Richard James Smith’s Post

We welcome Labour’s #GeneralElection Manifesto commitment to reforming planning and in particular the focus on streamlining the process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, such as Lower Thames Crossing, and updating the National Policy Planning Framework. This is vital in ensuring we have the right road network and HGV & Coach parking to meet demand. We also welcome Labour's plan to prioritise dealing with potholes on our highway network. This must not come at the expense of deferring schemes which are essential for tackling congestion and creating reliable journey times for drivers... We have long called for reform of the Apprenticeship Levy and are pleased to see Labour have listened to these calls and will create a flexible Growth and Skills Levy. Just 1% of all new HGV licences last year came via an apprenticeship so it is crucial this works better for our industry... READ our full reaction 👇 https://lnkd.in/d25gYscr #RHAInfrastructure #RHASkills #RHAFacilities

NECA is pleased to provide its members with a snapshot of key measures contained in the New South Wales 2023-2024 Budget delivered by NSW Treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, MLC. This is the first Budget handed down by a Labor Government in NSW in over a decade and with NSW facing a gross debt of $188.2 billion by June 2026, the 2023-2024 Budget is fiscally conservative. However, the NSW Government has made an encouraging commitment to address the skills shortages, including $112 million to meet the TAFE funding shortfall and implement a thorough VET review. The Government has also invested $93.5 million for an additional 1,000 apprentices across NSW by 2026 and we strongly urge the Government to focus on the skilled apprenticeships that are critical in shifting to a greater electrified economy. Additionally, the NSW Government announced an investment of $24 million to establish the NSW Building Commission. A team of more than 400 dedicated staff will work with the Building Commissioner to push unscrupulous builders out of the market. NECA Members, please check your email for a summary of the 2023-2024 NSW Budget or alternatively, visit NSW Government Budget Review here: https://ow.ly/4Ygy50PNA5L #neca #nswbudget #nswgovernment #NECAMembers #electricians #electricalcontractors Kent Johns Lauren O'Keefe Ron Hoenig MP

The King's Speech included the #SkillsEnglandBill to transform the skills system. The Government has now announced the launch of the new ‘Skills England’ body that will put in place the framework for delivering a #HighlySkilledWorkforce for the long term. With Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promising to ‘break down barriers to opportunity’ and ‘enable British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent’, Skills England will bring together central and local Government, businesses, training providers and unions to boost training and tackle skills shortages, particularly in key sectors like construction, whilst reducing reliance on overseas workers. It will also identify and maintain a list of training eligible for the new Growth and Skills Levy which will replace the Apprenticeship Levy.

The King’s Speech marks a real moment for the UK's education and skills landscape. The new Labour government has introduced plans to establish Skills England, a body set to streamline and enhance the collaboration between businesses, providers, unions, and governmental entities. The initiative aims to address the growing skills shortage and align training with industry demands. Skills England is designed to foster a more coherent and responsive skills system, providing learners with the necessary tools to succeed in life and support businesses in driving economic growth. The reform of the apprenticeship levy into a more flexible "growth and skills levy" has been welcomed today across the industry as a crucial step toward this goal, ensuring that training schemes are better tailored to meet current and future skills needs. As an executive search consultant in Berwick Partners (an Odgers Berndtson company) education practice, I am excited about the potential impact of Skills England on workforce development and economic prosperity. The task of creating a highly skilled workforce that meets the evolving demands of our industries and regions is a huge one, but it is good to see today’s moves being generally welcomed by leaders and experts across the sector. #Education #SkillsEngland #ApprenticeshipLevy #WorkforceDevelopment #EconomicGrowth

Ready for a Game-Changer? Craig Robertson, CEO of the Victorian Skills Authority, is steering the ship towards a revolutionary shift in Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications. This reform eliminates redundancy, enhances adaptability, and embraces the ever-changing landscape of industries, equipping individuals to confidently navigate their careers in an ever-evolving economy. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eNx2pkzs #EducationReform #VETQualificationsReform #EmpoweringEducation #VETEducation

What does the King's speech mean for the construction industry? It has been a week since the King’s Speech and we have had a number of announcements from the new Government.    We hope that a lot of what we have heard about recently will come to fruition and if so, it could have a really positive impact on our industry. Here are a few tidbits that I'm looking forward too: 💙 The new proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill will hopefully help to streamline the process for approving critical infrastructure and importantly planning. 💙 Skills England to introduce apprenticeships and skills training that will hopefully help to bridge the skills gap felt in construction and other industries. We all know there is a skills shortage and we need to encourage young people into the sector. 💙 An English Devolution Bill is expected to streamline the process to transfer more powers to elected mayors in combined council areas.   It is very early days, and the devil will be in the detail. But with further announcements to come in relation to affordable grant programmes and other housing matters in the coming weeks, it’s nice to feel that the government has a serious focus on housing and construction which will hopefully bring positivity and further economic growth. #KingsSpeech #Government #ConstructionIndustry #AffordableHousing Keon Homes Limited

Could the promises made by the new government and the King's speech mean a brighter future for the construction industry? The Keon team have summarised exactly what these new announcements could mean for affordable housing and the construction sector as a whole. Learn more 👇 #AffordableHousing #HousingSector #Construction

What is Skills England? In short, possibly the biggest shakeup of the skills system in years! Essentially a new guiding light for national skills strategy, qualifications and funding Skills England will transform skills policy in England. I give my view on what it could mean for the skills system and the education and training of people in low carbon sectors and what employers, trade associations and local government need to do to prepare and influence over the next year!

The King's Speech set out the legislative agenda of the new government for the first parliamentary session of this parliament. With growth being the number one mission, Labour has rightly put Skills England and Apprenticeship Levy reform as priorities, and will introduce a Skills England Bill. The supporting documents give us a bit more detail about what to expect from Skills England. Skills England will: - Take on some of the functions of IfATE as expected - Develop a single picture of national and local skills needs by working with industry, the Migration Advisory Council, unions and the new Industrial Strategy Council. - Identify training for which the Growth and Skills Levy will be accessible - Ensure that the national and regional skills systems are meeting skills needs and are aligned. The government has also proposed greater devolution through the English Devolution Bill, which will put a more standardised devolution framework into legislation to give local leaders more powers over skills, among other things. AELP #skillsmeansgrowth

Canada’s Building Trades Unions were pleased to see the government’s announcement on removing the GST on new rental construction to stimulate supply. In order to make this initiative truly successful, the government must also strive to attract the workers needed to spur a boon in construction. Without funding to support the expansion of union training centres or to extend current apprenticeship grant programs which will expire in March 2024, a significant gap will remain in filling the labour needs associated with building affordable housing projects. #announcement #skilledtrades #labouravailability