Skills

Courses advertised as fast-track routes to becoming an electrician could be preventing budding professionals from progressing into the sector. Experts from the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) said that college-run, classroom-based courses for potential electricians were a “waste of money” and were being “mis-sold”. Talking to Construction News, ECA chief operating…

Construction worker pay rose by more than 5 per cent last year, according to new official data. The Office for National Statistics revealed yesterday (21 January) the median earnings in the sector were £2,633 per month in December 2024. This was up 5.5 per cent from a year earlier, in…

An appeal court judge has thrown out an “opportunistic” and “cynical” challenge by a payroll firm over its eligibility for Construction Industry Training Board grant payments. Hudson Contract Services (now known as Knot Builders) had challenged a February 2024 High Court ruling that found it was not eligible for the…

Mark Farmer’s long-awaited review of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has been delayed further, pushing back the body’s consultation on its sector levy. The report has already been delayed twice, most recently because of the general election and previously in March this year following the resignation of Conservative skills…

Don’t miss out - entries are open for the most prestigious awards ceremony in the UK construction industry. And it doesn't cost you a penny. Each year, the Construction News Awards lifts the lid on the achievements of the best people and projects working in the sector at a glitzy in-person…

The government has announced the scrapping of the onsite construction T level, citing insufficient demand for places on the Level 3 qualification. The onsite construction T level was introduced in September 2021, a year after the first three subject areas – design, surveying and planning for construction – got the…

Key industry bodies have urged the construction industry to grasp opportunities to become more inclusive and keep people in work longer. Following prime minister Keir Starmer’s launch of reforms to support people back into work, sector bodies urged companies to take advantage of initiatives to attract and hold on to…

The government has been warned about the impact of proposed workers’ rights legislation on the construction sector. Alasdair Reisner, chief executive of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, told MPs that measures in the Employment Rights Bill to strengthen the requirement for collective redundancy consultations did not take into account the…

Cuts to funding for apprenticeships in Wales will see 565 fewer people join the construction workforce, a report has claimed. Centre for Enterprise and Business Research (Cebr) analysis for ColegauCymru (CollegesWales) and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTFW) said the sector’s skills shortage will be made worse by the…

The government has announced plans to invest £140m to create 5,000 more construction apprenticeships in England. A joint statement from four Whitehall departments said “up to” 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs will be set up in areas that need more housing to train people in trades such as bricklayers, roofers,…