Page 37 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

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Suitability of Skills Provision
Due to the nature of the sector many employers feel that the industry and the learner would benefit from an all industry approach to qualifications. This suggests that qualifications would encompass elements of all trades, allowing learners to develop a broad range of skills and therefore an opportunity to identify the trade that they have a genuine passion for in an informed manner.
In conjunction with this it is felt that learners should be provided with the opportunity of learning on a ‘live site’; an immersion in this style of learning would increase their confidence and their employability. This would serve in some part as a solution to the lack of work experience offered to learners, the ever increasing ad hoc approach currently evident is to the detriment of the learner and the industry as a whole. The 16 hours a learner currently spends learning a trade is not enough for a full time course, the industry suggestion is that an extra six or seven hours is added to this specifically for work experience.
Employers reported that the soft skills of learners within the sector need to be developed; primarily communication and team working skills. Both are essential skills within the Construction industry due to the nature of the work. This would also improve the work-readiness of individuals and reduce the need for employers to further develop these skills on employment at their expense.
Opportunities and Challenges
There are both significant opportunities and challenges within the sector and finding a balance is essential if the sector is to further develop and thrive in the region. The prospect of Brexit is particularly concerning as employers and industry experts predict that a portion of the workforce will be lost to Europe creating significant skills gaps. On a more local level the movement of skilled and talented labour to England poses further challenges. A combination of the two could be potentially significantly damaging.
An additional challenge for the sector is the exclusionary nature of some procurement processes. These processes prohibit significant major indigenous companies from winning work on larger developments which more often than not are the high value jobs. Clearly, these restrictions inhibit the growth of companies and therefore their abilities to employ more people.
A significant opportunity identified by employers is the prospect of re-training individuals from other sectors such as Financial and Professional Services. This could become a more common practice as technological advancements change the way work is undertaken within other sectors. The Construction sector needs to be fully prepared to capitalise on these opportunities as they present themselves.
Skills Gaps
It is the view of the Construction industry cluster group that there is a surplus of individuals studying carpentry within the region. Of greatest concern is the lack of evidence to indicate that there are enough vacancies or jobs to support this. There is demand however, for plasterers, painter and decorators, civil engineers, estimators and quantity surveyors across the sector.
A key priority for the sector should be increasing the essential skills of learners. Many enter the sector unable to uphold a basic level of numeracy and literacy which causes pressure on the employer to ensure that these skills are developed. This has a negative effect on productivity and is time consuming. This should be addressed at primary and secondary school levels.
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Sector Profiles