Awards event celebrates construction sector

Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire, (SWM+W) - the body formed by further education colleges and independent training providers across the region as a one-stop shop for business - has celebrated work being undertaken across the construction sector in the region at a special awards event, held at the offices of Gowling WLG in Birmingham.

In her opening speech, chair of the Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire Steering Group, Suzie Branch-Haddow, laid out the opportunities and challenges faced by the construction sector, drawing on the findings of a specially commissioned study on construction sector skills by Whitecap Consulting.

Suzie highlighted the critical role supporting skills development played by the FE sector which comprises 70 providers, employs nearly 10,000 people with 120,000 students participating in post-16 education. However, she also made clear there remains room for improvement with nearly 74% of regional employers not having engaged with post-16 education and training providers in the last five years.

She said: “In the construction sector, we’ve identified clear opportunities to align education provision with industry demand. Employers have told us that they need a workforce equipped not only with technical skills but also with the adaptability and resilience to thrive in a rapidly changing environment. These insights will guide how we shape our curriculum and training programmes moving forward.”

At the ceremony, the following construction sector businesses were recognised for their investment in partnering with the further education sector:

• Balfour Beatty VINCI - the long-established joint venture delivering 90km of HS2 in the Midlands
• Benniman - an independent, multidisciplinary construction company with more than 55 years of experience
• Cannock Chase Council – the local authority’s Housing Service focuses on providing affordable, high-quality homes while promoting a strong sense of community
• E.ON - European energy company focused on energy networks, infrastructure solutions, and customer solutions
• Orton Group - based in the Midlands but boasting a national presence, works with many of the largest industry organisations in the UK, providing electrical, mechanical and maintenance solutions
• Pipework Engineering Services - based in Brierley Hill provides comprehensive prefabrication pipework services
• Speller Metcalfe - construction company working across the public and private sectors based in Malvern and Wolverhampton
• Taylor Wimpey - one of the UK’s largest residential developers
• The Carey Group - a leading family-owned civil engineering, construction and dry-lining company operating across the UK
• Winvic Construction Ltd - a leading main contractor specialising in turnkey solutions for industrial, build-to-rent, student accommodation and civil engineering and infrastructure projects
• Woods Hardwick - a UK-leading independent and employee-owned multi-disciplinary built environment practice integrating residential and commercial architecture, engineering, planning and surveying.

Suzie, who is also vice principal at BMet, said: “It was a great pleasure to recognise these outstanding companies in the construction sector who are pro-actively engaging with - and already benefitting from – colleges and training providers in the region.”

Earlier this year, the Chancellor announced £600 million worth of investment to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers in the country. Funding and reforms include more construction courses, skills bootcamps and new partnerships between colleges and construction companies.

Suzie added: “DfE is asking providers and employers to develop links to enable 40,000 students per year to take up placements in the construction sector nationwide. It is a big challenge but an exciting one and here in the region – where we have significant housing and transport plans to deliver - Skills WM+W will be fostering the collaboration between the FE sector and employers.

“We aim to work with the new Construction Skills Mission Board to help it develop and deliver a construction skills action plan for the construction sector in our region.”

Over the next year, Skills West Midlands + Warwickshire aims to increase the number of partnerships with SMEs; increase employer satisfaction in skills and training provision and inspire employers to co-create a suite of training solutions with trusted providers.