A collective of Scotland’s leading construction bodies have presented its skills manifesto at the Scottish Parliament, warning that that national housing and net zero targets are at risk without a radical shift in workforce planning
Launching the manifesto ahead of this year’s Scottish parliamentary elections in May, the Scottish Construction Qualifications & Skills Council is calling for the appointment of a Cabinet-level Minister for Construction & Infrastructure to provide the strategic leadership it says the sector currently lacks.
The council warns that without these strategic interventions, Scotland will struggle to meet its replacement demand for an ageing workforce and its ambitious net zero transition.
The manifesto is backed by a coalition, including the Scottish Decorators’ Federation, Scottish Building Federation, Scottish Plant Owners Association, Contract Flooring Association and the Federation of Master Builders.
The manifesto identifies five critical policy pillars to safeguard a sector that supports over £15bn in industry value:
The appointment of a Cabinet-level Minister to provide a single, high-level voice for construction and infrastructure within the Scottish Government
Callum Mackintosh, representing the Scottish Plant Owners Association, said: “Scotland faces the largest construction and infrastructure pipeline in its history, yet despite accounting for 11% of our economy and employing 234,000 people, the sector still has no dedicated political lead.
“If the next government is serious about delivering energy projects for net zero, 110,000 new homes and the infrastructure to support it all then it must appoint a Scottish Minister for Construction & Infrastructure.”
A Scottish construction workforce action plan with a system-wide review to align the supply of skills with future demand
Shaun Wadsworth, representing the Contract Flooring Association, said: “Scotland’s construction pipeline depends on the availability of skilled specialist trades, including commercial flooring.
“A workforce action plan that takes a whole-system view of supply, demand and outcomes will help ensure these skills are developed and retained in Scotland. This will support successful project delivery and the long-term competitiveness of the sector.”
Protection and expansion of apprenticeships, making sure the “world-class” Scottish apprenticeship model is ring-fenced and grown
Gordon Nelson, Scotland director with the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Qualified Scottish construction apprentices are recognised as being world class and they are critical to Scotland’s prosperity.
“The high-quality training delivered during an apprenticeship relies on employers across the industry and Scottish colleges to play their part. In recent years, we have seen the cancellation of construction courses at some colleges. This is undermining the industry’s ability to build the new homes the country needs and help the government meet its net zero targets.
“Construction apprenticeships need to be protected and expanded and not become the victims of myopic cost cutting.”
Funding reform, with a review of the current apprenticeship funding model to reflect the true costs of training
The manifesto highlights the massive commitment of private firms, noting that for every £1 of government investment in apprenticeships, employers contribute an additional £10. It brands the current apprenticeship funding model as “unfair” and calls for urgent reform to reflect actual costs.
Paul Mitchell, managing director of the Scottish Building Federation, said: “In progressing the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Government has committed to reviewing apprenticeship funding arrangements.
“This review needs to be completed urgently as contribution rates from Skills Development Scotland have stagnated for a decade, at around £8,600 for a craft apprentice.
“With higher than normal levels of inflation in recent years, contributions no longer reflect the costs of delivery, jeopardising training provision and delivery.”
A national construction skills passport with a digital system to record qualifications and health & safety certification for a mobile, modern workforce
One of the key requests is the introduction of a national construction skills passport, recording vocational qualifications and health & safety certification, and the creation of a central point for all skills to be recorded.
Neil Rogers, chief executive officer of the Scottish Decorators’ Federation, said: “This approach would start by registering apprentices coming into the construction industry and then using the passport to track their journey throughout their career, ensuring we know what skills are required of the workforce and making it much easier to identify and address emerging skills gaps.”
Speaking following yesterday’s presentation of the manifesto at the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group for Construction meeting, Ian Rogers – chairman of both Scottish Decorators’ Federation and the Scottish Construction Qualifications & Skills Council – said:
“I am delighted that the major construction federations have come together speak with one voice to produce a skills manifesto for the industry.
“The construction sector in Scotland is worth billions of pounds to the national economy, drives a huge amount of training and delivers much of the Scottish Government’s aspirations in relation to youth employment.”
You can read the Scottish skills manifesto in full here.
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