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Share the success and help build the West of England
Local construction companies are being urged to share in the success that the numerous new development sites across the West of England will bring.
More than £500,000 million of investment will pour into new developments across the area over the next 20 years and it is vital that investors can draw on a local workforce with the right training and skills to operate on large scale projects - such as Cabot Circus, Temple Quarter, Harbourside or South Bristol.
A special ‘Building the West of England’ event will take place on Wednesday, 25th April aimed at encouraging small to medium sized companies to consider the opportunities that rapid new investment will bring and what they need to do to take advantage of such developments.
The event has been organised by West at Work which is a partnership project aimed at developing and supporting the economy by making sure that local people have the appropriate skills and opportunities to meet employers’ needs, both now and in the future.
Ensuring that workers hold Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) cards and other industry specific skills cards is one example of how local firms can boost their chances of gaining work at some of the large development sites. CSCS is an industry requirement at large developments so having a ‘carded’ workforce can be central to securing contracts.
Nigel Davie, Regional Director at Bovis Lend Lease said: “Small to medium sized construction companies have an important role to play in providing the workforce that is needed to build the new developments that are planned over the next few years. However having a trained workforce with CSCS cards for example, is vital to secure this work.”
He added: “There will be a lot of opportunities in the future and we want to make sure that local firms are able to take advantage of them and that they can provide a skilled local workforce to draw from.”
The ‘Building the West of England’ breakfast event, which will take place from 7-11am at Bristol City Football Club, will provide information on how the sub-contract chain works and the necessary contracting criteria as well as details of training opportunities and ways to access the supply chain. In addition Bovis Lend Lease and Bristol based training provider On Site will be speaking at the event and there will a variety of exhibitors from major contractors allowing plenty of opportunity to network.
John Temple, West at Work Chair and Area Director at the Learning and Skills Council West of England, said: “It is important that residents benefit from their local economy and are able to take up training and employment opportunities that new developments bring. In turn, employers coming into the area want a readily available and appropriately skilled local workforce. By coming along to the event on 25th April construction companies can find out about the opportunities on offer and how they can take advantage of the substantial investment that developers are making in the area.”
‘Building the West of England’ will take place from 7-11am on 25th April at Bristol City Football Club. Breakfast will be provided. To book your place or find out more information contact events@businesswest.co.uk
West at Work is a partnership between the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the South West of England Regional Development Agency (South West RDA), Jobcentre Plus, Business West, Connexions, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South Gloucestershire Council.
For more information about West at Work visit www.westatwork.co.uk
