The Association for Project Safety has launched an election manifesto with five key demands, describing them as “essential life savers”.
The health and safety wishlist calls for more investment in training and skills and the fast-tracking of visa processes for skilled immigrants with proven experience and identifiable, ‘provable’ skills in the construction sector.
A spokesperson for the sector said: ”It is crucial to balance the push for new housing with environmental protections and retrofitting initiatives to ensure sustainable growth.”
In more details the association’s demands are as follows:
Training and skills development
- Issue: There is a significant shortage of skilled workers to meet the housing targets set in all the main party manifestos, but especially in the Tory or Labour ones, both now launched. More information is available here.
Solution: Invest in comprehensive training programmes and real, meaningful apprenticeships to build a skilled workforce capable of safely constructing the planned 1.5+ million homes likely to be needed over the next five years.
Our ask: Immediate allocation of funds and resources to training centres and educational institutions – with enforceable output targets.
Planned and selective immigration (short term)
- Issue: Our members tell us that the current domestic workforce is insufficient to meet critical housing targets in the short term.
Solution: Implement a planned and selective immigration policy to attract skilled workers from abroad, similar to the Australian model. This would be a short-term tactic for five years.
Our ask: Fast-track visa processes for skilled immigrants with proven experience and identifiable, ‘provable’ skills in the construction sector.
Long-term construction workforce development
- Issue: Many UK college/university training programmes are simply insufficient to meet the demand for skilled workers.
Solution: Enhance and expand apprenticeship programmes to ensure a steady pipeline of skilled workers for future projects.
Our ask: Partner with industry leaders and educational institutions to design and implement effective programmes relevant to modern methods of construction and developing technologies.
Environmental protection in planning
- Issue: Proposed fast-track planning on brownfield sites and abandonment of nutrient neutrality pose environmental risks.
Solution: Ensure all planning and construction projects adhere to strict environmental protection standards to prevent uncontrolled pollutants in sensitive environments.
Our ask: Implement rigorous environmental impact assessments for all new construction projects. Some pioneering local authorities are showing this can be done: think how much more with government backing.
Retrofitting existing buildings
Issue: The focus on new builds overlooks the potential of retrofitting existing structures to meet modern housing needs and environmental goals.
Solution: Develop a robust and realistic retrofit programme to improve existing buildings’ energy efficiency and safety
Our ask: Allocate funding and incentivise homeowners and businesses to retrofit their properties.
