Let em get their hands dirty, and well get the workforce we want

As many people realise, colleges have been forced to seek the maximum number of students and produce the maximum number of qualifications in order to obtain their funding. This results-driven practice has meant ignoring, to a certain extent, the luxury of ensuring graduates are properly equipped for the world of work.

This has contrasted, however, with the real needs of contractors who are often more interested in hiring a reliable, punctual, enthusiastic and willing workforce than a highly skilled one. Employers have complained that prospective entrants into the industry possess skills but little idea of what the day-to-day work will involve.

Currently, the problem is acute, with increasing skills shortages meeting a higher-than-usual level of demand. Even the construction project-specific recruitment centres I have set up at Bluewater and Paddington are not sufficient to meet demand and we are finding that greater attention has to be paid to providing the best training route for new entrants.

When given the opportunity to input into training programmes, contractors place the emphasis on new entrants having an early exposure to site experience and establishing work relationships rather than to improving their technical ability and knowledge.

Previously at Paddington, we developed pilot programmes that enabled unemployed people with an interest in construction to get practical experience of construction work on site alongside health and safety qualifications. Contractors agreed to provide this work experience over two- and three-week periods. From the initial 30 participants in the scheme, 20 have gained jobs.

We developed this initiative into the ‘Building London Creating Futures’ programme in which individuals are ‘championed’ by a work-place co-ordinator who supports both parties and resolves any issues that may arise (frequently domestic). The scheme now works across six inner London Boroughs and has placed hundreds of people with satisfied employers over the last two years. At Paddington, we put more than 700 people into work this way and nearly 3000 at Bluewater, one of Kent Thameside’s most successful projects.

Employers have complained that candidates possess skills but little idea of what the work will involve

Jackie sadek

At Kent Thameside, there is now be a huge demand for construction workers, and we are drawing up similar plans to establish construction recruitment centres at the entrances to the largest construction sites. These will provide a straightforward brokerage between skilled construction workers and contractors.

A new approach to construction training is under development. This proposes a work-based programme for people who are part of the way through college training programmes. In this way, trainees will receive early exposure to what the job involves and will learn about the real standards of productivity and quality that the job demands. Participants will learn on site in a method similar to traditional apprenticeships.

This innovative approach will require colleges to relocate part of their resource from their campuses to the sites, into existing offices. The fact that the training and assessment, support and mentoring resources will be located in on site accommodation will also make it easier for current employees to take up appropriate learning opportunities. CSCS assessments will also be covered by the site-based training and assessment teams.

The Kent Thameside Delivery Board is determined to work hard to ensure that the construction companies engaged on its projects have the maximum input into programme development. This should make sure that companies work with the very colleges they have criticised to develop the workforce that everyone needs.