CONSTRUCTION Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) has welcomed a report from a committee of MSPs detailing the need for Scotland’s construction industry to tackle long-standing challenges within the sector.
In the report, The Economy, Energy and Fair Work committee highlighted the resistance to change and lack of women within the industry, whilst also advising a revision to apprenticeships in order to tackle ageing workforces, skill shortages and lack of diversity.
Stephen Good, chief executive of CSIC said, “The report throws a spotlight on a range of issues and we feel very positive that industry and its clients, both public and private, are ready to step up and drive the sector forward through investing in innovative, collaborative projects, and this was reflected in the contributions throughout the enquiry process.”
Rohan Bush, head of public partnerships and future workforce at CSIC added, “The report highlights many of the current issues such as low productivity, lack of research and development, low investment in innovation and a skills shortage. These issues cannot be addressed by the industry working in isolation, which is why CSIC’s collaborative initiatives are vital to help to drive change.”
CSIC is currently piloting FUTUREquipped – a project led alongside the Digital Health & Care Institute, which aims to prepare Scotland’s future workforce for the challenges and opportunities in continuously technologically evolving workplaces.
“This pilot project explored a range of ways that colleges and Innovation Centres can work together to support business innovation by working with industry to upgrade and future-proof skills training and workforce development in the key areas of construction and engineering, health and care, and information technology,” Rohan Bush explained.
The organisation added that it also plans on launching a toolkit designed to support the journey in making workplaces more diverse.
