Two thirds of small and medium-sized builders have reported falling or stagnant workloads, denting the recovery seen after the first national lockdown.A survey of smaller builders by the Federation of
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Building engineering alliance calls for government to urgently rethink flagship incentive for funding lower carbon heating in homes ahead of next month’s Budget
The government is being urged to consult with building engineers to introduce a major overhaul of the Green Homes Grant amidst concerns about its funding and administration.
Actuate UK, the recently formed alliance of eight engineering service organisations, has backed wider calls from across the HVAC and construction sector for a rethink of the grant that was launched last year to fund energy efficiency improvement in homes.
This rethink should focus on ensuring improved administration of funding to address concerns about the pace that payments are being approved and distributed, according to Actuate UK. Consistent funding is another area of reform that the alliance said was needed in the scheme.
Green skills gap could derail net-zero , major UK construction firms tell Government
Representatives from more than a dozen major construction organisations have urged the Government to do more to close the existing green skills gap and to improve the skills pipeline, lest it risk missing its 2050 net-zero target.
The paper warns that the existing skills gap for the sector could widen rather than close in the near-term future, without targeted policy action
The joint call to action has been made by the likes of Morgan Sindall, Mace Group and Tideway, through a new paper published by think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
By Jordan Marshall2021-02-23T06:00:00+00:00
John Morgan and Andy Mitchell among those calling for government intervention
The UK may be unable to meet its net zero targets because of construction skills shortages, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research.
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The CLC is working on a green skills plan
A letter signed by leading construction industry figures today has called on chancellor Rishi Sunak to support the sector to get the green skills it needs to play a leading role in the green recovery and the drive to net zero.
The letter, whose signatories include CLC chair Andy Mitchell, Morgan Sindall chief executive John Morgan and Mace boss Mark Reynolds, has warned that the UK’s failing skills system threatens to delay the ability of the UK to deliver a zero-carbon economy.
The industry’s skills shortage means the UK could be unable to achieve a zero-carbon economy by 2050, a group of industry leaders has warned.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank has warned that policies are needed to address the 750,000 construction workers that could retire or be on the verge of retiring over the next 15 years.
The letter, signed by industry leaders on the back of IPPR’s research, has called for increased funding and further education along with expanding apprenticeships. The recommendations also ask the government to legislate to improve pay and conditions for workers, to make construction careers more attractive to jobseekers, and create a new National Infrastructure and Construction Skills Demand pipeline.