Member Article

CITB calls for Yorkshire construction industry backing

CITB is urging more local employers to sign up to a campaign calling on the government to invest in construction in Yorkshire and the Humber.

The call comes as recent research shows that the construction industry is going through one of its most difficult periods since the Second World War.

Figures from the Construction Skills Network (CSN) report – the industry’s annual forecast prepared by CITB – show that Yorkshire and the Humber suffered an 8% fall in output in 2012. This could lead to shrinking employment levels in the region, at a rate of 1.6% each year between now and 2017.

So far, 69 businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber have signed up to the ‘Construction4Growth’ campaign, which was launched by local businesses, in partnership with CITB, to respond to the challenges facing the construction industry.

Pledges of support from across the industry will be used to encourage government to increase investment in the sector and put construction at the heart of the UK’s economic recovery.

The latest CSN figures put annual average construction output growth at 0.9% up to 2017, slightly above the national average of 0.8%. Public non-housing will suffer the most with declines of 10% per year during the period, while infrastructure will be the next hardest hit, with a predicted 5.1% rate of annual decline.

Steve Housden, sector strategy manager for CITB in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “The latest CSN figures show the challenge facing the construction industry in Yorkshire and the Humber.

“It is crucial that business leaders and employers from across the region come together to ensure that everything possible is done to encourage investment, and return the industry to growth.”

Colin France, chairman of the Yorkshire and Humber Skills for Growth Forum, added: “The Construction4Growth campaign is bringing together employers from across Yorkshire and the Humber to bolster the local industry.

“Whether infrastructure, housing, office space or public buildings, we are working to ensure we take advantage of every opportunity for the benefit of our employees.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .