Companies employing more than 100,000 people have signed up to support the Construction Leadership Council’s Talent Retention Scheme as it goes live today (24 July 2020) 

The Construction Talent Retention Scheme is a not-for-profit programme, backed by Government, business organisations, professional institutions and construction unions.

The online portal allows skilled individuals to showcase their experience and expertise and helps businesses across the industry find the skills they need.

There has been strong interest in the Scheme since it was announced as part of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Plan for Jobs earlier this month. More than 400 employers have signed up to use the Scheme. These companies – drawn from across Britain - range from multinational engineering giants to micro businesses. Early adopters who have roles listed at launch include ACE members WSP in the UK and Tony Gee.

Construction Minister and Construction Leadership Council co-chair Nadhim Zahawi MP said: “Building new homes, accelerating infrastructure, and making sure people have the right skills are all at the heart of the government’s plans to build back better from Covid-19.

Launching today, this scheme will help to retain vital knowledge within the construction industry, enabling businesses to rapidly recruit talented individuals and reduce skills shortages at this pivotal time in the nation’s economic recovery.”

Andy Mitchell, Tideway CEO and Construction Leadership Council co-chair said: “The Talent Retention Scheme is an important element of the Council’s recovery plan for the construction sector, offering an opportunity for the industry to keep the vital skills it needs to drive growth across the UK. We welcome the fact that companies have recognised this important role, offering their support to make sure the Scheme gets off to a flying start”

Hannah Vickers, chief executive of ACE, added: “We’ve been really busy behind the scenes over the last couple of weeks, working collaboratively with other CLC members to help make this a reality for the good of the industry. We’re delighted in the response from employers so far, and the huge interest this has generated. For ACE members who have already shared that they’re interested, we will be getting in touch as soon as possible to take the next steps. You will soon be able to advertise roles and find talented and experienced people to meet your changing skills needs. Together we will help avoid the talent drain witnessed in previous recessions.”

The free-to-use site allows the redeployment of staff at risk of redundancy and enables temporary employee loans between businesses.

It also gives displaced workers from other sectors a route to find new employment.

The platform offers a fully featured system allowing companies to easily search candidates’ online profiles and CVs on a local, regional and national basis.

It allows you to promote and directly manage information about your business, services, latest vacancies, news and events to skilled workers seeking new opportunities and to contact them directly.

The site is now live at www.clc-talentretention.co.uk and is open to both businesses and candidates looking for work. You can also find out more at the dedicated ACE page.