Latest news with #CITB
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Construction firms won't let me work because I'm a girl'
A stonemasonry student said companies had told her she could not join the profession "because she's a girl". Alice, who is 17, was one of the students who took part in a competition for apprentices at Moulton College in Northampton on Thursday. Industry experts have said 19,750 extra construction workers are needed in the East of England by 2028 to meet government housebuilding targets. However, some students, like Alice, said they still faced barriers which made it difficult to pursue a career in construction. The SkillBuild competition, organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), tested apprentices and trainees in a variety of tasks, from furniture making to tiling. Alice, from Weston Favell in Northamptonshire, inherited her interest in architecture from her grandfather and wanted to work on some of the UK's greatest stone buildings - cathedrals. But she said her journey had not been easy. "I've tried to contact some companies to get onto that kind of work, but it hasn't really worked out," she told the BBC. "The main thing is that I'm a woman and a lot of companies have told me 'you can't do this because you're a girl - you're not strong enough, you won't be able to do the heavy labour'." Another competitor, Maizie from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, wanted to encourage more women to join the industry. The 17-year-old goes to college in Colchester and said: "In my class it's actually a pretty good mix, but in the industry as a whole, it's definitely a big imbalance. "People need to realise the value of these industries, and we need to push more young people to go into it. It can be a bit inaccessible at the beginning, especially for young people, since working in these workshop environments can be quite dangerous." The first obstacle in the competition for Rugby man Sean, 18, was having to "scavenge" for the right tools to make a porch roof, having brought the wrong ones. The bigger issue for him, generally, was the lack of opportunities for young people. He said: "There's not enough apprenticeships - it took me two years to get here, and I feel like that's one of the biggest problems. "The amount of houses they're trying to build; they definitely need more apprenticeships." A CITB report published this month said 19,750 new workers were needed in the region. Robert Smith, from the CITB, said "we really need to make that attractive so that they know there are jobs for the future, secure opportunities and great career pathways". The figures suggest there is a long way to go before there is a gender balance in the industry. According to The Office for National Statistics, women comprise just 15.8% of the construction workforce and only 2% of workers onsite. There is some hope, though, with the number of women as a proportion of the overall construction workforce increasing by 36.9% since 2012. The government said construction would be one area to benefit from a "record-breaking £3bn apprenticeship budget". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'I went from studying fine art to tiling floors' Trainee brickie urges more women to consider trade Calls for gender balance in construction industry Moulton College Construction Industry Training Board
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Construction firms won't let me work because I'm a girl'
A stonemasonry student said companies had told her she could not join the profession "because she's a girl". Alice, who is 17, was one of the students who took part in a competition for apprentices at Moulton College in Northampton on Thursday. Industry experts have said 19,750 extra construction workers are needed in the East of England by 2028 to meet government housebuilding targets. However, some students, like Alice, said they still faced barriers which made it difficult to pursue a career in construction. The SkillBuild competition, organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), tested apprentices and trainees in a variety of tasks, from furniture making to tiling. Alice, from Weston Favell in Northamptonshire, inherited her interest in architecture from her grandfather and wanted to work on some of the UK's greatest stone buildings - cathedrals. But she said her journey had not been easy. "I've tried to contact some companies to get onto that kind of work, but it hasn't really worked out," she told the BBC. "The main thing is that I'm a woman and a lot of companies have told me 'you can't do this because you're a girl - you're not strong enough, you won't be able to do the heavy labour'." Another competitor, Maizie from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, wanted to encourage more women to join the industry. The 17-year-old goes to college in Colchester and said: "In my class it's actually a pretty good mix, but in the industry as a whole, it's definitely a big imbalance. "People need to realise the value of these industries, and we need to push more young people to go into it. It can be a bit inaccessible at the beginning, especially for young people, since working in these workshop environments can be quite dangerous." The first obstacle in the competition for Rugby man Sean, 18, was having to "scavenge" for the right tools to make a porch roof, having brought the wrong ones. The bigger issue for him, generally, was the lack of opportunities for young people. He said: "There's not enough apprenticeships - it took me two years to get here, and I feel like that's one of the biggest problems. "The amount of houses they're trying to build; they definitely need more apprenticeships." A CITB report published this month said 19,750 new workers were needed in the region. Robert Smith, from the CITB, said "we really need to make that attractive so that they know there are jobs for the future, secure opportunities and great career pathways". The figures suggest there is a long way to go before there is a gender balance in the industry. According to The Office for National Statistics, women comprise just 15.8% of the construction workforce and only 2% of workers onsite. There is some hope, though, with the number of women as a proportion of the overall construction workforce increasing by 36.9% since 2012. The government said construction would be one area to benefit from a "record-breaking £3bn apprenticeship budget". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. 'I went from studying fine art to tiling floors' Trainee brickie urges more women to consider trade Calls for gender balance in construction industry Moulton College Construction Industry Training Board
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Stonemasonry apprentice says firms reject her for being a girl
A stonemasonry student said companies had told her she could not join the profession "because she's a girl".Alice, who is 17, was one of the students who took part in a competition for apprentices at Moulton College in Northampton on experts have said 19,750 extra construction workers are needed in the East of England by 2028 to meet government housebuilding some students, like Alice, said they still faced barriers which made it difficult to pursue a career in construction. The SkillBuild competition, organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), tested apprentices and trainees in a variety of tasks, from furniture making to from Weston Favell in Northamptonshire, inherited her interest in architecture from her grandfather and wanted to work on some of the UK's greatest stone buildings - she said her journey had not been easy."I've tried to contact some companies to get onto that kind of work, but it hasn't really worked out," she told the BBC."The main thing is that I'm a woman and a lot of companies have told me 'you can't do this because you're a girl - you're not strong enough, you won't be able to do the heavy labour'." Another competitor, Maizie from Bury St Edmonds in Suffolk, wanted to encourage more women to join the 17-year-old goes to college in Colchester and said: "In my class it's actually a pretty good mix, but in the industry as a whole, it's definitely a big imbalance. "People need to realise the value of these industries, and we need to push more young people to go into it. It can be a bit inaccessible at the beginning, especially for young people, since working in these workshop environments can be quite dangerous." The first obstacle in the competition for Rugby man Sean, 18, was having to "scavenge" for the right tools to make a porch roof, having brought the wrong bigger issue for him, generally, was the lack of opportunities for young people. He said: "There's not enough apprenticeships - it took me two years to get here, and I feel like that's one of the biggest problems."The amount of houses they're trying to build; they definitely need more apprenticeships." A CITB report published this month said 19,750 new workers were needed in the Smith, from the CITB, said "we really need to make that attractive so that they know there are jobs for the future, secure opportunities and great career pathways".The figures suggest there is a long way to go before there is a gender balance in the to The Office for National Statistics, women comprise just 15.8% of the construction workforce and only 2% of workers is some hope, though, with the number of women as a proportion of the overall construction workforce increasing by 36.9% since government said construction would be one area to benefit from a "record-breaking £3bn apprenticeship budget". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Scotsman
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
CITB backs new suicide prevention training programme tailored to Scottish construction industry
The programme, from Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland and Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH), is scheduled to launch Autumn 2025 Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Barratt and David Wilson Homes North Scotland have joined forces with Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) to create a new suicide prevention training programme tailored to the Scottish construction industry. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) is backing the bespoke training and resource programme, currently scheduled to launch Autumn 2025, with £239,000 in funding from its Industry Impact Fund. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The programme will be designed specifically for the unique pressures faced by construction workers, aiming to equip companies and individuals with the tools necessary to identify colleagues facing mental health challenges and provide meaningful support. It will be available to individuals and companies across Scotland, ensuring the whole industry has access to help. CITB backs new suicide prevention training programme tailored to Scottish construction industry The programme will be designed specifically for the unique pressures faced by construction workers, aiming to equip companies and individuals with the tools necessary to identify colleagues facing mental health problems and thoughts of suicide, and provide meaningful support and suicide interventions. It will be available to individuals and companies across Scotland, ensuring the whole industry has access to help. Since 2020, CITB has supported nearly 52,000 people to complete mental health first aid and awareness training through its short courses and is vocal about the need for greater access to mental health support in the construction industry. Vanessa Freeman, CITB Head of Grant & Funding Products, said: 'We're proud to be supporting such an important initiative for the Scottish construction sector. We believe the programme will play a vital role in tackling mental health challenges in the construction industry and wish everyone involved every success in the developmental phase of this programme and its resources. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Too often people in construction feel like they can't talk about their mental health issues, and it's imperative we improve the poor understanding of mental health in the industry.' CITB's Industry Impact Fund launched in April 2023 and is the first fund of its kind. It gives employers the power to design and develop training solutions that don't already exist – ensuring they are scalable, sustainable and make a lasting impact.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK government invests $774.9m to train up to 60,000 construction workers
The UK's national government has unveiled a £600m ($774.9m) investment aimed at training up to 60,000 additional skilled workers in the domestic construction sector. This funding package encompasses £100m for the establishment of ten new Technical Excellence Colleges and £165m to support existing colleges in delivering more construction courses. Furthermore, 'Skills Bootcamps' will receive an expansion with £100m of funding, facilitating new entrants, returners, and current workers to upskill within the industry. Meanwhile, all regions involved in the Local Skills Improvement Plan will benefit from a £20m investment to foster partnerships between colleges and construction companies. The domestic construction sector is also set to be a beneficiary of new foundation apprenticeships, supported by an additional £40m, launching this August. These apprenticeships aim to introduce more young people to the industry and provide them with the necessary skills for advanced apprenticeships and a career. Employers will receive an incentive of £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they hire and retain in the sector. This is in addition to the full funding of training costs through the new Growth and Skills Levy. An additional £100m of government funding, complemented by a £32m contribution from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), will help finance more than 40,000 industry placements each year for learners at various educational levels. The government will also sponsor a new Construction Skills Mission Board, co-chaired by the government and Mark Reynolds, executive chair of Mace. The board will be tasked with developing and executing a construction skills action plan and providing strategic leadership to the sector. CITB chief executive Tim Balcon said: 'We are delighted with the support the government is giving the construction sector with increased investment. This package will provide vital support, where it is needed most - it will cut straight to the heart of the construction industry being able to address the challenge of building 1.5 million new homes for people that desperately need them. 'As an industry, we now need to grasp this opportunity and play our part in delivering it. I genuinely believe this is a once-in-a-generation chance to us to recruit and train our workforce - equipping more people with the skills they urgently need now and in the future.' Last December, the UK government introduced planning changes to accelerate the delivery of new homes as part of Labour's Plan for Change, aiming to build 1.5 million new homes and boost economic growth. "UK government invests $774.9m to train up to 60,000 construction workers" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
