The construction and housebuilding sectors comprise over 280,000 businesses and cover some 2.93 million jobs—equivalent to 10% of the entire UK workforce.
The industry continues to grow but attracting and retaining highly-skilled talent remains a significant issue. The challenge is not just about articulating the skills that are needed today, but there is a need to anticipate the demand for skills 5,10 or 15 years down the line. These pressures combine with significant skills gaps and an ageing workforce. The sector is experiencing significant demographic challenges: 22% of the workforce is over 50, and 15% are in their 60s.
Construction is also changing due to advances in technology, building information modelling and modular building have created the need for a highly skilled and adaptable workforce.
These changes require the construction industry to be able to access new, highly skilled talent, especially those that might never have considered a career in construction. This is where Collab Group colleges are uniquely able to help by providing employers with access to a large talent pool of over 600,000 learners.
Collectively our colleges are working to provide a joined up training service for national employers with a dedicated account manager and single point of contact. Our colleges can offer a comprehensive training service for construction employers leading from entry-level trades through to degree apprenticeships.
We have also developed the innovative Bridge into Construction programme which is a unique entry-level programme for new talent looking to enter the construction industry.
Collab Group colleges will play a key role in helping the construction and housebuilding sectors address their broader workforce development needs. We know how to work with major national employers to allow them to utilise their apprenticeship levy. We can work with you to provide a seamless single managed service that can take care of all of your training and staff development needs.
