Speaking about the agreement, CCATF Chair Martyn Price, MBE, commented “We are excited to be working together with the WMCA on a number of different initiatives in the region to improve construction skills and access to the industry.”
Martyn Price continued “With the WMCA having such a diverse spread of industries and sectors in the region, and the huge investment being brought by HS2, it is easy to see the potential for skills and apprenticeship uptake is significant. We look to creating some early wins for both organisations and, of course, the learners and apprentices of the region.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Andy Street (pictured), Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the WMCA, said “Construction is key to our region’s economic recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. We think there could be up to 100,000 opportunities in the region’s construction industry over the next decade, thanks to large-scale projects like HS2 and our multi-million pound investment to remediate derelict brownfield land across the region to create new homes and businesses, and it is critical these jobs are filled locally.
“So it’s great news that we’re joining the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force. Membership will give us access to an expert panel of sector employers, enabling us to further increase our understanding of the demand for apprenticeships within the construction sector, together with the challenges and barriers businesses face. Being part of the CCTAF will also help us to promote our offer to employers to equip local people with the skills they need to gain jobs in the sector, through our Construction Gateway programme.”
