Build Magazine August 2015

Build Magazine 28 ecent research from the Local Govern- ment Association has revealed a drop in the number of construction appren- ticeships by 10,000 despite a 54% increase in industry recruitment demand. These figures are a stark warning that the construction sector’s recovery from the financial crisis may be far from over. As Employment and Skills Manager for one of the country’s leading providers of affordable homes, Crystal Fernandes says that Circle Housing under- stands only too well how important these kind of construction jobs are when it comes to delivering desperately needed new homes across the country. The right training opportunities hold the key to deliv- ering the much needed skilled construction workers of the future, Crystal believes. However, Circle Housing’s own experience has shown that there are many firms that struggle with both the recruitment and affordability of new workers. For example, many apprentices can find themselves without a site to work on and unable to complete their training once a development has been completed. As a large housing provider with over 70,000 properties across England, Circle Housing helps to create new jobs for people living in its communities and helps them develop the skills to secure the best opportunities. Staff working at every level of Circle Housing are passionate about helping get residents into long-term sustainable employment that will increase their confidence, well-being and sense of belonging. This also puts these resisdents in a better position to manage their money and pay their bills and in turn, become more financially independent and resilient. Last year the firm invested £3.3m into services like this, which go beyond the act of letting a home to helping people find work, manage their money and save on their energy bills. Locally, each of its regional partners has a dedicated budget for programmes and these are developed based on local demographics and eco- nomic needs. This programme is run by using Circle Housing’s buying power to create jobs and training opportunities through procurement, embedding social clauses into procurement documents and ensuring that they are delivered through measured and monitored KPIs for new developments. The firm builds stronger partnerships with its supply chain by informing them of the tools, techniques and best practice needed to deliver their social clauses and increase skills and employability. A key issue for the sector lies in encouraging residents to take advantage of these op- portunities, as the construction sector can seem unappealing. Circle Housing attempts to overcome this issue by running training programmes with its contractors to prepare local people for work and to help them secure the apprenticeships and jobs created as a result of the agreements at the end of the training. It is important work, delivered in partnership with the construction industry, which The Skills Shortage: An Industry Perspective Crystal Fernandes, Employment and Skills Manager at Circle Housing, examines how the shortage has affected those working within the industry and discusses what the industry is doing to combat it. R