CIOB chief executive Victoria Hills is to jointly head a newly-formed group to lobby government on behalf of the whole industry.
Hills will co-chair the Construction Growth Coalition (CGC) with Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) chief executive Steve Mulholland.
The coalition aims to bring together construction firms of all sizes – in particular the 99% of construction businesses that are SMEs or micro firms.
It is led by nine founder members drawn from across the industry’s institutions, trades and media.
“Only right” for SMEs to have equal voice
Hills said: “As a chartered body, CIOB has a remit to act in the public interest, so supporting the Construction Growth Coalition from the outset was an easy decision considering a large proportion of our members work for SMEs, and most CIOB chartered company members are SMEs. It’s only right they have an equal voice with larger companies when decisions that affect the entire industry are being made by government.
“SMEs don’t always have the resources to support extra apprenticeships for example, so when Government is making plans to train up the next generation of construction workers, it’s vital their voices can be heard, and their views are listened to by policymakers and parliamentarians. I believe it is possible to achieve the growth government wants to see in a sustainable and accessible way for all – with collaboration and partnership – but this needs the space for open and honest conversations. The Construction Growth Coalition will provide a platform to do just that.”
