Our Member Spotlight series continues with a detailed look at Constructure member The Skills Centre.

Compared to European countries, the UK needs an extra 4 million homes to fully alleviate the housing crisis.  In this context the Government’s commitment to building an extra 1.5 million over the next 5 years is a great start but is it achievable? The answer is NO!

World Mental Health Day (Thursday 10th October) always brings a focus on what more could or should be done to support our industry’s workforce. Greater awareness of some of the issues can only be a positive thing, but for the Lighthouse Charity, our work to improve the wellbeing of our construction community is continuous; every hour, every day, every month.

It is estimated that there are currently more than 700,000 suicides per year worldwide, making it a critical issue that affects individuals and communities worldwide. Among men in the US, UK and Australia, construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any sector, making it an industry with some of the worst mental health rates. According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annual report on occupational injuries, there’s been a 7.7% increase in construction fatalities and a 13.1% increase in suicides in 2022 over 2021.

Throughout September, we honor World Suicide Prevention Day and National Suicide Prevention Month in the US, a time to shift public perception, elevate resources, and spread hope. While these statistics are shocking, advocates and organizations are engaging in open and honest discussions about prioritizing mental health and changing the narrative on suicide. 

Introduction

The Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force (CCATF) proudly boasts 250 member organisations who collectively support a large share of the construction industry’s apprenticeship placements. Most of these companies are also intrinsically embedded within the wider workforce development throughout the sector. Across our membership base, we are currently building towards underpinning support for 50,000 live apprenticeship placements.

In a new approach, and to recognise the outstanding work being undertaken by a significant number of our members, we are introducing a new series of “Member Case Studies”.

These Case Studies will look, in some detail, at individual organisations, what they are doing in respect of apprenticeships, skills development and training and shine a spotlight on their approach to upskilling the industry.

International skills charity NOCN Group has released a new report that analyses the current global construction skills landscape and the implications of skills gaps for the UK’s economic growth. It raises questions for the new Government’s approach to setting up Skills England, as well as investment in 1.5 million new homes and Net-Zero infrastructure projects.

Bridget Phillipson confirms government will review the controversial plans by the end of the year – but only 2024 cuts have been paused so far

The new government has partially paused reforms to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below, halting this year’s planned defunding of some BTECs and other alternatives to T Levels.