Proposals put forward by local authorities on new Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) risk ignoring the importance of Construction and the Built Environment and the sector’s training and skills needs, jeopardising the future recovery of UK plc, says CITB-ConstructionSkills.

A flourishing Construction and Built Environment sector will be essential in putting the nation back on the road to recovery – with the construction industry alone accounting for some 8% of GDP and over 2 million jobs. The sector’s training needs must be met by new local funding arrangements, to ensure the skills are in place to support the sector as a key national driver of economic growth.

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Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, said: “We welcome Local Enterprise Partnerships and the drive to create a more business-led funding model, better reflecting local economic needs.

“However, it is vital that we do not create a ‘silo’ mentality to funding through LEPs. The Construction and Built Environment sector is highly mobile by its nature, crossing LEP boundaries and we are worried that LEPs will not give proper priority to the sector and its skills needs, focusing on more localised industries, and in-turn undermining future national growth. It is vital that the Construction and Built Environment sector is sufficiently consulted in the development and work of LEPs going forward to ensure this doesn’t happen.”

He continued: “So far there hasn’t been enough engagement with our sector to ensure our needs are adequately met by LEPs, despite Government calls on local authorities to fully consult with the industry on their development.”

“We need Government to take this into account and to give the Construction and Built Environment sector a real voice in this process, to ensure the right decisions are taken locally, regionally and nationally – including the adequate support of skills – in the Government’s forthcoming White Paper,” the Chief Executive concluded.

(GK/BMcC)