Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to improve skills in the construction industry.

Under the auspices of the Construction Leadership Council, the house building industry is developing an action plan to address three immediate priorities: improving the image of house building; attracting back experienced workers who left during the recession; and attracting other workers with relevant skills.

More widely, this Government is making a number of reforms to the skills system to improve skills supply; putting employers in the driving seat and making providers more responsive to their needs. Government is also currently undertaking a triennial review of the way the Construction Industry Training Board operates. CITB is undertaking reforms that will seek to improve the service it delivers to the sector.

In addition, Government believes that a more robust and more visible Government construction procurement pipeline is key to improving investment decisions in construction. We are working to enhance the pipeline to give construction businesses the confidence to upskill staff, to recruit, and to commit to apprenticeships.