Chamber to launch construction report

Chamber to Launch Unique Construction Report

On Thursday 28 November Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce is publishing a ground-breaking piece of research on the current confirmed pipeline of construction activity in Greater Manchester to 2017, which also analyses the labour force requirements to deliver these projects and highlights where any specific skill shortages will fall.

Christian Spence, Head of Business Intelligence at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: "The report details the £11bn of new construction projects in Greater Manchester currently planned, highlights some of the challenges the sector has faced since the recession and looks at some of the major opportunities coming up over the next few years.

"Our research team has analysed the pipeline of construction projects in Greater Manchester for the next four years and, working with the Construction Industry Training Board, has produced a detailed forecast of the labour required to deliver those projects – not just a headline number (over 62,000 – 10,000 more than we currently have in Greater Manchester) but by individual trades.

"This puts Greater Manchester light years ahead of any other part of the UK in understanding the types of jobs we need to be ready to deliver in our great city.

"The report goes further, analysing the current skills being trained in Greater Manchester and mapping this against what will be needed to deliver the enormous £15bn of total construction activity here until 2017.

"This means that, for the first time in this country, we know what skills, what trades and what apprenticeships need to be created and delivered in Greater Manchester so that our talented young people can take every advantage of being employed in sustainable careers in Greater Manchester's construction industry. This is a real advantage to us and, once again, Manchester is leading the way for the country to follow.

"With the findings from the report the Chamber is already working closely with both the Cabinet Office and Infrastructure UK to help government learn from us about the ways that this research can be embedded into the country’s national construction and skills policy."

The research notes that there is a 20% increase required in the number of construction jobs in Greater Manchester to deliver the current pipeline of work and analyses the requirements of each individual trade year-by-year highlighting not only the growth required in skilled labour but also the shortfalls of training and apprenticeships needed to support the industry in the future with sustainable jobs.

The report also finds that a number of key skills for 21st century construction are not yet recognised as career paths and will require the creation of new apprenticeship frameworks to deliver the required skills of the future. It also highlights those opportunities for training providers to focus, with evidence, on the training that will be needed to deliver sustainable economic and employment growth for the people in Greater Manchester in this important industry.

The report will be launched at an event at Manchester Art Gallery on 28 November with registration and drinks from 6pm and presentations from 6.30pm. Anyone interested in booking a free place on a first-come, first-served basis should contact events@gmchamber.co.uk