R & D

people talkingResearch provides us with all the facts about the industry. One of ConstructionSkills' key performance targets is to become the definitive source of information on UK construction, its skills and its training needs.

We have a regular programme of research aimed at identifying the skills needed to improve the industry's competitiveness. This contributes towards the evidence that we need to make strategic decisions, to allocate resources and to form the building blocks for change and improvements in performance for those who use and work in construction.

ConstructionSkills research will be of interest to various stakeholders including Government, Further Education (FE) colleges, Higher Education (HE) institutions, private training providers, larger construction companies and careers advisers.

Access to research reports produced by ConstructionSkills can be obtained by clicking on the following links in the articles below:



CONSTRUCTION SKILLS NETWORK

We produce annual forecasts and analyses of 'skills demand' in the industry on a national and regional basis through the Construction Skills Network (CSN). The CSN represents a radical change in the way we use research, data and information in the construction industry. It will shape our future employment, skills and training needs.

Co-ordinated by ConstructionSkills, the CSN benefits from the technical expertise of Davis Langdon Management Consulting and Experian. It collates the knowledge and experience of Government; Sector Skills Councils; construction companies; education and training providers; regional agencies and customers across the UK. In short, it provides a single, clear understanding of the industry's current skills position.

This unique collaboration means the CSN offers, as near as possible, a consensus view of the current and future skills and training needs of the industry. The CSN brings together, in one place, information from many differing sources. Government departments, regional agencies and companies can all use this resource to confidently plan future skills' needs.

NI LMI Report

http://www.constructionskills.net/research/constructionskillsnetwork/
 

SKILLS AND TRAINING IN THE UK CONSTRUCTION SECTOR 2009


Report on a UK wide survey covering the whole of the ConstructionSkills footprint exploring various skills and training issues in the construction sector including recruitment difficulties, skills shortages, skills gaps, training activity and the recruitment of apprentices.

SKILLS TRAINING IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 2009 - FINAL REPORT
 


Employer tracking Survey 2009

The ConstructionSkills in Northern Ireland Employer Tracking Survey surveys 100 employers on an annual basis to determine customer perceptions and satisfaction levels.

Employer Tracking Survey NI 2009


TRAINING AND SKILLS NEEDS RESEARCH


The objectives of the Training and Skills Needs Research was to identify, quantify and analyse information on the NI construction industry in relation to:
  • Skills gaps and skills shortages
  • Types and sources of learning and training
  • Barriers and motivators to training
  • Practical methods for learning and training
  • New entrants – employment of, sources, training carried out and employer attitudes to
  • Migrant workers – numbers employed and training implications
  • Industry profile in terms of main activity, occupations and gender.
  • This research was the largest survey ever undertaken of the local construction sector and will be used to inform the future work of ConstructionSkills in NI.

Skills and Training Research - Summary Report 07

Skills and Training Research - Full Report Feb 07

 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RESEARCH

ConstructionSkills has carried out two separate pieces of research in relation to the Construction Professionals Services (CPS) sector. The first piece of research aimed to assess the size and structure of the Northern Ireland market for construction professional services. The second piece of research aimed to investigate the key issues faced by CPS firms across the UK with regards to recruitment difficulties and skills gaps, together with expectations on future workload and skills needs.

For further information on these research reports please contact ConstructionSkills in NI on: 028 9040 8240.


WORKFORCE MOBILITY RESEARCH

The Workforce Mobility Research carried out by ConstructionSkills sought to establish reliable information on the qualification and skill levels of the UK construction workforce and to also provide information on the geographic and occupational mobility of the workforce.

For a copy of the Workforce Mobility Research Report for NI please click on the link below.

Workforce Mobility Report



Employer Attitudes and Motivations to Learning and Training Waves 4 - 8

This research project, which surveys 100 employers in NI, aims to complement and enhance ConstructionSkills’ existing research by providing an open and regular programme of employer consultation, allowing a reality check for anecdotal reports and enabling employer reactions to be gained on ‘hot topics’ of the moment. A particular aim was to enable a more comprehensive understanding of actual behavioural issues influencing the decision(s) to train, the route(s) taken and the method(s) used.

Employer Attitudes and Motivations to Learning and Training Wave 4

Employer Attitudes and Motivations to Learning and Training Wave 5

Employer Attitudes and Motivations to Learning and Training Wave 6

Employer Attitudes and Motivations to Learning and Training Wave 7

Employer Attitudes and Motivations to Learning and Training Wave 8


Management and Supervisory Skills Needs

ConstructionSkills in Northern Ireland commissioned a survey of 300 employers in the construction industry in Northern Ireland in 2007, covering both contractors and professional services firms to identify the management and supervisory training needs of the construction industry.

M & L Full Report
M & L Summary Report

Traditional Building Craft Skills Research

This is the first major primary research of traditional building craft skills in the built heritage sector for the whole of Ireland and similar research reports are available for Scotland, Wales, England and the UK as a whole. This report provides up-to-date statistical data on traditional building craft skills in Ireland, thus completing the UK-wide picture on this sector and extending the research to cover the Republic of Ireland. The purpose of this analysis of the Built Heritage Sector in Ireland was to:
  • Understand the place of traditional buildings in the cultures of each of the two countries
  • Understand the influence of legislation, conservation groups and building professionals
  • Analyse and quantify supply and demand in the sector and identify specific skills shortages
  • Assess the material supply chain and related skill issues for manufacturers and suppliers of   traditional building materials
  • Assess current training provision


NHTG_skillsresearch_Ireland_2009_fullreport.pdf

NHTG_skillsresearch_Ireland_2009_summaryreport.pdf

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