Bidding to build on skills training (From Worcester News)

Bidding to build on skills training

3:00am Thursday 18th June 2009 in

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GRAB your hod, Sir Alan, because construction firms in Worcestershire are being urged to take on and train apprentices to help survive the economic downturn.

ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, is advising employers across the county to continue to take on apprentices in order to remain competitive and be in the strongest possible position when the upturn begins.

With more and more construction firms bidding for public sector work – which is forecast to remain stable over the next few years relative to other sectors – those who employ apprentices could have a major advantage. The Office of Government Commerce’s (OGC) new guidelines for public sector procurement, published in April, state that contractors who can demonstrate a commitment to skills and training may be the preferred choice to take on work as part of the Government’s £7 billion annual spend. Major contractors in turn will be looking to their supply chain partners to help meet these requirements.

ConstructionSkills apprenticeships manager for the West Midlands, Mick O’Flynn, said: “Taking on an apprentice may feel like the last thing on your mind at the moment. However, when times are tough, competition for contracts is even tougher. That’s when a well-trained, extra pair of hands could make a real difference to your chances.

“By offering a flexible resource that can help your business grow, an apprentice could be the best investment your business ever makes. It is vital that during these tough economic times valuable skills are not lost.

“We will continue to work closely with the house builders in particular who so far have been the most affected by the downturn.”