Housing Minister Brandon Lewis today visited a Construction Industry Training Board-funded project – and issued a call to arms to the nation’s former servicemen and women to consider new careers building the nation’s homes.
Speaking at a BuildForce recruitment event at RAF Northolt, Mr Lewis argued that men and women who have served our country in our Armed Forces are well-equipped with the skills that the industry needs – such as opportunities in construction, civil engineering and the built environment sector.
BuildForce is CITB funded and delivered by the Construction Youth Trust and the Career Transition Partnership.
BuildForce recruitment events offer the chance for people to look beyond bricklaying to see the vast range of skilled jobs on offer and hear form ex-military personnel who work in construction.
The housebuilding industry was devastated by the 2008 economic crash, leading to the loss of a quarter of a million construction jobs.
However, housebuilding levels are now more than double those seen in 2009 – meaning developers need more skilled workers than ever.
The Government has placed housebuilding at the heart of its long-term economic plan – with starts now at their highest since 2007.
Mr Lewis told Armed Forces leavers that this means now is one of the best times to build a career in the construction industry.Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said: “Our efforts have got Britain building with starts at their highest annual level for nearly six years, creating thousands of jobs across the country.
“The brave men and women in uniform who have served their country in our Armed Forces should be at the front of the queue for skilled construction careers when they return to Civvy Street.”
Nearly 20,000 people leave the Armed Forces each year, ready to bring their considerable skills and experience to ‘Civvy Street’.
Steve Radley, Director of Policy at CITB, said: “BuildForce helps ex-servicemen and women take the skills they’ve learned in the forces into construction, where they can build the hundreds of thousands of new homes Britain needs.
“The project’s success lies in the strong partnership between industry and the military, which CITB is proud to fund and support. The construction sector needs over 200,000 talented new workers in the next five years, and there are rewarding careers available for people of every background and experience.”
For more information visit www.citb.co.uk
