On The Tools has launched an initiative to help tackle the growing skills gap in the construction industry.
This comes at a time when MPs have concluded that the UK lacks skills for infrastructure. Furthermore, The House of Commons investigation concluded that the UK does not have the capability to deliver the government’s infrastructure plans.
On The Tools CEO, Lee Wilcox, recently spoke on BBC’s The One Show about the growing skills shortage, commenting, “Currently, the industry is around 940,000 people short of what we need. Over the next decade, we’re going to have a lack of homes. We’re going to have a lack of schools and hospitals, the UK economy will be affected, and the reality is we need a couple of hundred people a day joining the industry.
“As part of our Closing The Gap white paper on the skills shortages in construction, we found that one of the biggest factors was the perception of being a tradesperson. The public think that it’s cold, it’s dirty, and that it’s low pay. And actually, it’s the absolute opposite. A lot of the time the earning potential is high, and it’s not just manual labour.
“There’s lots of opportunity across technology and innovation, as well as content creation. I think it’s really, really important that we start to spread a positive message around the industry and what the opportunity is.”
On The Tools has launched a resource hub that caters for tradespeople looking to take on apprentices, businesses looking to support them, and those considering apprentices. It also launched a series of billboards designed to appeal to consumers.
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