Commenting on the recent consent decision for the Lower Thames Crossing, Tim Balcon, CEO of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), said: “The Lower Thames Crossing is recognised as a major driver of connectivity and growth for the South East region and today’s decision is welcome progress. Realising the ambition of the project now relies on having the skilled construction workforce in place to deliver it.
“CITB’s latest figures show that we need an extra 10,400 workers in the South East – 2,080 a year – to meet expected construction growth. Infrastructure is one of the industry areas with the highest demand for new recruits – with up to 600,000 workers to deliver the engineering and construction projects outlined in the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline, which includes the Lower Thames Crossing.
“That is why we are investing £2.8m in developing the Infrastructure Sector Skills Plan as a tailor-made strategy to tackle this issue. Guided by insights from industry experts through the Infrastructure Sector Advisory Group, the plan will address eight key challenges – including the attraction of new entrants, quality and availability of training and support for employers, and will evolve to meet the changing skills, training and recruitment needs of the sector.”
