NEWS
“More support for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) training is the element Mr Hammond should add to complete the productivity, project delivery and business growth jigsaw.” Referring to the government’s labour market survey which identified a 25,000 gap in the construction workforce that has to be filled in order to deliver ‘shovel ready’ projects, Mr McLaughlin went on to say: “Some contractors are already passing up opportunities to tender for projects because they don’t have the skilled workforce available. “If there is also to be a restriction on the amount of labour available from the EU, then growing our own through apprenticeships and upskilling existing workers becomes an even more pressing priority.” Therefore the funding mechanisms for apprenticeships – the new Trailblazers in particular – need to be clearly defined, protected and extended, according to Mr McLaughlin.
The push to tackle the housing shortage is another “huge opportunity”, according to BESA – and could be a valuable catalyst for driving innovation and high energy performance standards.
“The Chancellor’s ambitions in housing would be enhanced with a return to the Zero Carbon Homes commitment – as recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee – and an undertaking to support high standards, such as PassivHaus, to showcase Britain’s leadership in low carbon design,” said Mr McLaughlin. “This would not only help improve living conditions for thousands of families, but would also take the country closer to the commitments it made in the new Paris climate change agreement,” he added.
“Building a resilient and high performing housing stock would be a great investment for our country’s future by safeguarding the population from future climate impacts and reducing energy usage. High quality, energy efficient buildings are also shown to improve the productivity of the people that work in them –
this is a significant area where the building engineering sector is already adding value to UK plc.” BESA also believes the government’s new Industrial Strategy puts the UK in a position to become a global leader in low carbon technologies – citing the fact that more than half of the country’s electricity supplies were produced by low carbon sources in the three months from July to September this year.
“That is a considerable
achievement when you consider low carbon sources only accounted for 20% of total electricity generation five years ago,” said Mr McLaughlin. “May 5th this year was the first day since 1881 that the UK burned no coal at all to produce electricity. “We are ahead of the game in many aspects of low carbon infrastructure solutions – such as energy and heat storage,” he added. “These sectors are already demonstrating how they can contribute to economic growth and another push from the government on skills and R&D would take us into a world leading position.”
Julia Evans, BSRIA Chief Executive commented: “The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has delivered his first and last autumn statement containing a comprehensive raft of policies that will support both members and the construction industry at large. Indeed, his announcements on housing, innovation and regional and local infrastructure will help business across the UK to invest with greater confidence for the long-term which is welcomed by BSRIA. However, it was disappointing to see no mention of the environment.”
The UK economy is forecast to be the fastest growing major economy in 2016, but the Office for Budget Responsibility has forecast growth to slow and inflation to rise over the next two years.
However, growth will remain positive and employment should continue to rise in each of the next five years, with half a million more people forecast to be in work by 2021.
www.acr-news.com December 2016 5
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