london tec construction sector study
TRANSCRIPT
London Skills Forecasting Unit
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Adapting skill forecasting to theindustry’s needs
3. Skills demand and training provision
4. Conclusions
5. Recommendations
BUILDING SKILLSA Study of
Construction Skills for the London Skills Forecasting Unit
By MACEIn conjunction with EDAW
m a c e
1. INTRODUCTIONBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The Employer Surveys conducted by London TEC Council in 1996 and 1997 identified that theConstruction sector had the highest level of skillgaps in the capital.i Demand was high and therewas a large number of major projects planned in
the capital in time for the new Millennium.
The construction sector has a more diverserange of technology, skills and qualifications thanmany other industries. The industry is undergoingimportant and fundamental changes in:
The introduction of on-site IT, and the increasinguse of pre-fabricated modular construction
The demand from employers for site proven skills, but the reluctance of employersto provide work experience opportunities to trainees
Subcontractors are becoming very specialised in their activity, but requiring a broader range of skills
Less structured job progression arising from a very large number of qualifications, resultingin a complex system of accredited courses
In an attempt to address these challenges andto encourage a co-ordinated response, theLondon TECs initiated a London-wide SectorStudy in the summer of 1998.
The aim of the Study was to provide an investigative and analytical base from which to understand the:
Skill sets with which the construction labour force must be equipped in order to maintain sustainable employment
Demand and supply for these skill sets over a five year period to 2002
Nature of training provision within Greater London
The output of the Study would be:
a model to predict demand and supply
a matrix of priority skill sets
to identify gaps in training provision
The project was financed by the London TECs through London TEC Council, and byWest London TEC who had undertaken someexploratory investigation within the industry and of London training providers. MACE Ltdundertook the Study in conjunction with EDAW.The Steering group for the project comprisedthe London TECs, CITB, and industry representatives.
Companies previously employing large direct labour forces have moved
towards the use of subcontractors.
Industry trends
The construction industry has changed significantly over the last ten years. Changes in employment legislation and the need to improve competitiveness have been key drivers.
Subcontracting is tending towards specialisation in order to compete for business more effectively. The role of the main contractor is becoming more andmore that of a management contractor - managing specialist subcontractors.Fewer construction companies offer in-house apprentice training schemes. Smallcompanies do not invest in training. The quality of new entrants to constructiontraining is declining. Those who left the industry during the last recession in themid-nineties are reluctant to return. The image of the industry is unattractivebecause of the short-term nature of much work and the poor working practicesof some operators.
2. ADAPTING SKILL FORECASTING TO THE INDUSTRY’S NEEDS
Clients are becoming more demanding. They want lower costs, more certainty, quickerconstruction and zero defects. The supply sideof the industry has to be increasingly innovativein order to meet these requirements. Thisinevitably impacts on the ‘skills’ required todeliver projects.
Attempts to rally the industry and plot the way forward include: the Latham Report ii,Setting New Standardsiii, the Levene Scrutiny iv,Construction Round Table’s ‘Agenda forChange’v, the Construction Clients’ Forum’s‘Constructing Improvement’vi and most recentlythe Egan Report.vii
The Egan Report of 1998 summarises the challenge to the industry as
Modern building techniques require fewer specialist craftsmen but more workers able toundertake a range of functions based aroundprocesses rather than trade skills. This is beingaddressed by overseas companies but the UKis in danger of being left behind.” Egan Report p.29
Egan recommends that the industry moves to production based around the processesrequired to meet client requirements, ratherthan traditional trades. From the employer’sperspective, a process-based approach allowsmore accurate business planning and biddingfor projects. Bids and estimates can reflectmore exactly the ‘work items’ to be undertaken.From the employee’s perspective, a process-based approach to construction will provide aclearer picture of responsibilities employees orsubcontractors are expected to undertake, andhow long each is expected to take.
This report has responded to the requirementsof the Egan report by providing a new skillsdemand model that forecasts future constructionactivity by work item.
“
Forecasts of construction spending
The upper part of Table 1 shows the mainannual outputs from the traditional forecasts ofconstruction spending in Great Britain andLondon. The traditional model of constructionforecasts is based on client spending, which isgathered by DETR under the following broadcategories:
Public Housing - housing built by public bodies
Private Housing - housing built by private house builders
Infrastructure - transport and utilities projects
Public non-Housing - schools, hospitals and other buildings erected by public bodies
Private non-Housing - public, or non-commercial, buildings erected for private companies
Private Commercial - offices, shops, factories, warehousing
Private Housing Repair and Maintenance
Public Housing Repair and Maintenance
Private Non-Housing Repair and Maintenance
These categories are not consistent in natureand represent more the availability of trends infinancial spending, rather than a useful seg-mentation of client need by construction type.For instance multi-storey dwellings are builtboth in the private and public housing sectors.The model does not reflect defined types ofbuilding clearly, nor the type of skilled labourthat is needed to build them.
The traditional model shows that total construction output for Great Britain is forecastto grow a little over 1% annually. A decline in the Private Industrial market from 1999 and the Private Commercial market from 2001 will be offset mainly by growth in Repair andMaintenance. Infrastructure and PrivateCommercial activity takes up a much largershare of the London market than in GreatBritain as a whole. London will experience asimilar decline in the Private Commercial market from 2001, but the growth in the Repairand Maintenance market is not strong enoughto offset this. Total London output will fall by1.8% in 2001 and 1.2% in 2002. Nevertheless,a £7.5 billion annual output in London in 2001and 2002 is expected to provide significantemployment opportunities.
The construction skills demand model
By comparison the new construction skillsdemand model produced for the London TECs by MACE Ltd, with support from EDAW, forecasts skills requirement by work item (aparticular task or skill). The model quantifiesthese ‘work items’ on a dynamic with the anticipated construction spending, which isdrawn from the traditional forecasting paradigm.
The new skills demand model shows thatdemand for operatives in London will rise until2000 by a range of 1-12% and then decline to2002 by between 7 and 9%. The variability inemployment is stronger than the variability inoutput identified by the traditional model.
The findings of the new model, in terms of gross demand for workers on the most significant work items, are summarised in the lower part of Table 1, and cover those categories identified under the traditional model as private commercial, and public and private non-housing.
TABLE 1. CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT AND NEW BUILD WORKFORCE DEMAND
FOR LONDON AND GB 1996-2002
1. TRADITIONAL MODEL (CFR)Construction Output £ million 1990 prices
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
GB
Public Housing 1,403 1,190 1,130 1,130 1,185 1,305 1,410
Private Housing 5,367 6,211 6,335 6,020 6,320 6,575 6,705
Infrastructure 6,282 5,854 5,735 5,735 6,020 6,075 6,240
Public non-residential 4,793 3,963 3,885 3,925 3,965 4,085 4,205
Private Industrial 3,145 3,521 3,660 3,480 3,200 3,135 3,295
Private Commercial 7,428 8,639 9,675 9,965 9,965 9,565 9,280
Housing R&M 12,005 12,191 12,710 13,145 13,290 13,745 14,155
Public non-residential R&M 4,191 3,928 3,850 3,890 3,970 4,050 4,170
Private non-residential R&M 5,625 5,885 6,120 6,365 6,365 6,300 6,175
Total 50,239 51,382 53,100 53,655 54,280 54,835 55,635
Annual change - 2.3% 3.3% 1.0% 1.2% 1.0% 1.5%
London
Public Housing 215 170 160 170 180 200 215
Private Housing 325 545 595 595 610 630 640
Infrastructure 1,305 1,125 1,065 990 930 880 925
Public non-residential 790 615 595 600 605 625 650
Private Industrial 165 125 145 145 140 140 145
Private Commercial 1,715 2,055 2,385 2,470 2,500 2,260 2,020
Housing R&M 1,231 1,264 1,303 1,345 1,358 1,401 1,425
Public non-residential R&M 422 419 432 445 450 465 473
Private non-residential R&M 805 862 888 917 926 956 972
Total 6,973 7,180 7,568 7,677 7,699 7,557 7,465
Annual change - 3.0% 5.4% 1.4% 0.3% -1.8% -1.2%
2. SKILLS DEMAND MODEL (MACE)Demand for construction workers in London
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Total construction workers London new build 25,469 27,263 30,625 30,931 31,881 28,929 26,865
Annual change - 7.0% 12.3% 1.0% 3.1% -9.3% -7.1%
Demand for workers - main work items
Service reference specification 1,370 1,450 1,640 1,640 1,670 1,530 1,410
Linings/sheathing/dry partitioning 1,320 1,390 1,560 1,600 1,650 1,500 1,370
Mechanical heating/cooling/refrigeration 780 800 920 930 950 870 800
Surface finishes 670 720 800 820 850 770 710
Electrical supply/power lighting systems 660 720 800 800 820 750 700
Transport systems 650 700 790 780 780 720 680
Cladding/covering 580 620 700 700 740 660 600
Source: CFR, MACE 1998
Significant work categories identified by the skills demand model
A survey of broad-based construction firmsand specialised companies was essential tomap work categories, work items and skillrequirements by construction type. Survey participants also identified likely changes inskills. Table 2 outlines the most significant workcategories, in terms of labour required, anddetails briefly the main work items of each.
Scope of the skills demand model
The model covers 202 work items incorporated in 22 types of building.
The focus of the model is on ‘new-build’ workon which spending in London is estimated tohave been in excess of £4.5 billion in 1996(1990 prices) accounting for more than 16% of total new-build construction work in GreatBritain, and 40% of construction spending inGreater London.
The most significant categories of new buildactivity in London include private commercial,infrastructure, and public non-housing. Not surprisingly the most prominent segment is private commercial ‘offices’ which representsalmost one quarter of the entire London new-build market. Important results were alsoobtained for other segments of the Londonconstruction market, notably Private Housing,Repair and Maintenance. Infrastructure projectscould not be fully included because of lack oftime and a dependency on responses from afew major clients.
TABLE 2. MOST SIGNIFICANT WORK ITEMS
Work Category
Services
Linings/sheathings/partitioning
Mechanical heating/cooling systems
Surface finishes
Electrical supply/power/ lighting systems
Transport systems
Cladding/covering
Communications/security control systems
In situ concrete/precast concrete
Building fabric
Main work items
Air ductlinesThermal insulationConduit and cable trunkingHV/LV cables and wiring
Demountable partitionsPartitions/ inner walls/ liningsSuspended ceilingsRaised access flooring
Gas/oil fired boilersPrimary heat distributionMedium temperature hot water heatingPrimary/secondary cooling distribution
Edge fixed carpetingPainting/clear finishes
HV supply/distribution/public utility supplyLV distributionGeneral lighting
LiftsTravelling cradlesMechanical document conveying
Curtain walling
TelecommunicationsMonitoring
Formwork in situ concreteReinforcement in situ concrete
Purpose made joineryPurpose made metalwork
Repair and Maintenance
Whereas future spending is available for ‘new build’ activity, Repair and Maintenanceinformation is only available for previous years,and past trends have to be projected forwardto suggest future activity. It also reflects spending by contractors registered in London,many of whose clients may be based outsidethe region. Accepting these limitations, Repairand Maintenance activity is expected to remainmore stable than new build as, in a recession,many clients will attempt to reduce their capitalspend and ‘make do and mend’. It is, however,not possible to produce a detailed segmentationof the London market.
If gaps, such as Repair and Maintenance and Infrastructure, are filled, the skills demandmodel will allow construction companies to:
Have a better picture of the skills demands of future activities, at national and regional level, which should help improve their recruitment and training strategies
Map the volume and range of skills required for individual projects, to calculate more exactly the labour costs for tendering and project management implications
Manage local sub-contractors more effectively by assessing skill requirements for each contract let.
How the skills demand model operates
The model comprises the following elements:
A new segmentation of construction activity [A] was created based on client need and construction type.
Spending forecasts [B] were redistributed across the activity segments. Construction demand by segment was calculated.
A survey of construction firms [C] provided data on the skill requirements by ‘work item’ for target segments. The skill requirements were categorised and quantified using industry experience. Spending by segment was then restated as demand by skill.
Overall demand for London was then aggregated for [D] across construction types.
A survey of training providers [E] through CITB, mapped the degree to which training for the skills identified in the model was beingprovided in London and the surrounding area. Gaps in provision were identified.
A survey of employers [F] enabled a qualitative interpretation of construction workforce figures from four industry and governmental sources [G]. Skills supply was calculated.
1. Construction demand by segment
A. Construction activity matrix
B. Economic forecasts
E. Survey of training provision
3. London skills demand
4. Gaps & opportunities
5. Skills supply
C. Client survey
F. Employer survey
G. Workforce data
2. Skills demand by work item by target segment
D. Aggregation across
construction type
Fig.1 The Structure of the Skills Demand Model
However, almost all the contractors surveyedfor this report, who were working in London,reported that they drew their labour from thelocal labour pool. Where contractors did drawlabour from outside London this was becauserates of pay were higher in the capital, or thenecessary skills could not be found locally. This would suggest that more could be madeof local job opportunities if trainees were provided with a more competitive set of skills.
Work categories in greatest demand
Table 3 indicates those work categories forwhich the Model predicts a net increase indemand until 2000, but with a downturn indemand in 2001 and 2002. In addition to the new jobs identified by the model, otheremployment opportunities would be created toreplace those leaving the industry and thosere-skilling. Perceived gaps in the skills of thecurrent labour force and skill changes forecastby employers are noted where significant.
There would appear to be an overall lack of training provision in the work categories of Structural Steel, and Cladding. In several categories the model identifies the need fortraining provision to take into account changesin the industry. Current changes include theuse of environmentally friendly materials, moremulti/flexible-skilling, IT skills and the need for increased awareness of and compliancewith Health and Safety regulations. Many of these areas are the subject of shortnon-accredited training.
3. SKILLS DEMAND AND TRAINING PROVISION
LABOUR MARKET OVERVIEWThe labour market for construction activity is characterised by a notable degree of mobility, and it is assumed that companies working in London will employ labour drawn from well outside the city.To accommodate these issues the Association ofColleges (London)viii and the London TEC studieshave also drawn information from training provisionin the broader South-East region.
TABLE 3. WORK CATEGORIES IN GREATEST DEMAND TO 2002
Work Category
Linings/sheathings/partitioning
Surface finishes
Furniture/ equipment installation
In situ/precast concrete
Structural steel
Cladding/covering
Mechanical heating/ cooling systems
Services
Skills problems identified by study
growing complexity of interface with other building components e.g. mechanical and electrical services
standardisation of wall components will lead to deskilling
none
some deskilling as equipment becomes more standardised
greater knowledge of proprietary formwork systems and optimum bay layout required
greater understanding required of interface with other building components
need to understand computerised detailing
manufacturers/installers tend to train ‘in-house’
installation skills tend to be product specific
none
increased use of prefabricated modules is leading to deskilling e.g. accommodation pods, plant units
very broad category with many ‘high task focus’ skill requirements
Other key areas for skills development
In addition to the gaps noted above, the Studyindicates that training provision in the followingareas, by colleges, TECs and NTOs, needs toadapt to changes in the industry:
TABLE 4. OTHER KEY AREAS FOR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Work Category
Demolition
Groundwork (piling/landfill)
Masonry, including brick and stonework
Electrical supply/power lighting
Waterproofing
Building fabric
Skills problems identified by study
need for greater knowledge of materials and forms of construction including temporary works
need for improved Health and Safety training
need to categorise waste materials for recycling
increased use of plant and IT is leading to multi-skilling
more all-round training required especially at interface with other work items
need for improved Health and Safety training
more all-round training required especially at interface with other building components
wider familiarisation with fixings, sealants and adhesives required
standardisation of components is leading to some deskilling
Modular construction
Modular construction has been applied successfully in the construction of standardfacilities, such as petrol stations, hotels andquick service restaurants. It is only a matter oftime, however, before this innovation becomesmore widespread. Currently demand for modules exceeds supply, and there are nosuppliers based in the London area. Likely areasof growth include facilities where there is furtherscope for repeat/standardised construction,such as schools, offices and superstores.
This form of construction can lead to deskilling. Workers are expected to perform a wider range of less specialist tasks, as the need for bespoke craft work is removedfrom the process. If modular firms started tobecome established in the South-East, thenthere may be opportunities for training coursesin both manufacture and use of such materials.
BUILDING CRAFTS
Current training provision
There are 35 further education colleges inLondon and the surrounding area offering construction-related training. In 1997/8 over24,000 people attended construction-relatedcollege courses. London TECs funded construction training for some 2,200 people, of whom 1,000 were trained by major construction companies, 200 were trained by further education colleges (also included intheir provision figures), and 100 were trained by CITB.
CITB data indicates the following numbers of CITB sponsored trainees in London and the surrounding area:ix
There were 6,916 trainees registered on the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), between January and October 1998; and
There were 2,529 operatives registered on various CITB NVQ courses at Levels 2 and 3,between October 1997 and October 1998.
The Construction Skills Certification schemeprovides a means of grouping appropriateNVQs into career progression towards one of the main construction trades. This reportsupports the broad approach adopted by this scheme and believes further take-up byemployers should be encouraged.
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
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0
Fig 2. Construction Training in London. Numbers on craft-related NVQs, City and Guilds and other qualifications funded by Further Education and TECsSource: London TEC Council, FEFC (London)
London TECs and CollegesTrainees in Construction 1997/8
BUILDING SERVICES
TECHNICAL TRAINEES
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Figure 2 gives an approximate breakdown ofthe NVQs relating to traditional constructioncraft trades. Building Crafts covers trades usedin erecting buildings, Building Services coverstrades for utilities installation, and TechnicalTrainees covers general, lower level certificatesacross broad trade areas. It is not intended asa comprehensive picture of all trades for whichtraining was offered in London. It sets out thebroad volumes of training in the main constructioncrafts, and does not include a large number ofspecialist courses with only a few students in1997/8.x The figure for Electricians excludes4,159 people who took City and Guilds coursesin 1997/8, as including them would reduce thesize of the graph and make comparison withother trades difficult. City and Guilds qualificationshave been included for other trades.
Local labour initiatives
The interface between training supply andemployer demand in London has increasinglybeen through local partnerships. These partnerships allow trainers to familiarise themselves with local labour demand, andemployers to gain more confidence in the quality of trainees in the local market.
In East London The Partnership involvesCanary Wharf Management as a key playeralong with LETEC, the local EmploymentService offices, and local Boroughs. They areseeking to improve employability of local labourin Newham and Tower Hamlets with tworecruitment centres and a Skills Register.
In West London West London ConstructionNetwork is being led by the ConstructionIndustry Research and Information Association(CIRIA), West London Chamber of Commerceand WLTEC. It is concentrating activities onimproving the competitiveness of local sub-contractors by encouraging the sharing of bestpractice and providing business support services.
Other similar schemes include the King’s CrossPartnership and the Wimpey Edmonton ParkInitiative in Central and North London, as wellas a construction ‘one stop’ shop set up byNWLTEC and the College of North West London.
Greenwich Local Labour and Business is acompany set up by Greenwich Council in 1996,with the aim of securing jobs for local peopleon local construction projects, and to supportthe local economy.xi Residents can receive guidance, financial assistance, registration with CSCS, and training including ModernApprenticeships. Local businesses can obtain advice on tendering, introductions todevelopers, and other support services.
In a similar private sector initiative BAA hasestablished the Airport Construction TrainingAlliance. Founders are BAA, AMEC, Laing Civil Engineering, O’Rourke, and Crown House Engineering. Other members include: Bovis, MACE and Warings. BAA consulted itspartners to define the gaps in constructionskills, which should be addressed as a priority.Particular problem areas identified included:civil engineering, electricians, and scaffolding. They also established that there was a need forgeneral operative skills to be supplemented byspecialist skills, tailored to the individuals’ needs.In response to this requirement, BAA decidedto develop a ‘competency passport’. Informationon the skills needs and training courses attended is being collected and managed usingthe passport and a skills database. To ensurethat trained workers are most effectivelyutilised, a full time job placement co-ordinatoris employed. A Board of Training Managementhas been established to monitor quality.
These partnerships are doing useful work inbringing employers and suppliers of trainingtogether to meet identified needs. Participationin such partnerships should be widened toencourage more employers to express theirskills requirements, and relationships should be strengthened so that employers can havemore influence in local training programmes.
PASSEDELECTRICAL SAFETY
Industry needs
There is a greater requirement for operatives to be multi-skilled to meet the requirements of project-based work areas, but some areas are becoming more specialised (eg. precast concrete and demolition)
The new work areas do not relate directly to traditional ‘trade skills’
Operatives often need modules of competence drawn from several occupational/qualification areas, rather than one narrow trade qualification
Health and Safety awareness, risk assessment, and compliance with those regulations across all training areas is increasing
Use of IT skills and understanding of computerised detailing across several work areas
Revised qualifications and a modular framework of training certification are required to accommodate these changes
Strengthened interface with training providers.
Training providers
Are supplying most trainees in traditional trade areas which relate to the qualification framework
These trainees may find it increasingly hard to enter jobs in London that require multi-skilling across broad work areas
There are some work areas in demand for which no training provision is currently available in the London area eg. Cladding and Structural Steel
The issue that trainees are regarded as not ‘work ready’ is no longer an issue only of skills speed on site, but of irrelevant skills
If training was offered in the ‘work areas’ in demand there are substantial job opportunities for local people
The qualification framework does not provide a useful benchmark for skills in demand.
Skills demand model
The traditional industry forecasting model, based on spend, does not provide an accurate measure of skills demand. A new model is needed to capture the pace of change going on in the construction industry
The new skills demand model produced by MACE for London TEC Council has the potential to provide the industry with a new national model for estimating skills demand by work areas, in line with recent recommendations in the Egan report
The new skills demand model provides a robust assessment for the new build and refurbishment areas of the industry
More work is needed to extend the model to Repair and Maintenance, and Infrastructure.
The data shows evidence that a gap has opened between the needs of industry and the
relevance of available training provision. The conclusions that can be drawn regarding
the industry’s needs are:
4. CONCLUSIONS
High visibility clothingmust be worn in
this areaWear gloves
Protective footwearmust be worn
in this area
Wearhard hats
Qualifications and training
The qualifications framework must continue to keep pace with changes in the working pattern of the industry, some areas of which are becoming more specialised, while others require a broader base multi-skilled approach to work
Training continues to be based on traditional qualifications and a gap has opened betweenindustry’s need and the training supplied
In practice employers require people with competencies in several work areas and the ability to build up modules from several different qualifications
Trainees will find it hard to get jobs from existing training
Were training to follow industry’s needs there would be good job opportunities, and the survey showed that employers do recruit from the London labour pool
Trainees need both work-based and off-site training provision to meet employers’ demands
There is a significant need for the industry to play a major role to ensure that qualifications and training supply meet their needs.
CITB and DETR should consider the resultsof the skills demand model, and whether itcould be applied in other regions
The adoption of this model would ensure thatconstruction forecasts directly express employerdemand for skills. They should considerextending the model to Infrastructure andRepair and Maintenance. Once complete themodel could be used by employers to enhancejob specification and project management.
ACTION CITB and DETR
Construction NTOs should continue to work with the industry to determine a corecurriculum for construction training, whichmeets industry’s needs
The TEC and FE reports demonstrate that traditional crafts dominate construction training (e.g. house building). Some areas ofconstruction work are deskilling (e.g. lining and partitioning) resulting in a demand for a broader knowledge of less specialised tasks.Some areas of construction work are becomingmore specialised resulting in a requirement for people with particular skill sets (e.g. precastconcrete and demolition). Modules of trainingwill be more important than complete qualifications for some work areas.
ACTION Construction NTOsxii and employers
DfEE should allow more flexibility in TEC and FE funding
To meet industry needs DfEE should enableTECs and colleges to train on a modular basisuntil a new qualification structure can befinalised. DfEE should help gear the SkillsDevelopment Fund to enable gaps in provisionto be met.
ACTION DfEE
Employers should keep records of the skills of their workforce and those of theirsubcontractors.
The study found that companies were oftennot able to specify the skills required for their work programme, and the skills of theiremployees. If companies held better records of skills, it would help in business planning, purchasing, specification of contracts, as suggested in the Egan report. It would alsoensure that training provision was better able to meet their requirements.
Greater support is also needed from employersfor the Construction Skills Certification Scheme,which will help to establish a broad base ofskills information for the industry.
ACTION Construction NTOs and employers
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
Employers should work with NTOs, TECs and colleges to promote the industry,encourage a better quality of entrant, andimprove investment in training facilities
There is a widely shared concern that employersneed to have access to trainees with high levelskills and site readiness, and that the standardof entrants into training needs to improve.Employers should work with training institutionsto encourage potential trainees.
Construction training requires a higher level of investment than many other disciplines. The need for plant, equipment and workshopspace places a financial strain on existing training providers and raises a serious barrier toentry for new providers. Employers, colleges,NTOs and TECs develop stronger partnershipsto find alternative and complementary funding.The scope for more Modern Apprenticeshipsand National Traineeships should be explored.These actions could be taken by local construction partnerships.
ACTION Construction companies, TNC, NTOs, and FEFC
Actions by agencies in other regions
Other regions should use the model to providea similar assessment for their region.
ACTION Regional Development Agencies
Strengthening local labour initiatives in London
Successful partnerships between employersand training institutions provide a way of influencing recruitment procedures throughsupply chain relations. Such partnerships canprovide employers with the assurance of thequality of potential recruits. The partnershipsshould seek wider employer participation andstrengthen the links between employers andtraining provision. Exchange of information on skills demand at local level through these partnerships will help to inform training institutions, and the London TECs skillsdemand model.
ACTION London TECs, Colleges, Employers
Modular Construction
The report has noted that increasing demandfor modular construction may lead to furtherneed for recruitment in skills for manufacture,and on-site assembly. TECs and colleges inLondon should consider further training in thiswork area.
ACTION London TECs, and Colleges.
MARKET INFORMATION
Jim Turner, Construction Forecasting and Research Ltd
The late Henry Neuburger, DETR
The Housing Corporation of London
London Research Centre
Association of Local Government
London Housing Federation
CLIENT AND CONTRACTORINFORMATION
There are many clients and contractorswho have provided invaluable informationon major projects, work items and skillssets. Their commercial confidence isrespected by not publishing their names.
WORKFORCE INFORMATION
Andy Hulcoop, DETR
Simon Lunn, DETR
Ian Bushnell, Office of National Statistics
Linda Gilardoni, CITB
The main and specialist contractors also helped in this section.
TRAINING PROVIDER INFORMATION
Alf Barnard, Camden Training Centre
Joe Pojunas and Martin Yallop, BAA
Margaret Miland, CITB
A wide range of training organisationsalso provided useful information for this section.
PROJECT STEERING GROUP FOR LONDON TECS
Simon Ellis, LTC Project Manager
Paula Raper, WLTEC, Assistant ProjectManager
Chris Buss, WLTEC
Roger Morfey, LETEC
Charles Jarvis, NWLTEC (now with Manchester TEC)
Phil Page, CITB
Mark Lunn, Laing Training Services
FURTHER EDUCATION ADVICE AND INFORMATION
Geoff Melling, AoC London
Frank Horan, College of NW London
Kate Anderson, FEFC London
Elaine McWilliam, FEFC London
Chris Wright, FEFC London
EDAW TEAM
David Fell, Econometric Consultant
Patrick Gulliver, Consultant
MACE TEAM
Mike Townsend, Project Manager
Hamish Calder, Programme Manager
Tom Sidaway, Data Manager
Krishna Topan, Data Manager
Chris Pilsworth, Analyst/Programmer
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Many individuals and organisations have provided input on thisproject. We are very grateful for the major contributions from thefollowing parties, who gave freely of their time and information:
Notes
London TEC Council (1997), London Employer Survey
1996-7, p.59. London TEC Council (1998), London
Employer Survey 1997-8, p.44.
Latham, M. (1994), Constructing the Team:
Final Report of the Government/Industry Review of
Procurement and Contractual Arrangements in the UK
Construction Industry, London: HMSO.
White Paper Cm 2840 (1995), Setting New Standards:
A Strategy for Government Procurement, London: HMSO.
Efficiency Unit Cabinet Office (1995), Construction
Procurement by Government: An Efficiency Unit Scrutiny,
London: HMSO.
Construction Round Table (1997), The Agenda for Change.
Construction Clients’ Forum (1998), Constructing
Improvement.
Construction Task Force (1998), Rethinking Construction:
The Report of the Construction Task Force, London: DETR.
Horan, F.X. (1998), Construction Review, Association of
Colleges (London).
Information provided by Linda Gilardoni, CITB.
Such as Glaziers, Tilers, Mastic Asphalt, Building
Maintenance, and Environmental Management.
Greenwich Local Labour and Business (1998),
Creating Construction Jobs and Business Opportunities
for the New Millennium.
Construction NTOs include the Construction Industry
Training Board, and the Electrical Installation Engineering
Industry Training Organisation, as well as allied organisations
such as Building Engineering Services Training Ltd, and
Joint Training Ltd.
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