Levelling up whitepaper: Education and training opportunities for today and tomorrow

It is widely acknowledged that there is a severe skills issue within the construction industry that simply must be tackled. With the whitepaper laying out aims to reach 200,000 additional people completing top-quality skills training each year by 2030, the hope is that construction training will play a large part in this.

However, to make this a reality we collectively as an industry must make sure that we are showcasing the very best we have to offer, thereby attracting learners to pursue careers within the sector.

The whitepaper also promises that Local Skills Improvement Plans will be rolled out with funding across England, which will give local employer bodies and stakeholders a statutory role in planning skills training in their area.

This plan and its aims to make sure that the skills gap is being addressed on a proportionate regional level should be welcome news to the ears of construction leaders. So long as the funding is allocated correctly, this plan has the potential to support workforces across the country to start plugging the skills gap.

Meanwhile, its promises to improve the quality of education for every child in the country marks another priority. Primarily aiming to increase the number of primary school children meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, this focus aims to give the best start in life possible. Critical to this will be teacher retention as detailed in the document, but also providing the high-quality environments that enhance learnings.

Every school project worked on by construction specialists – whether new-build, expansion or refurb – must have the benefit of pupils at its heart. From primary schools through to university and specialist facilities, the core aim must be to enhance the learning process for pupils and supporting staff with the environments and specialist resources required.

This comes from high levels of stakeholder engagement, working with not just the client’s project teams but the wider group of stakeholders including teachers, pupils, parents and local communities. This creates a true insight into the exact needs for any project, which is in turn used to inform the brief to create exceptional learning spaces for the future.

The whitepaper outlines a clear vision for creating a positive future for every individual in the UK, which is not impacted by where they live. Collaboration will be key – this long-term vision cannot fall foul to short-term changes.

Actions must span across all industries to create a cohesive attitude that makes sure our efforts complement each other’s, and we must hold leaders accountable to managing and monitoring success as we journey towards the ultimate goal of a rebalanced power of economy in the UK.