Hundreds of construction employers sign up for new talent scheme

Companies employing more than 100,000 people have signed up to support the Construction Leadership Council’s Talent Retention Scheme as it went live today (24 July 2020).

The Construction Talent Retention Scheme (CTRS) is a not-for-profit programme, backed by government, business organisations, professional institutions and construction unions. The online portal allows skilled individuals to showcase their experience and expertise and helps businesses across the industry find the skills they need. 

There has been strong interest in the scheme since it was announced as part of the chancellor’s plan for jobs earlier this month and more than 400 employers have signed up to use the scheme. These companies, drawn from across Britain, range from multinational engineering giants to micro businesses. Early adopters who have roles listed at launch include EDF, Balfour Beatty, and Travis Perkins.

Construction minister and Construction Leadership Council co-chair Nadhim Zahawi MP said: “Building new homes, accelerating infrastructure, and making sure people have the right skills are all at the heart of the government’s plans to build back better from Covid-19. This scheme will help to retain vital knowledge within the construction industry, enabling businesses to rapidly recruit talented individuals and reduce skills shortages at this pivotal time in the nation’s economic recovery.”

Andy Mitchell, Tideway CEO and Construction Leadership Council co-chair said: “The Talent Retention Scheme is an important element of the CLC’s recovery plan for the construction sector, offering an opportunity for the industry to keep the vital skills it needs to drive growth across the UK. We welcome the fact that companies have recognised this important role, offering their support to make sure the scheme gets off to a flying start”

Hannah Vickers, chief executive of ACE, added: “We’ve been really busy behind the scenes over the last couple of weeks, working collaboratively with other CLC members to help make this a reality for the good of the industry. We’re delighted in the response from employers so far, and the huge interest this has generated.

“For ACE members who have already shared that they’re interested, we will be getting in touch as soon as possible to take the next steps. You will soon be able to advertise roles and find talented and experienced people to meet your changing skills needs. Together we will help avoid the talent drain witnessed in previous recessions.”

The free-to-use site allows the redeployment of staff at risk of redundancy and enables temporary employee loans between businesses. It also gives displaced workers from other sectors a route to find new employment. The platform offers a fully featured system allowing companies to easily search candidates’ online profiles and CVs on a local, regional and national basis.

It also allows firms to promote and directly manage information about their business, services, latest vacancies, news and events to skilled workers seeking new opportunities and to contact them directly.

The site is now live at www.clc-talentretention.co.uk and is open to both businesses and candidates looking for work.

Post-Covid: the skills challenge for construction - an Infrastructure Intelligence webinar
Friday 31 July 2020 at 11am.
Click here to book your place for the above webinar.

Information webinars on how the Talent Retention Scheme will work

To help both businesses and candidates make the most of the free skills platform, ACE is hosting two webinars which will feature a practical presentation. For businesses it will outline how they can showcase opportunities and search for talent. For individuals, it will show how they can find contract or permanent roles, upload their career details, and more. Click the links below to register now.

Making the most of the CLC Talent Retention Scheme – Businesses
 A webinar for ACE members on Wednesday 5 August at 12pm.

Making the most of the CLC Talent Retention Scheme – Individuals
A webinar for employees in the consulting and engineering sector on Friday 7 August at 12pm.