Apprenticeships 'the key to skills shortage'

The solution to the skills shortage in the construction sector lies in offering more apprenticeships, according to an industry expert.

Responding to suggestions from the government that low-level offenders should be sent to work in the construction trade, Grahame Barn, director Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Scotland said that apprenticeships were the answer.

Mr Barns claimed justice secretary Kenny MacAskill's suggestion that convicts should be sent to work in the construction sector "degrades the industry" and adds "nothing helpful" to the debate on how to address the scarcity.

He added that the government should be looking at initiatives to "encourage more firms to take on apprentices, such as through the procurement process and funding, not coming up with hair-brain ideas about untrained offenders".

In June, it was announced that the government will earmark £133 million from its training budget to tackle skills shortages in the construction industry, according to lifetimetraining.com.