Industry must act now or face recruitment crisis

An emergency plea has gone out to contractors for more apprentice site placements as the industry faces "one of its most difficult employer recruitment years" ever.

The call by ConstructionSkills comes four weeks before the start of the new college year and with training board apprentice placements about 25% short of this year's target.

Amid warnings of even more severe skill shortages in years to come, latest figures put current placements at around 7,000 against a target figure of 9,500 and down 20% on last year's total of 9,000.

Max Hamps, apprenticeship director at ConstructionSkills, said: "We are calling on employers to play their part, which means providing the essential onsite practice required to get new entrants qualified and into the industry.

"With demand for construction still going strong and a need for 87,000 new recruits per year every year to at least 2011, we are at risk of severe skill shortages in the future. It is the responsibility of every employer to think ahead and act now."

Although 9,000 apprentices were found site placements last year, nearer 45,000 youngsters applied for trainee places.

Hamps said ConstructionSkills is doing as much as it can by providing registered employers with up to £9,400 in grants towards the cost of taking on a traditional apprentice. For the Programme-Led Apprenticeship scheme there is direct funding of £2,000, with an additional £1,000 payment for one year only while this route is being established. There is also improved provision for specialists with apprentice support for a range of occupations including drylining and kitchen fitting.

Joe Johnson, training director at the Construction Confederation, commended ConstructionSkills on its "excellent work" in finding potential apprentices to help meet skill demands and echoed its warning to contractors. He said: "While credit should go to those employers who are already offering apprenticeships and drawing down the available support funding, there is a clear need for more firms to offer apprenticeship places."

Industry critics have previously argued that employers should not complain about skill shortages when they fail to provide training places and take a short-term approach by buying in 'off the peg' skills in the shape of migrant labour.