The training arm of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has issued an industry-wide call to take part in its survey on how to future proof training for the building services sector and plug the skills gap.
BESA Training’s Training Needs Analysis 2020 is the first survey of its kind for the industry and will run until Thursday 30th April.
BESA’s Director of Training, Helen Yeulet, said: “This survey will be conducted annually and is all about arming the industry with the insights needed to both understand the current state of play and determine the needs of tomorrow’s workforce.”
“We know the whole industry is facing a significant skills shortage with 50% of the building services workforce expected to retire by the end of the 2020s and not enough younger people entering the industry to replace them,” she added. “Also, our sector is one of the least diverse in Europe.”
Ms Yeulet added that the survey would put the industry on the front foot when it came to the expected building and fire safety reforms in response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s inquiry following the Grenfell tragedy.
“Hackitt challenged the industry to not just wait for legislative reforms to be put in place, but to act and change the culture now,” explained Ms Yeulet. “BESA Training agrees and this survey will help us ensure that those entering the industry will have the skills and qualifications required to work competently and compliantly.”
“In the new post-Grenfell industry landscape, proving and updating competency will become the norm for the industry.
“The survey takes no longer than ten minutes to completes and will give you the opportunity to shape what we do now and in the future – so please get in now before it closes.”
The Training Needs Analysis survey can be completed here and participants will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad. The results are expected to be published in June.
