Businesses from right across the construction industry are investing in their management teams to consolidate growth and ensure that talented staff are hired and retained.
A number of high profile Executives from the sector have warned recently that ignoring skills development may have serious economic consequences. Madani Sow, CEO of Bouygues UK, went as far as to say that a lack of skills development could even undermine the whole sector as a contributor to the UK economy.
Developing talent – particularly at a management level – is seen as a key challenge and many firms are working out that developing from within provides a competitive advantage over the alternatives of unreasonably higher salaries, less skilled employees and staff churn.
Impellus – one of the UK’s largest management training companies – has recently reported a 300% increase in activity from the construction sector in just 12 months. Its clients include large players such as Taylor Wimpey and Travis Perkins (both of whom reported significant profit increases in February) as well as a number of specialist companies from the sector.
Helen Ash of LUC, a fast-growing environmental planning agency, has recently chosen Impellus to deliver training to its management teams across the country. Ash cited stronger workplace practices and greater strategic awareness throughout the management team as being core to the company’s decision to invest in training.
Jon Dean of Impellus said, “Companies from the construction industry are waking up to the fact that there’s a serious financial gain to be had by upskilling management teams. Companies of all sizes and professions within the sector are also taking advantage of the 50% funding that’s available to them on certain management training courses too”.
