The government and the Greater London Authority have recently announced plans that will see as many as 50,000 new homes built across London in the next few years. These properties will be part of designated housing zones that will provide much-needed homes for families and provide a boost to the construction industry. As the construction sector demands more skilled workers, those with CITB training could have an advantage.
The proposals were launched by George Osborne, the Chancellor, alongside Boris Johnson, London's Mayor. These plans will be backed up by £200 million of funding and will see up to 20 of these zones created across the capital. This programme of housing development is not just restricted to the capital. There are plans in the pipeline to roll out the scheme to other areas of the country.
As part of this strategy to tackle the issue of shortfalls in the availability of property, local authorities will be able to speed up the planning and construction phases. There will be the removal of some restrictions, enabling councils to make better use of the available land.
Boost for the Construction Sector
The Construction Skills Network report from the CITB highlighted that up to 6,400 roles could be available in the capital by 2018. House building is now at its highest level since 2008, as the economy begins its recovery from the recession. However, there is still a large discrepancy between the demand for good-quality and affordable housing and the number of properties available. These proposals from the government are designed to go some way to alleviating this problem.
These new homes will undoubtedly lead to more roles for skilled workers as well as apprentices. Those employees who have the right level of skills and commitment will be most in demand, and CITB training can give workers an edge over other applicants. CITB training can take various forms from plant maintenance and operation to scaffolding and health and safety courses. Choose courses that are relevant to your particular skills and ensure that you put the CITB training on any application forms or CVs that you produce.
At ACT we offer a range of CITB training courses, covering health and safety awareness, plant manager training and site manager and supervisor training. We have considerable experience of providing these courses and can support you in finding the most appropriate one. Details of all our courses can be found through the site or you can contact us for further information.
