Construction Diploma: more worries over numbers

The Government has done a U-turn on its promise to reveal student numbers on the Construction and the Built Environment (C&BE) Diploma by the end of September.

The move has increased industry concerns that the uptake is poor.

The numbers are needed so that contractors signed up to the Diploma can prepare for student work placements and instigate Criminal Records Bureau checks on staff involved with students.

Joe Johnson, Civil Engineering Contractors' Association training director, said: "The government made a commitment to get these figures to us by the end of September. We were told this a number of times and it raises the question, why would they not reveal the figures?

"I am sure if they were higher than expected we would have heard by now. This delay will leave little time for contractors to get organised, which could impact on the success of work placements, which in turn will impact on the popularity of the course next year."

ConstructionSkills director Nick Gooderson said: "We had been promised these numbers in September but it appears these figures are not coming from the colleges as speedily as hoped."

A government spokesman said the figures were "always due to come out in December".