The Construction Leadership Council’s (CLC) newly announced five-year plan for skills sets out key milestones and responsibilities for the development of digital skills.
The Industry Skills Plan for the UK Construction Sector 2021-2025 sets out the key skills challenges facing construction and how they will be tackled.
The CLC plan states that “commonly understood and embedded standards and statements of expectations and supporting structures that enable education, career training, learning and development” should be deployed to help develop:
- skills for Smart Construction that enable a modernised industry;
- more widespread digital and data analytics skills to underpin future collaboration and productivity improvements, including among SMEs; and
- non-technical skills, enabling all individuals to work effectively across teams to deliver digitally enabled projects.
The CLC’s plan includes a detailed timeline of actions and their owners (the latter noted in bold below):
April 2021
- Use future skills research for Smart Construction and Net Zero to influence standards and training CITB
2021
- Define career pathways to support modernised skills ACE
- Government and major clients to leverage procurement to encourage and reward the use of Smart Construction methodologies, bolstered by investment in direct employment practices Government and major clients
- Update routes to entry and new entrant standards and qualifications for Smart Construction and Net Zero CLC
2022
- Develop Smart Construction training for existing and new industry roles, and embed standards and qualifications CITB
- Develop training for the complementary skills necessary to enhance traditional delivery roles by embracing progressive digital, technical and collaborative practices CITB
- Review and update apprenticeship standards and technical qualifications to meet Net Zero CLC
- Support and fund innovation for flexible learning (including immersive and online) CITB
2023
- Support development of Construction Higher Technical Qualifications L4/5 to improve career progression opportunities CLC
2024
- CLC Centres of Excellence to develop relationships and integrate tech upskilling Working group
Mark Reynolds, group chief executive of Mace and CLC member, said: “This is the most ambitious and wide-ranging skills plan the construction sector has ever produced. It should have a far-reaching impact on how we attract, retain and develop people in construction and help deliver upon Government’s home-building and infrastructure plans.
“Many of the challenges we address in this plan will require a shared commitment over years, so the hard work starts now to deliver real and lasting change for the benefit of the whole sector.”
Read the Industry Skills Plan: https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/B06322_CLC_SkillsPlan_v27.pdf
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