UK construction employers rewarded for tackling skill shortages

There is one week left until the closing date of the Learning and Skills Council’s Apprenticeship Awards 2008.

The awards reward employers of all sizes and across various sectors – including construction – for using apprenticeships to build skills in their workforce, both improving their own business performance and helping tackle skill shortages in the industry.

Now in their fifth year, the awards also celebrate the achievements of the apprentices themselves – of which there are 240,000 in England alone.

Previous construction industry winners include Lancashire-based firm Craig Hambling, which was highly commended in the Small Employer of the Year category in 2007.

“As early as the 1990s, we recognised a chronic shortage of skilled labour within the construction industry and wanted to combat this problem,” said the firm’s Jan Bowman. “We value our apprentices and aim to provide as much support as possible to help them succeed and learn.”

Stephen Gardner, director of apprenticeships at the Learning and Skills Council, said: “The Apprenticeship Awards are an excellent platform to highlight organisations and individuals who are using apprenticeships to build their businesses, enabling them to remain competitive at a national and global level.”

The winners will be announced on 10 July at London’s Royal Horticultural Halls. For more information on entering the awards, visit apprenticeships.org.uk/awards or call 0800 954 8896.