36
NOVEMBER 2014 PRO INSTALLER
PRO SKILLS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
Skills shortage warning for
Construction Industry
A shortage of skilled construction workers could have an adverse impact on the UK
house-building market in the months ahead, according to industry experts.
House-building firm, Crest
Nicholson has suggested
that skills shortages remain
one of the “critical constraints” which may hold
back the delivery of new
homes.
Other issues flagged up by the
group as potential sources of concern include issues regarding production capacity, and the clearance of planning conditions.
Fears regarding skills gaps
continue to be voiced within the
building industry and in response
to talent shortages, Stephen
Stone, Head of Crest Nicholson,
said construction skills body, the
CITB, should offer further training
opportunities, while the industry
should make more apprenticeships available.
David Noble, Chief Executive of
the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, recently indicated
that some businesses are finding
it hard to source specialists who
can help them to keep up with
demand for their services.
According to the CITB, rising
workloads over the coming five
years mean that 120,000 new construction apprentices will need to
be taken on by employers.
Steve Radley, Policy and Strategic
Planning Director, said: “CITB is
working with industry and government to address the growing skills
shortage.
“This year we plan to invest
£122m in grants funding to help
businesses to train and plug the
growing skills gap.”
Despite its concerns, Crest Nicholson said the future prospects
of the country’s housing market
are “generally favorable”.
In an interim management
statement from the firm, it said:
“Cross-party support for new
housing delivery, combined with
good mortgage access and improved purchaser confidence in
the light of economic recovery are
all helpful factors.
“There has been a slight moderation of sales rates in the last few
months, rates of sale remain significantly above historic norms.”
‘Help to Buy’ is among the stimulus schemes which have been
launched by the Government in
an effort to encourage more newbuild homes to be constructed in
the UK. Crest Nicholson stated that
the introduction of this scheme in
the spring of last year, helped to
generate high levels of sales.
Over the course of 2014, the
group said it now hopes to improve its volumes by around 15%
compared to last year. Recent
months have seen a moderate
slowdown in sales, although this
trend can largely be put down to
seasonal factors.
‘improved purchaser
confidence’
For more information, or to
view the original article, visit
www.citb.co.uk.
‘Building Bafta’ proves
training is key
Lloyd & Gravell Ltd’s
unswerving commitment to training has
proved key to growing
the business, surviving the recession and
securing the future, and
they have a prestigious
award to prove it.
The thriving family construction business, based in
Ponthenri, Carmarthenshire,
won an Outstanding Employer accolade at the CITB
Pride of Construction Awards
2014.
“It was like the Baftas!” says
Kevin Gravell, who owns the
firm with best friend Paul
Lloyd and their wives Andrea
Gravell and Sharon Lloyd.
“When they called our
name out, we couldn’t believe it. It was an immense
moment for our company
and our whole community.
“It’s testimony that the way
we’ve tried to do things is
the right way. Being part of
celebrating 50 years of CITB
made it extra special as
we’ve worked closely with
them since our establishment in 1991.”
Apprentices in,
through thick
and thin
New Window Lloyd &
Gravell Ltd has taken on
apprentices every year and
that commitment to training
has helped them weather all
economic climates.
Stuck to their guns
throughout the darke st
days of the downturn, they
offered 18 apprenticeships
over the last four years.
It’s this dedication to training for long-term business
success that impressed
the Pride of Construction
judges, who paid tribute
to a “deeply embedded
culture of training, a strong
commitment to its people
and a commitment to its
workforce that permeates
the entire company”.
Judges held them up as a
great example of the way
training and skills can help
a company to survive and
thrive for almost a quarter
of a century.
Lloyd & Gravell Ltd offer
placements in carpentry,
bricklaying, plastering
and plumbing plus HNC,
foundation degree and
degree level in construction
management. The firm is a
founder member of the Carmarthenshire Construction
Training Association.
Kevin said: “It has always
been our goal to train for
the next generation and has
been our focus as the business has grown. We see the
impact of training because
it brings the skills level up
across the whole company.
“We are always looking to
see how we can help people develop and let them
go as far as they can go.
We are fortunate in Carmarthenshire that we have
a very proactive CITB Area
Delivery Manager in Paul
Marsh.”
Keeping the faith
Lloyd & Gravell Ltd had its
own share of pain during
the economic downturn,
being forced to shed 14 staff
but refusing to end apprenticeships.
“We were adamant that
training would be the last
thing to give,” Kevin adds.
“Happily, we have been
able to increase our workforce numbers with four of
the people who lost their
jobs having been rehired.
“Some of our apprentices have set up their own
businesses and now they
sub-contract to us. They
have become trainers of the
next generation too, which
is nice to see.
“Being able to carry on
training through the recession has stood us in good
stead. It’s made sure our
business stays strong and
these valuable skills are
passed on to the next generation.
“We still have craftsmen
coming through and at the
end of the recession we still
have qualified tradesmen as
the work comes in.”
Kevin says the Outstanding Employer award
is a tribute to how the
business has put training
and skills at the heart of
its success.
“We live in a really
close community and this
award is recognition of
the work we’ve all put in
over the years,” he says.
“I’d like to take this
opportunity to thank all
of the L&G staff, past and
present, as without their
valuable commitment
and contribution towards the training ethos
adopted by the company
it would not have been
possible.
“We’re a family business
striving to deliver what
we believe in passionately, and that’s training.”