Yorkshire partnership to boost construction skills with £1m funding

A partnership set up to fight skills shortages in the construction industry has secured a £1m funding boost.

Known as Step Up Into Construction, the project was awarded £500k from the England European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme (ESIF) 2014-2020 and a further £500k from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The partnership represents a collaborative effort between a number of organisations across Yorkshire, including local councils, education providers, housing associations, careers advisors, social enterprise groups, training boards and public sector departments.

With the additional £1m, Step Up Into Construction will address the skills shortage by helping people access work placements, training, further education and employment opportunities.

An annual construction survey from the CITB has found that the industry will need an extra 224k workers in the next five years, as the construction sector experiences UK-wide growth for the first time since the last recession.

Derek Whitehead, the deputy principal of Leeds College of Building, a lead partner in Step Up Into Construction, said: “We are delighted to be spearheading this proactive and exciting scheme that will give so many more people in the Leeds City Region the opportunity to develop a meaningful career and work in such a fast growing industry.

“Step Up Into Construction will be the first port of call for anyone who wants to find out more about the huge range of careers available in the industry.”

He continued: “We will be able to facilitate valuable work placements, supported by a wide range of employers and help people develop the skills required to embark on a successful career in construction, including those returning to the industry, before helping them to secure employment opportunities.”

The new funding will enable the project’s 12 delivery partners and 10 strategic partners, as well as a broad network of employers, to increase the profile of the various careers available in construction.

Steve Close, the group chief executive of delivery partner Together Housing, commented: “This campaign will use a number of innovative market strategies and engagement activities to encourage a whole new audience to become interested, excited and enthusiastic about a career in construction.

“Many people are unaware of the sheer variety of jobs and training routes that are currently available and we will address this issue head on.”

He added: “Construction really is an area that allows people to develop a career that’s going places and anyone that gets involved with Step Up Into Construction will be investing in the future of the industry and playing a valuable role in addressing the current skills shortage.”

Step Up Into Construction’s partners include Calderdale College, Leeds Beckett University, Bradford Council, Huddersfield-based advisory firm C&K Careers and numerous others.