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The Government’s new Construction Skills Mission Board has been welcomed as a “positive first step” by the ECA (Electrical Contractors’ Association).
The stated aim of the Construction Skills Mission Board is to grow the built environment workforce through collaboration between employers, industry experts, education providers and Government.
Mark Lawrence, CEO of ECA Member T Clarke, is on the Board, representing building services (i.e., mechanical, electrotechnical, plumbing and related specialisms). Both ECA and EBSSA (the Engineering & Building Skills Authority) have been appointed to support Lawrence in fulfilling his role on the Board.
Engineering and building services have an essential (and growing) significance for the built environment – typically contributing 40 per cent of new-build value and 80 per cent of whole-life value. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing sectors made the positive decision back in 1990 to withdraw from the CITB and its levy/ grants system, and whilst some of the initiatives announced yesterday – including the DWP-CITB partnership – necessarily have less relevance for building services trades than for those in scope to the CITB, the ECA says it is committed to playing its part in improving the skills performance of the built environment, and fully supports the ambitions and aims of the Mission Board.
Commenting on his new role, Lawrence said: “The word specialist is key. At first glance, our sector might appear to be just ‘pipes and wires,’ but behind every finished installation lies a complex network of technical skill, engineering expertise, and years of experience.
“It’s also important to note that our sector operates outside the remit of the CITB. That makes it even more vital that our voice is clearly heard and fully understood in this process and I would reinforce the point that when it comes to skills and training in our sector, one size does not fit all.”
Andrew Eldred, Deputy CEO at ECA, said: “The Construction Skills Mission Board is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to focus minds on how, working together, we can overcome long-standing barriers to improved workforce skills outcomes in the built environment. The proof of the pudding will inevitably take time to emerge, but by recognising the value of input from both industry leaders and broad-based, sector-led organisations such as ECA and EBSSA, the Mission Board is already in a stronger place than its predecessors, and this constitutes a positive first step.”
Other appointments to the Board include Jason Poulter, National Officer for Construction from Unite the Union; Chris Claydon, CEO of JTL, the apprentice training charity co-founded by ECA and Unite; and Nikki Davis, Principal of Leeds College of Building.
