Building jobs set to drop by 6 per cent (From York Press)

Building jobs set to drop by 6 per cent

11:12am Wednesday 25th January 2012 in Jobs News By Julie Hayes, Business editor

EMPLOYMENT in the construction industry is to fall by six per cent in the region, figures published today by the Construction Skills Network have warned.

The decline, which is double the national average, will affect the whole of Yorkshire and Humber, said Steve Housden, sector strategy manager for CITB-ConstructionSkills in Yorkshire and Humber, with the picture across Yorkshire cities looking equally difficult.

He said the loss of the Building Schools for the Future programme had emphasised the North South divide.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work taking place in the South East and London. Infrastructure work is at a peak and is actually higher than when the Channel Tunnel was being built,” he said.

But the report does show that after things get worse, employment will slowly grow to 216,310 people in 2016, three per cent up on 2012.

Mr Housden said: “There are still significant amounts of money being spent within the industry, but it’s fair to say we will see the loss of skilled workers in 2012.

“While the forecast for 2016 gives reason for optimism, there is a real danger that the industry will not have the skills it needs to complete major projects in the longer term. With this in mind, it is imperative that the industry continues to invest in skills and training.”

He said significant projects are out there, such as York’s Derwenthorpe Homes and discussions in North Yorkshire around building a Bedale bypass. Wind farms on the East Yorkshire coast and the electrification of TransPennine Express, followed by power station projects beyond 2016, provide further opportunities.

The industrial sector is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 6.6 per cent and the private housing and commercial sectors are also expected to see growth rates of five per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.

He said: “In 2011, 500 apprentices were appointed in Yorkshire and Humber through CITB on a variety of construction courses. It’s a difficult time, but people are still recruiting and there are still opportunities. We have to be mindful of how we look at that growth and ensure we have got that supply line of talent.”