Whilst the HBF doesn't directly offer jobs within the industry, we are involved with many initiatives to highlight the different careers available within the housebuilding industry. We are also working closely with the Construction Industry Training Board to deliver the skills that are needed.
Working in partnership with our members, we continue to encourage the industry to organise events and devise action plans, some examples of which are below:
university road-shows to promote graduate career opportunities in housebuilding to disciplines outside building and construction management
graduate development programmes for new recruits
educational materials, visits and programmes about housebuilding for schools from key stage 2 and 3 through to school-leaving age
recruitment and placement of craft apprentices from CITB schemes
attaching greater importance to general management training and greater delivery of such training to complement employees technical skills
development of new and more efficient construction techniques, including off-site manufacture and assembly
improved dialogue and partnership with training providers, including CITB
CITB has been working to improve its focus on housebuilders actual needs by:
seeking focused input from HBF on how to structure its business plan
using its grant scheme to support training services for managerial as well as craft skills
working to achieve a fully registered and qualified construction workforce by 2010 - for example, by increasing the numbers achieving NVQ/SVQ Level 2 through on-site assessment and training from around 5,000 annually now to a target of 35,000 in 2007.
Has identified 3 key challenges - image and recruitment, qualifying the workforce and improving performance - that reflect the industrys position to guide its business plan and the setting of performance targets
Other actors are also taking positive initiatives:
NHBC is developing and expanding its programme for accrediting site managers to NVQ Level 4 standards of good practice
The Housing Forum is producing 'How to' guides as a tool to advise housebuilders on how to structure training and liaison with schools