The Built Environment Skills Strategy sets out a skills vision for the industry over the next 10 years. It was developed in consultation with a wide range of industry players and outlines how skills can help address the productivity challenge facing the sector.

The Chairman of the Construction Industry Council, Pieter Burghout, says that the priorities fit well with the industry’s drive for more recruits to participate in the approaching rise in sector activity to deal with the Canterbury rebuild, leaky building remediation and pent up housing demand in Auckland.

Burghout says the industry would need more than 10,000 new entrants with building related skills to cope with the anticipated lift in activity next year. “The need ranges through trades such as carpentry, plastering and tiling to management positions, all of which require specific skill sets.”

Mr Burghout says the strategy was especially important because of the Government acceptance of the industry as a strong driver of economic growth that contributed more than four percent of GDP.

“When it comes to job provision this industry can be one of the best generators of fresh employment and its impact is felt throughout the economy in the creation of new positions within construction service industries. For every dollar invested in construction, three dollars of activity are generated across the economy, making it one of the most stimulatory sectors.”

He said the drive to lift work force skills should resonate in Pacific Island and Maori communities. “A recent industry report from PricewaterhouseCoopers identified the sector as offering the fifth highest employment rate for Maori and eighth highest for Pacifika.

“The construction sector offers significant employment opportunities for these groups, making the consistent provision of work by the sector an important part of improving economic conditions for Maori and Pacific Island people,” says Burghout.

“Endorsement of the strategy by Ministers Joyce and Williamson, as Ministers of Economic Development and Building and Construction respectively, is particularly important in this context.”

The four priorities are:

• Getting it right first time – addressing quality issues and avoiding rework
• Eliminating downtime – effectively managing labour so it is better deployed and less time is wasted
• Working toward meaningful careers – developing pathways into and through the industry so people have careers rather than jobs
• Multi-disciplinary teamwork – increasing collaboration between firms, different parts of the sector and education providers. 

Link: www.buildingvalue.co.nz