Homes body backs skills boost
- Published: 02 July 2008 11:03
- Last Updated: 02 July 2008 11:03
John Slaughter, director of external affairs, The Home Builders Federation
The UK's leading house builders are hoping that workers who lose their jobs in the current market downturn will stay in the wider construction industry following a massive boost in the number holding CSCS cards.
The Home Builders Federation's major house builders group, which represents nine of the country's largest volume builders including Barratt, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon, has seen the percentage of site staff qualified to hold the cards rise by more than 30 per cent in six months - up to 91 per cent of the workforce in April from just 68 per cent in October last year.
The increase comes after the group's members had a major push on making sure those working on its sites, including their own staff and subcontractors, were qualified.
The Federation's director of external affairs John Slaughter said that, while some jobs in the industry were now under threat as firms reduce their work programmes, the steps taken to qualify the workforce would help to ensure that these people were not entirely lost to the industry, allowing quicker recovery for the sector when the market improves.
He said: "This will help to retain good quality people in the industry. If they cannot find work in housing, with CSCS cards they will be better able to find work elsewhere in the construction industry.
"That will leave them in a good position to come back when market conditions are more positive."
