Construction People Issues - Key Partners
Construction Sector Unit values the partnerships it has with a range of organisations addressing aspects of the People Agenda. These cover industry bodies, academia, research organisations, and Government departments and agencies including the Strategic Forum for Construction. Among them are:
Sector Skills Councils
The Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are the lead bodies in developing and implementing strategies to address the skills needs for their industries. The four main SSCs covering the built environment are:
ConstructionSkills - building and civil engineering
SummitSkills - electro-technical, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, cabling, lighting and plumbing industries
Asset Skills - facilities management (part of wider footprint)
Proskills - building products (part of wider footprint).
Construction Sector Unit engages with the SSCs, primarily on policy issues - development of Sector Skills Agreements, sustainability.
Constructing Excellence (CE)
Constructing Excellence aims to achieve a step change in construction productivity by tackling the market failures in the sector, and selling the business case for continuous improvement. In taking forward its programme, it actively supports the work and policies of the Unit. It has also developed a network of regional centres, each of which acts as focus for activity within its region. Thousands of construction firms are participating in Constructing Excellence's improvement and learning programmes to establish best practice across the industry.
Considerate Constructors Scheme
An industry-led scheme created to improve its image, and reduce any negative effect on the environment, and the communities in which companies undertake their construction projects.
Other Government Departments and agencies
The Unit liaises with a host of other government departments and agencies whose work or policies impact on the construction People Agenda. These include the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the Learning and Skills Council, Job Centre Plus, HM Revenue and Customs and Home Office.