Architecture watchdog to submit five-point plan to Sir John Egan aimed at tackling regeneration skills shortage.
Architecture watchdog CABE has called for a training body to be set up to encourage teenagers to work in the regeneration professions.

The recommendation forms part of CABE's five-point plan to tackle the skills shortage in regeneration. The plan is being submitted next week to Sir John Egan, who was appointed by deputy prime minister John Prescott in April to find ways of delivering the government's housebuilding and regeneration programme.

Jon Rouse, chief executive of Cabe, said that a youth training body would be an effective way of tackling the skills shortage over the next five years. He said: "To get 17- and 18-year-olds into regeneration, there needs to be an equivalent of the Construction Industry Training Board."

Another recommendation in the Building Sustainable Communities report was to expand the proposed centres of excellence being developed by regional development agencies to cover the training of up to 1000 project managers over the next five years.

The report also calls for greater co-ordination between bodies with interests in regeneration. A Cabe spokesperson said: "All the organisations need to pull together."

The spokesperson added that the report suggests the creation of a "single knowledge centre". This would be a hotline or website that could answer questions from people interested in getting involved in regeneration.

To get 17- and 18-year-olds into regeneration there needs to be an industry equivalent of the CITB

Jon Rouse, CABE chief executive

Cabe will also recommend that regeneration should be delivered using special purpose vehicles, such as urban regeneration companies and urban development corporations.

n Cabe chairman Sir Stuart Lipton has called for design champions to be appointed at a senior level across the 32 London borough councils.