West Midlands Taskforce Construction Action Plan

David Bucknall and Ian Austin MPDavid Bucknall and Ian Austin MPThe West Midlands Taskforce Construction Action Plan is coordinated by WMCCE under the chairmanship of George Marsh, with a steering group including representatives from AWM, Business Voice WM, RICS, RIBA, LSC, Construction Skills, Business Link West Midlands and Homes and Communities Agency.

The Action plan sets a framework to both map and monitor ongoing activity and support for the construction sector in the West Midlands as well as identify, instigate and monitor other initiatives to support and develop the sector through the current economic downturn. This summary gives a brief overview of areas and issues covered by the plan.

Finance/banks

  • Informal roundtable to gauge the impact of fluctuating land values on funding and financial transactions in the sector and provide context for plan actions.
  • Keep weather eye on specific funds available to the sector and ensuring their continuance as appropriate and communication to the sector.

Regional Investment priorities

  • To support regional funding investment priorities, helping to identify new issues, ways of working and funding mechanisms (including ADZs).

Public sector contracts

  • Promote ways of simplifying and helping the sector on procurement issues, primarily through identifying and joining up myriad of current work, initiatives and best practice in the effective use by clients of ‘local clauses’ for employment, training and sourcing.

Green technologies

  • Identify and promote what might be needed and potential opportunities for funding and other initiatives for green technology linked to the sector – including retrofit and related new manufacturing opportunities.
  • Promote more innovation in the sector and closer working with regional Universities.

Business Support and training

  • Ensure business support and training available is appropriate and communicated to those in the sector, identifying and seeking to resolve gaps. (specific reference to graduate recruitment and skills retention in the professions)

Skills

  • Seek to extend and enhance existing skills initiatives relevant to the sector including linking green agenda requirements to worklessness schemes (retrofit insulation initiative, apprenticeships,  skills academies

Lobbying and communication

  • Lobby and communicate as appropriate on issues relevant to the sector, retaining its skills and capacity and strengthening it for future success. (VAT on repairs and maintenance, relocation of central govt departments to the region, communicate importance of building technology/ construction sector to regional economy).

The Construction Taskforce Steering Group was created as a result of activities of the West Midlands Task Force, chaired by Ian Austin MP, Minister for the West Midlands.

The Launch of the plan took place on 21st December 2009.