By Julie Morgan

Last updated at 11:54, Thursday, 16 August 2012

LEADERS from the construction sector have called on government to invest in construction jobs and training as a route out of recession.

The call comes as indicative Construction Skills Network figures from CITB-ConstructionSkills, the training board for the construction industry, show that 12,600 construction jobs in the North West could be lost from the sector by the end of next year if action is not taken to stimulate growth in the region.

Steve Housden, sector strategy manager for CITB-ConstructionSkills in the North West, said: “As is the case for all the northern regions, the North West seems likely to underperform the UK economic growth rate over the five years to 2017. The indicative figures suggest that growth in the North West will be sluggish and lower than the UK average.

“But there is nothing to be gained by simply accepting the predictions. We need to meet the challenges for the good of the economy, our industry and the people who work in it. By working in partnership, we stand the best chance of returning construction to a position of strength.”

Falls in public funding are one of the factors responsible for the decline in the North West. The new forecast indicates that output in public housing is likely to fall by 29 per cent and public non housing (including schools and hospitals) by 36 per cent in 2012.

Indicative figures for the next five years (2013 to 2017) for the North West put annual average construction output growth at 2.3 per cent per annum, which is below the UK average of 2.6 per cent. Much of the forecast increase comes in infrastructure projects – like the investment in rail announced by the Government – which, while welcome, are the least labour-intensive in construction.

This could mean that by the end of 2017 there will be nearly 800 fewer bricklayers, more than 600 fewer painters and decorators and nearly 1,000 fewer carpenters, joiners and interior fit-out professionals.

First published at 11:05, Thursday, 16 August 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk