NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION TRAINING CONFERENCE™ 2007
‘Procuring Success’
Post Conference Report
Top representatives from across the construction industry came together to speak at the National Construction Training Conference: ‘Procuring Success’ on 30 October. The first of its kind, this national event brought to the forefront the role of procurement, funding and training in delivering a sustainable construction workforce to serve future needs.
Sir Michael Latham, Chairman of Construction Skills, and Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP, Chair of the Construction Industry Council, together with speakers from the 2012 Olympics, London Development Agency, the National Federation of Builders, Kier, Summit Skills, Creative Sheffield, DLA Piper to name but a few, debated policy, direction and unveil the latest best practice.
Introducing this year’s event, Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP said:
“I am delighted that this national event will mark the coming together of industry leaders to share the latest insight, knowledge and solutions in this area.”
With the onset of the Olympics, large scale public sector procurement has never been more in the limelight. Combating the continuing skills shortage within the construction industry has become a key challenge for both the public and private sector. Furthermore, joined-up thinking on how to sustain a skilled workforce is essential to tackle both regeneration goals and the growing needs of industry is essential - particularly in seeking to ensure that procurement and local labour strategies achieve best value and sustainability.”
Mr Raynsford MP and other keynote speakers articulated the responsibility of the construction industry to ‘clean up its image’ and develop a new culture which supports and encourages a greater number of young people, particularly women and disadvantaged groups to enter the construction industry.
Mr Raynsford explained to delegates that:
“Until we project a positive image of the industry as an excellent career to go into with qualifications and a clear career path parents of young people will continue to see construction as a job of last resort with dead-end prospects. That’s not the case its our job to put forward a positive face of the industry”
With case-studies from around the UK, attendees heard first-hand from those who have pioneered successful national and local construction training programmes, tackled procurement and delivered real public and private sector understanding.
Looking to the future, London and the 2012 Games was considered as a live case-study of large-scale procurement, with senior representatives from the host boroughs, London Development Agency and London 2012.
The panel suggested that migrant labour was not going to be the answer to getting sufficient labour on site at the Olympics.
Graham Hasting Evans from the Olympic Delivery Authority commented that:
“Attracting new recruits from the UK into the industry and in the right sectors is needed. We at London 2012 are working hard with training providers to create the skilled workforce our booming industry needs”
Civic Conferences would like to thank all those who supported and participated at the conference, with particular thanks to ConstructionSkills, Construction Industry Council, National Federation of Builders, Creative Sheffield, DLA Piper, Kier Group and the media partner, Building Magazine.
Please click here to register your interest for the National Constrruction Training Conference 2008.
