West Midlands mayor Richard Parker has announced a £75 million construction skills package to train more than 12,000 people over the next three years.
The funding aims to support people into work, as well as upskilling the current workforce, with a focus on skills in areas such as bricklaying, engineering, design, plastering and painting.
Funding for the skills package is being drawn from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) adult skills budget and a government skills mission fund for construction. It is part of a broader ambition to unlock £100 million of skills training investment.
Commenting on the announcement, Parker said: “We’re heading into a construction boom that will power new jobs, new homes and new opportunities right across the West Midlands. But that growth will only last if local people have the skills to deliver it.
“That’s why I’m backing investment in training and apprenticeships – so people here get the first shot at the good jobs being created and businesses can draw on local talent with the latest skills and knowhow. This isn’t just about construction – we’re also working on engineering, design and all the supporting roles that keep our region building.”
Mal Cowgill, chair of the mayor’s Jobs Taskforce, added: “This investment is key to ensuring the construction sector can respond to the regional demand for skilled workers across the full range of trades and will make a major contribution to the mayor’s pledge of ‘jobs for everyone’.
“It’s a fantastic example of how to support local people into employment and to promote the existing workforce into higher paid jobs, making sure employers across the West Midlands have the skills in place to drive regional growth.”
Working with employers
The investment will bolster existing initiatives like the WMCA’s Path 2 Apprenticeship programme and Construction Gateway, as well as local programmes led by employers.
The skills package will be led by Dudley College’s Technical Excellence Hub.
Diana Martin, chief executive and principal of Dudley College of Technology, said: “Through our role as the region’s construction technical excellence college, we will be working to boost both the range and quality of construction training across the West Midlands.
“One of our key objectives will be to work with employers to leverage further investment in construction skills provision, so that the industry not only builds capacity way into the future but can immediately maximise the business benefits the large-scale investment offers.”
