Review 2004

Bridging the skills gap: A regionally driven strategy for resolving the construction labour market crisis

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
Journal · Vol. 11 · Issue 4 · pp. 275-283
Abstract

Econometric forecasts indicate that the UK construction industry faces a severe skills deficit in the foreseeable future. This paper details the results of a major labour market research projects, which canvassed the opinions of over 50 industry stakeholders within the East Midlands region of the UK. Focus groups were used to elicit the collective opinions of key clients, consultants, contractors, industry bodies and employers of all sizes. The key themes and requirements discussed by the participants are used to develop a conjoined strategy for bridging the industry's skills gap at a regional level. It is argued that this package of mutually supportive measures could provide a transferable strategy for addressing skills deficiencies in other regions, particularly given the espoused government aspiration to devolve labour market planning activities to provincial forums and regional development agencies.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Skills Labour market United Kingdom stakeholders

Index Keywords

Construction industry Industrial research United Kingdom Personnel strategic planning Labour market Accident prevention Costs Skills Technological forecasting Stakeholders
Author Affiliations
Department of Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
Department of Construction Economics and Management, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
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6 Social Research Methods, (2001)
7 Moving in and Out of Self Employment, (1998)
8 Churchill, Sue, Modern apprenticeships: A regional overview, Education + Training, 39, 6, pp. 230-236, (1997)
9 Under Representation of Black and Asian People in Construction, (1999)
10 Citb Skills Foresight Report, (2002)
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