Skills initiative necessary to meet approaching challenges

Media Release 16 May, 2011

Skills initiative necessary to meet approaching challenges

The Government’s $42 million package for training in building and construction related skills is a necessary and timely response to the challenges facing the industry, says the Construction Strategy Group (CSG).

The Chairman of the CSG, Mr Richard Aitken, said today that the projected huge increase of the industry workload - to meet the needs of reconstruction in Christchurch, leaky building remediation and normal demand - meant thousands of specialist trades people would be required..

“The Government’s additional grants for tertiary and industry training will significantly help a build up in the ability of the training sector to meet the approaching demand.

“There has to be some doubt whether sufficient new recruits can be trained in these specialist skills in time to meet the full industry need. For that reason it is useful that the Department of Labour is preparing a special immigration skills shortage list. Our hope is, however, that most of the need can be met from within the New Zealand labour market.”

Mr Aitken said the CSG had briefed the Government on the scale of the challenge facing the industry and was pleased to see an early response.

“There are immediate employment opportunities for those who acquire the specialist skills such as those required by qualified plumbers, drain layers, plasterers and painters. Professional fields of quantity surveying and engineering will also be on the lookout for new recruits. We hope there will be a positive response to these opportunities.”

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