A study by the Construction Industry Training Board, CITB, shows that one in five Welsh construction firms struggles to grow their business due to a lack of suitably skilled workers and 10 per cent has had to recruit outside the sector to meet their skills needs.

While 60 per cent of Welsh construction companies feel confident about the future of the Welsh construction industry, the picture across the whole of the UK shows 42 per cent of construction firms are struggling to recruit workers with the right skills - putting an estimated 62,000 jobs at risk as companies face difficulties expanding without a skilled workforce in place. In Wales, 5,266 jobs are potentially at risk unless construction firms can recruit the right skills into their business.

In response to the findings, CITB has launched industry’s Construction4Growth campaign in Wales, calling for employers to invest in skills training which meets the emerging needs of the industry.

The campaign will build on the partnership work that CITB Wales and the Welsh Government are already undertaking with successful projects such as the Skills Academies, Client-Based Approach and the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme as well as galvanising support from employers, clients, Careers Wales, FE Colleges and Government to drive forward findings of the recent Estyn Review to ensure training is aligned to labour market needs.

CITB Wales Director Wyn Prichard said: “Our report clearly shows that more needs to be done to address the issue of skills in the construction industry to ensure we have the capability to meet the emerging pipeline of infrastructure work in Wales. With £1.3bn of infrastructure projects announced in the Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan, and yesterday’s budget announcement concerning the creation of 11,000 new construction jobs in the next three years, we need to ensure the Welsh construction industry has the skills to meet the skilled labour demands of these projects . Now is the time to start sparking the imaginations of young people and harnessing their talent for the future of the industry.

“This is one of the reasons why we are launching Construction4Growth, as well as to ensure that there is continued investment in green projects and training opportunities for local people and businesses in the sector; creating the right conditions and environment for skills to thrive.

“We welcome the achievements that Welsh Government has made to date with the devolution of borrowing powers and stamp duty, as well as the procurement reform. We plan to continue to work in partnership with the Welsh Government and construction businesses to ensure that we provide them with the support they need for growth now and in the future.”

Jane Hutt, Finance Minister, said: “Making sure people have the right skills to deliver major construction projects is vital if we are going to create a strong Welsh economy. Significant progress is being made within the sector, and we will continue to work in partnership with CITB and construction businesses in Wales to provide them with the support they need so they are in the best position possible for future economic growth.”

Jon James, regional director of ISG, the contractor responsible for building the new Cardiff Business School, said: “It is absolutely vital to the health and future prosperity of the construction sector that we collectively take a responsibility to attract and retain talented and motivated individuals within the industry.”