CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS FEDERATION THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY
Pictured left to right: Jonathan Buckley MLA; Ciaran Brolly, Unite; Bryan Vaughan, CEF Vice President; Mark Spence, CEF CEO; Michael Keenan, Unite; Kellie Armstrong, MLA; Pat Archer, Unite with Martin O’Kane, CEF President.
CONSTRUCTION SECTOR AND TRADE UNIONS COME TOGETHER TO LAUNCH LANDMARK INDUSTRY SKILLS REVIEW… Construction industry skills under the spotlight at Stormont
I n early July, at an event in Parliament Buildings, employer and employee representatives published a joint Industry Skills Review – a first for the construction sector in Northern Ireland – which brought forward a series of recommendations to deal with our skills challenge. The launch came after a year of the Construction Employers Federation working with the Unite and GMB Unions in a company called Construction Industry Futures, commissioning EY to review the local construction market and bring forward a series of recommendations for talent intervention.
Over 50 attendees from across the public and private sector, universities, colleges and training organisations joined senior political representatives at the launch which was hosted by Kellie Armstrong MLA. The Industry Skills Review identified the six most impactful interventions believed to have the most tangible impact: • Establish a Construction Skills Forum between education, government and industry - a cross-sectoral group that meet at an agreed frequency to address key issues facing the industry, with a skills focus, sponsored by an independent organisation for maximal impact. • Review of apprenticeship delivery model – ensuring apprenticeships are delivered in the most appropriate and beneficial way to best equip trainees for site work, provide them with a holistic learning experience and ensure they remain employed in work following their apprenticeship. • Skills alignment through more effective engagement by, and with, the education sector – fostering increased dialogue with education (incl. private training sector) to
achieve alignment to the necessary on-site skills through effective skills gap analysis, future planning and more agile bitesize learning opportunities. • Review of pay and rewards packages within the industry – maintaining NI’s competitiveness as an attractive employment market to local employees through improved procurement processes, better pipeline visibility and selling the benefits of a career in construction. • Technical skills development for typical construction skills – minimising the impact of trades shortages by ensuring technical skills training is widely available for all, through continuous provision of tutors, multi-skilling of trainees and better awareness of existing skills gaps. • Promotion of construction in schools – partnering with primary and secondary schools to boost the awareness of construction as an attractive career path through the improved targeting of students, provision of career advice and an increasingly joined-up approach. The full Industry Skills Review is available to download and read here: www.cefni.co.uk
Mark Spence, CEF CEO with David Honeyford, MLA and Jonathan Buckley MLA.
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