Question reference: S6W-00574
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 10 June 2021 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 23 June 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any workforce shortages in the housebuilding sector that is impacting on the construction of affordable homes, and what support it can provide to that sector to identify and train new staff.
Answer
We are aware of the current shortages of both labour and materials facing parts of the construction sector. We are working with Construction Scotland and others to understand and address the factors behind this, which include the impacts of Covid and EU Exit.
For the pipeline of future affordable housing supply programme projects, we are continuing to closely monitor any issues around workforce shortages in the housebuilding sector. Through local working arrangements, Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with housing partners and are kept appraised of concerns.
Scottish Government is already taking action through:
Apprenticeships
During 2020-21 we supported 5,033 people into modern apprenticeships in the construction sector.
We have introduced an enhanced Adopt an Apprentice programme, to encourage employers to recruit and retain apprentices supporting the long-term future of work-based learning and the economy.
In December 2020, the Scottish Government introduced a £15 million Apprenticeship Employer Grant (AEG) as a short term, sharp stimulus response to the pandemic.
The Scottish Government will continue to work collaboratively with Skills Development Scotland to maximise apprenticeships and prioritise a recovery that protects and creates jobs and supports our young people.
Upskilling and Retraining through NTTF
In the last year, the National Transition Training Fund (NTTF) has funded a range of support through Scotland’s colleges and universities to provide upskilling and retraining support for both unemployed people and those already in the workforce.
NTTF will continue in 2021-22 and we will continue to develop the support available to the sector to meet new and emerging skills demands.
We will continue to work with the sector through our Skills agency, Skills Development Scotland, to ensure we’re supporting the sector to address skills shortages.
Supporting Transition to net Zero
A key aspect of future training and skills development will be the support to deliver our net zero ambitions, with heat in buildings a critical element.
Training in Energy Efficiency Transition Support and Heat Pump Training alongside training by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre on Passivhaus construction has been successfully delivered.
The Scottish Government and the Fair Work Convention are taking action to embed Fair Work in the sector to help attract and retain workers and support skills.