A long-term plan and additional funding is needed to create more placements for young people within the construction industry, according to one housing association boss. Iwan Trefor Jones, chief executive at Adra, said it was important that organisations worked together to make sure "that there are opportunities for young people". Adra had seen a rise in demand in its academy scheme, with one of their recent openings attracting 108 applicants for only six positions.
The Welsh government said work was already under way "to boost construction skills" and new apprenticeships were set to launch later in the year. Recent analysis by the Federation of Master Builders showed that the construction sector was facing a shortfall of labour and needed an additional 2,200 workers a year in order to meet demand. Steven Walker, a construction manager with Williams Homes, said it was "really important" that more young people came into the construction industry.
"We have an ageing workforce across the country" he said. "It's really important that young people are being pushed through to be work ready... to be the next generation of construction workers." There was always room for more workers, he added. "We can always create the space for young people to come and work on our construction sites.
"We buddy them up with an experienced worker, we show them the ropes, we give them the training, we look after them, we interview them regularly to see that they're OK and that they're looked after." He mentioned schemes like Academi Adra give young people hands-on experience on the job. "The classroom-based teaching is really important. It prepares them for the work... and then when they come to us, they'll actually put into practice what they've seen in the classroom.
Jones said that it was vital there were enough opportunities in place. "It's really important that organisations like Adra work in partnership with other organisations to make sure there are opportunities for young people." Speaking at one of Adra's developments of over 58 social and affordable homes in Bangor, Jones said additional funding was needed to give more young people opportunities to get into the sector. "There's a need for a long-term plan, but also a plan is nothing without the funding behind it," he said.
"We need some kind of assurance that there is a long-term plan to support the funding of placements in work, to support young people into employment and to support employers." The Academi Adra scheme was established in 2021 with the aim of providing young people with skills and experience in the workplace, offering courses in construction. Two-hundred-and-thirty participants have been supported since the launch of the scheme, with the most recent course having 108 applicants for only six positions. Elin Williams, who oversees the work of the Academi, said funding had been needed to offer more young people the chance to join similar schemes.
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