Member Article

High profile projects could raise 3,300 North East construction jobs by 2020

Figures from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) have revealed that the North East’s total construction output has risen for the second consecutive year.

CITB’s annual Construction Skills Network report shows that the 16% rise in construction output means the sector was, up until 2015, worth £4.6bn to the region.

It is predicted there will be 3,300 new jobs within the North East in the sector by 2020, taking the total to 98,130. The occupation that will see the biggest increase in this time is construction trade supervisors, with an average yearly increase of 4.7%. CITB is calling on more construction firms across the North East to take on apprentices in order to match this growth.

The industrial market in the region experienced growth of 172% to £418m as a number of small and medium sized projects took place.

Average yearly expansion of 3% in the period up to 2020 is forecast for the commercial sector. Several schemes currently on the ground or about to start over the forecast period include the £100m regeneration of South Shields town centre.

The largest scheme expected to take place over the next five years is the £100m Swan Hunter shipyard scheme in Wallsend. The project has been delayed from its initial start date of 2014 and work is now anticipated to start in spring 2016.

Another project is the £30m redevelopment of The Gates shopping centre in Durham. Planning approval has just been given and as part of the project a new riverside promenade will be built that will include around 35,000 square feet of restaurant space as well as student apartments. Work on the two-year scheme is likely to start in early 2016.

To help deliver this pipeline of work, CITB has joined forces with the construction industry to create Go Construct, a web portal that helps people find out about the range of great construction career opportunities available.

Steve Housden, CITB sector strategy manager for the North East, said: “We can’t build the Britain we want without apprenticeships and the careers they lead to.

“That’s why we want these new statistics, showing solid, sustained growth, to inspire more people across North East to start apprenticeships and more construction firms to take them on.

“We also want to attract workers who have left the industry to return, and upskill those in it, so we can deliver major projects and new housing faster and better.”

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →