New talent retention scheme

The GGF has welcomed the Talent Retention Scheme for the construction industry, which is set to be announced by the government.

The scheme is set to be launched on July 24, with the site going live on July 20.

The scheme is a partnership between industry and government to secure essential talent in the UK’s construction sector. It will be run by the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and supported by trade and business associations across the supply chain.

The online portal supports redeployment of staff at risk of redundancy from across the sector, while enabling temporary employee loans between businesses. It also gives displaced workers from other sectors a route to find new employment in construction, while offering businesses a platform to find the skills they need.

As well as a skills-matching service and online job boards, the scheme will also look at re-skilling and up-skilling, and signpost more detailed information for different job roles in the industry.

The not-for-profit programme has funding secured until the end of April 2021, providing a free online platform for any business or organisation looking to hire, while ensuring that candidates’ skills and experience are given a prominent platform within the wider industry.

John Agnew, GGF managing director, said he welcomed this initiative.

“I am sure this will become an ideal digital platform for keeping talented skilled workers in the industry and a recruitment tool for employers,” he said. “It promises to not only be a great benefit for companies finding and retaining workers, but also for employees who may have been affected by operational changes such as temporary lay-offs or redundancies due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”