Employers still not prioritising training

Construction firms are still failing to understand the value of training despite the industry continuing to suffer from labour and skills shortages.

That is the overriding message from the latest Respect for People Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) unveiled last week.

The KPIs revealed plenty of positive results, with more employees satisfied with their work, a reduction in hours, fewer firms reporting zero accidents and higher wages.

But according to Adrian Terry, Respect for People project manager, training remains the biggest problem after new data showed that staff train for only 0.8 days a year.

"The easiest way to solve the problem is to start investing in the training of your own people," he said.

"It is one of the key selection criteria when people are choosing a company they want to work for because it illustrates that they are keen on career progression.

"Given the fact that you have got massive technological change, all the safety arguments going on and all the commitments that there must be a fully qualified workforce by 2010, it is worrying that the industry has still not got a grip on this issue," he said.

Terry added that the increase in wages from £365 a week to £414 was further proof that construction was an attractive industry to enter.