New construction skills academy planned for the West Midlands

West Midlands Combined Authority and the Construction Industry Training Board partner to develop National Skills Academy for Construction

• West Midlands needs an estimated 3,810 extra construction workers each year for the next five years 

• The latest mayoral authority to sign a partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board to tackle shortfall of construction workers and create pathways into rewarding careers

West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) have today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing to the development of a National Skills Academy for Construction in the West Midlands. The agreement is among the first of its kind in the country and further demonstrates the region's dedication and leadership in addressing local skills shortages and creating pathways into rewarding careers.

It’s one of the first partnerships under CITB’s national initiative to create a connected construction skills ecosystem across England, aligning national and regional priorities. Through greater employer engagement in training and skills planning, the network will support more people into construction careers and help ensure local skills provision is aligned to workforce demand.

For the West Midlands region to meet expected workforce demand in the construction industry, CITB’s forecasting shows that recruitment would have to increase by more than 3,800 extra workers every year for the next five years.

By improving intelligence sharing, aligning investment and connecting Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Local Skills Improvement Plans, government and industry, the network will strengthen workforce planning and increase labour market participation. This joined-up approach will help build the skilled workforce needed to deliver local growth priorities and national infrastructure ambitions.

Tim Balcon, chief executive officer, CITB, Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Hill, chief executive The Hill Group

Richard Parker, Mayor of West Midlands Combined Authority, said:  “We’re heading into a construction boom that will power new jobs, new homes and new opportunities right across the West Midlands. And this latest investment in training and apprenticeships will help make sure local people have the skills they need to land those new jobs. It’s by working with the CITB and local employers in this way that we can tackle this industry skills shortage head-on and get our workforce ready to build the infrastructure that will drive future growth.”

Last year the Mayor announced a further £75m for construction skills training over the next three years to address the expected industry shortage of around 12,000 workers.

The construction boom is being driven in part by the Mayor’s commitment to tackle the region’s housing crisis, which saw him contract a record 7,237 new homes over the last year, 2,452 of which were affordable, including 1,086 for social rent, the most affordable type of housing.

Tim Balcon, CEO, CITB, said: 

“Addressing the construction industry's skills needs requires industry-wide collaboration, strong partnerships with central and local governments, and long-term commitment.

“This is the latest strategic partnership we’re establishing with mayoralties across the country, strengthening relationships between employers, training providers and local decision-makers, creating a stronger foundation for addressing emerging skills challenges at a local level. The Memorandum of Understanding is an important step towards establishing a National Skills Academy for Construction and ensuring the workforce is ready to meet future demand.”

Last week, Richard Parker officially opened The Skills Centre at City Centre South, a £450m regeneration project being delivered by The Hill Group to transform Coventry city centre. This marks a major milestone in the West Midlands’ drive to equip local people with the skills needed to access careers in construction and help deliver one of Coventry’s most significant regeneration projects.

Andy Hill OBE, Founder and Group Chief Executive of The Hill Group, said:

“The construction industry can only deliver the homes and regeneration projects our communities need if we have the skilled people to build them. The new Skills Centre at City Centre South is a great example of how industry and local partners can work together to give people the skills and confidence to start a career in construction. We welcome this MoU between the CITB and WMCA, which will help create more pathways into the industry and ensure local people can benefit from the significant investment taking place across the region.”

This is the second partnership CITB has agreed with Mayoral Combined Authorities following its agreement with Liverpool City Region. Mayor Steve Rotheram signed a first-of-its-kind agreement to tackle an estimated shortfall of 9,000 construction workers in the Liverpool City Region. The landmark collaboration between the Combined Authority (CA) and CITB marked a major step forward in ensuring the region has the skilled workforce needed to deliver ambitious housing, retrofit and infrastructure projects.  

This latest agreement allows West Midlands Combined Authority to analyse live data from building sites across the region to pinpoint skills gaps and train the estimated 12,000 extra workers needed over the next three years.