CPA Bulletin

POLICY: 1 Skills Strategy www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > August 2019 29 The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) is currently drafting together plans for its own skills strategy - a strategy that helps the hire industry take charge of recruiting the next generation of operators, mechanics and fleet specialists. As well as looking what it can do to help and retain existing members of staff and those who have been lost to the sector. Brexit or no Brexit, the construction industry is set to take centre stage over the next decade as a raft of major infrastructure programmes are developed and delivered. Despite the political debate and controversy, the HS2 programme remains the most ambitious railway building programme in the UK for other 100 years. Highways England has ambitious plans to upgrade the UK’s motorway network. The Heathrow third runway is reaching the planning consultation phase - this is alongside the pressing need for more new homes, better environmental flood defences and the myriad of ongoing commercial and residential developments across the country. Where does the plant-hire industry fit in this and why does it matter? The CITB’s business plan states there will be an additional 169,000 extra roles needed to be filled in construction over the coming years. This is alongside existing natural wastage and people retiring from the industry. Currently, there are 45,000 people in further education or college studying a construction related topic. Yet, the CITB’s own research suggests only 9,000 then go onto a career in construction. And that is on top of what school children might think of as being a worker on a building site and what their parents might want for them as a future career. The CPA’s initial analysis, based on discussions with key stakeholders and our own research suggests that if programmes such as HS2 and Highways England are to be delivered, an additional 1,900 plant operators and mechanics a year will need to be recruited for HS2 alone. We have identified plant operators, plant mechanics, hire controllers and plant site supervisors as the areas that require specific focus. It’s one thing identifying what roles need to be filled - but what can the plant-hire industry do? The CPA will be launching its skills strategy and the creation of a working group at this year’s CPA Conference at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre near Coventry in October. We want the industry to take charge and tackle the skills shortages it faces, working with stakeholders and colleagues from across construction in raising the profile of plant, sharing best practice and information on the opportunities and different roles the sector provides. We want both CPA and our colleagues in the Rail Plant Association (RPA) to take ownership of the strategy, enabling businesses to navigate their way through the skills landscape as they recruit, train and develop their workforce. It’s not just schools and colleges the industry needs to be reaching out to. Retention of existing staff, mentoring schemes, opening up recruitment opportunities for former members of the military and ex-offenders are all areas that remain to an extent, underexplored. With a renewed focus on mental health and its impact on people’s wellbeing and productivity, it is important our strategy recognises and incorporates this into how businesses can support staff. This is a long-term challenge that will not be solved overnight. The strategy is not going to act as a magic bullet that suddenly creates, a highly skilled workforce that meets the demands of an ever-changing industry. But it is a start. By opening up ideas, being proactive, learning from each other and taking charge, we hope the plant-hire industry can start to address the skills challenge and see it as an opportunity to explore new avenues and ways of developing its workforce - both now but also for the years to come. The construction industry’s skills shortages are so well documented, it has almost become a cliché in itself. Issues around image, diversity, training schemes, careers advice and the wider perception of the industry amongst teachers, parents and carers have all been set out in a raft of policy documents, speeches, programmes and debates. But that does not mean it should not be ignored or be seen as something that is too difficult to handle and counter.