The number of major construction projects planned for the Greater London area over the next five years will result in the regional construction sector growing by around 14% a year. The construction of the Olympic Park is the most high profile of these projects and at its peak in 2010 will absorb 0.3% of the total UK construction workforce. 

 

According to the latest forecast of skills needs in the UK construction sector published by ‘ConstructionSkills’, there is a greater need now to recruit and train wood tradespeople than any other single skill grouping, including management, if we are to meet the demands placed on the sector by the growth of the economy.  It is estimated that the wood industry needs to train over 11,000 people a year between 2006 and 2010, some 14% of the total requirement for the whole construction sector.  The specific requirement for Greater London is 800 new wood tradespeople trained each year over this period, bearing in mind that London’s construction workforce is always supplemented by those travelling to work on projects from other parts of the country.

 

Modern wood industries lead the way in combining traditional woodworking skills with an understanding of applying technology to construction needs to develop modern methods of working.  As wood has become a fashionable material again, because of its aesthetic beauty and sustainability credentials, there is a growing demand for skilled labour in the sector, providing modern career opportunities and a commitment to high quality training.

 

Generating case studies from Olympic projects will help create a new favourable impression of the sector and promote careers in the industry to the widest possible audience, thereby elping to  address national and local skills needs.  Current skills shortages are being filled by migrant workers from across the EU, but this is not a sustainable solution, in the medium and longer term, we need to develop these skills within the UK.

 

In addition to developing craft skills, the wood industry can build on the commitment of the construction industry to use the Olympics to present UK construction as an exemplar to the world, by developing the industry’s health and safety performance and raising its understanding of the occupational health issues in the sector.

 

The Olympic Park should be used to create career opportunities for local people in East London.  Stratford has a tradition of woodworking and carpentry businesses based in the area, making it appropriate to develop recruitment and training in the area.  This could be linked with the Building Crafts College in Stratford, which is widely praised for the quality of its woodworking and joinery training, and the existing interest of the Carpenters’ Company.

 

Increasing the pool of trained labour will support the many small and medium-sized businesses which make up the majority of the industries involved with wood.  It will also ensure the future of the sector, as most of those running businesses come up “through the tools”, and it is generally considered that it is almost impossible to take on some management roles without experience of the shop floor.