County construction leaders tackling sector skills gap

June 5, 2018

Construction sector leaders in Shropshire are joining forces with the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and colleges across the county to tackle the skills gap at a round table event this month.

Training providers and construction companies will be on a panel hosted by Shropshire Construction Excellence (SCE), the business group which aims to raise the profile of the sector in the county.
Gareth Emberton, Chair of Shropshire Constructing Excellence, will host the event that has been organised in association with the Marches LEP at the Lighting Industry Association on Stafford Park, Telford, on June 26.
Gareth said: “This is an ideal opportunity for employers and educators to get around the table and talk about how we can tackle the skills issue that we know exists particularly in our sector. We need to explore the ways schools, colleges, and the construction industry can work together to get youngsters into construction careers.
“The event will be a chance for employers to highlight the challenges they face when recruiting and training their workforce, and help colleges and training providers to understand where the issues are.
“Through our discussions, we hope to discover understand the emerging skills needs at a local level. This is the first event as part of our new Shropshire Construction Cares campaign, as we believe that by working together, employers and educators, can create more options for the future of construction in Shropshire.”
The panel will be made up of business and education experts, including Jos Brownlie, the Chair of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers’ West Midlands regional committee, SCE vice-chair Dan Leech from TDS Midlands and the Centre of Excellence for Digital Engineering, James Staniforth, Principal of Shrewsbury Colleges Group, and Graham Guest from Telford College.
SCE is also welcoming questions from the audience, and from those who are unable to attend. Questions can be emailed to teresa@shropshireconstruction.co.uk using the subject line ‘Construction Challenge’.
To join the #shropshireconstructioncares conversation in advance, or on the day, follow SCE on Twitter @shropconstruct.
Tickets are free for SCE members and £20 for non-members.
To book your place, go to https://bit.ly/2L4e1J5 or search www.eventbrite.co.uk for Shropshire Constructing Excellence.

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The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership has now ceased trading and transferred all its functions to Shropshire Council working with Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council, in line with the UK Government's plans for devolution.

The Marches LEP was established in 2011 and hands over an impressive legacy from its 13-year life. In that time the LEP invested over £196m in projects across the Marches, securing in excess of £100m of match funding and supported more than 66,000 business interactions.

The schemes supported have made tangible differences to local communities, increasing skills, creating jobs and improving the physical appearance of many towns.

We would like to thank all the LEP Board Members who have given their time freely over the life of the LEP, as well as all the staff who worked for the LEP over the years. We also want to thank our delivery partners, local education providers and local, regional and national stakeholders who helped us achieve so much.

The Marches Growth Hub will continue to support businesses and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Each of the three Local Authorities will also continue to provide direct business support locally. Details of this support will be available through the Marches Growth Hub website and from the Local Authorities directly. Website: www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk | email: enquiries@marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

The Marches Careers Hub will continue to be delivered and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Website: www.marchescareershub.co.uk | email: info@marchescareershub.co.uk

For any queries about Getting Building Fund (GBF), Local Growth Fund (LGF) and Marches Investment Fund (MIF) projects supported by the Marches LEP please contact: gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk

For any finance queries please contact: michelle.hodgkiss@shropshire.gov.uk

The solvent liquidation of the Marches LEP is being managed by the Evelyn Partners Limited. For any matter related to this please contact: Camilla.Mulholland@evelyn.com

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