Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Yesterday the Government announced policy reforms to promote technical skills training as part of the education system. Huws Gray CFO Jon White was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, and discussed how Government support can provide more career opportunities within the construction industry.
White proposed reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy to provide companies with greater flexibility to invest in creating more entry-level roles and tackle skills shortages, mirroring comments by Huws Gray CEO Daksh Gupta in July’s issue of Builders Merchants Journal.
He said: “We at Huws Gray believe that the proposals for education outlined by the Prime Minister should be complemented by demand side changes so that preparation can meet opportunity.”
White explained that, while the company believes the fundamental principles of the levy are broadly sound, the levy itself has too many restrictions on how it can be used. “So we’re calling on the government to let employers spend the levy on employment costs and not just the training, which we believe will cost business and the government nothing, but would be a direct incentive to hire 16 to 21 year olds.”
To hear more, listen to the interview from 17:12 at this link: https://lnkd.in/dpuvg2qV
