Press Release

Major Home Builders Group commits to qualify 200,000 workers by 2010

28 July 2005

The Major Home Builders Group (MHBG) today announced it is moving forward with its initiative aimed at having only qualified operatives on its sites by December 2010 -through its partnership with ConstructionSkills.

MHBG members – twelve of the largest UK home builders – will be writing to their sub contractors to advise them that by December 2007 they will expect construction operatives on their sites to have a CSCS card with the aim that they will be qualified by December 2010.

The partnership between MHBG and ConstructionSkills will tackle skills shortages and training issues in the home building industry. The affiliation is part of the construction industry’s Sector Skills Agreement, which aims to develop partnerships between the industry, training providers and government in order to raise skills standards in the construction industry as a whole.

Neil Fitzsimmons, Group Managing Director, Redrow plc said:

“We will expect all persons working on our sites to have a CSCS card or equivalent at the appropriate level, by the end of 2007. This sends a message that the industry wants a qualified workforce recognising that qualified workers get the job done faster, with fewer mistakes and accidents. There are real business benefits to encouraging all workers to become qualified.”

Peter Redfern, CEO, George Wimpey UK Limited commented:

“George Wimpey is committed to improving the level of professional competence within our industry, and we see CSCS as an essential tool in achieving our business priorities – health and safety, skills development, and customer care. I firmly believe that a fully carded workforce, both directly employed and sub-contract, will support the quality of work that George Wimpey attains”.

John White, Chief Executive, Persimmon plc added:

“As one of the UK’s leading housebuilders, the Persimmon Group recognises the benefits of a qualified workforce. We are therefore pleased to be involved in this initiative, as CSCS is now acknowledged as the competency standard for management, supervisors and trade operatives within the industry. As well as providing skills training, CSCS complements our own internal training schemes.”

John Cowley, CITB-ConstructionSkills Corporate Services Director, added:

“We’re delighted that the MHBG has committed to this partnership. It is a major step forward in our drive to qualify the workforce, making our industry world leaders in the skills and training arena.”

Since its inception in 2001, the ConstructionSkills Qualifying the Workforce initiative has more than doubled the number of workers registered through the CSCS scheme.

• 700,000 CSCS cards have been issued to date
• Over 725,000 individuals have passed the Construction Health & Safety Test since its launch in 2000
• The number of construction NVQ registrations has risen year on year since 2001, from 26,000 to over 95,000 registrations in 2004

Support will be available to all those operatives joining the scheme through CITB Grant – either directly as a CITB-ConstructionSkills registered employer or, if they are not registered, they should be able to claim through the MHBG member firm.

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