Government unveils ambitious plan to solve skills crisis, over £11 billion worth of jobs on hold in UK, and a 32-year-old pleads guilty to stealing tools from a local college
The government has pledged £625 million over the next four years to train 60,000 construction workers.
The announcement was part of its ambitious Construction Jobs Plan, unveiled last week to tackle the long-running skills crisis.
The new strategy also promised an apprenticeship network designed to increase participation by smaller firms and to create 40,000 job placements for construction level 2 and 3 learners aged 16 and above.
A further 10 construction technical excellence colleges are to be set-up.
A spokesperson for the ECA described it as a “significant step” towards a joined-up approach to the industry’s skills challenges.
---
Over £11 billion worth of building work is on hold across the UK, research from the Federation of Master Builders claims.
Research from the trade body suggests one in five homeowners has stopped or delayed work in the last five years because they can’t find a trusted builder.
The FMB is also lobbying for a VAT holiday ahead of this week’s autumn budget statement.
---
A 32-year-old man from Newark has pleaded guilty to stealing power tools from the local technical college.
William Meakin took “hundreds of pounds” of tools and tried to sell them at a nearby shop.
Police connected Meakin to the college break-ins and other burglaries through CCTV footage.
---
To listen to the construction news, please click below
