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Mayor of London launches construction academy
London mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a specialist academy for construction skills.
The move has been prompted by fears of a looming skills shortage in the capital’s construction sector which could drive up development costs and delay the delivery of new homes, City Hall said.
Doubts linger over the status of EU construction workers – who currently account for around a third of the London’s building workforce – after Britain leaves the EU.
The academy will operate as a network of construction skills providers across London, with links to the building industry.
It is partly funded through £8m from the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP) growth deal with government.
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Mr Khan said: “London is home to some of the most exciting and dynamic talent but there’s no denying we face a shortage in construction skills and that this is hampering our ability to tackle London’s housing crisis.
“To make matters worse, we risk an exodus of talented Londoners, who could leave the city in large numbers because they can’t afford a good quality home.
“I’m committed to building the workforce of the future – and a key part of this is recognising the best skills providers across the city and using them as exemplars from which others can learn.”
The GLA has developed a ‘quality mark’ for construction skills providers with 21 colleges, universities and companies accredited so far.
They will be able to join housing associations, councils and house builders in being able to bid for funding to improve construction skills training and help trainees get jobs.
And a further £7.2m from the LEAP deal has been earmarked to improve construction training facilities.
City Hall also published its Skills and Adult Education Strategy, aimed at helping people access training for skilled jobs with a focus on boosting diversity in the workplace.
