The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced the launch of the Construction Talent Retention Scheme, a partnership between the Government and industry, to secure essential talent in the UK construction sector, in his update on Wednesday 8 July.

Set to formally launch later this month, the Construction Talent Retention Scheme will be an online portal that supports redeployment of staff at risk of redundancy across the sector, while also enabling temporary employee loans between businesses. The Construction Talent Retention Scheme gives displaced workers from other sectors a route to find new employment in construction, and will allow anyone to showcase their talents, skills and expertise to potential employers.

ACE members and employers from across the industry are urged to register their interest now at the Talent Retention Scheme website.

The not-for-profit programme now has funding secured until the end of the financial year, providing a free online portal for any organisation looking to hire, while ensuring that candidates’ skills and experience are given a prominent platform within the industry.

ACE has been a key-player behind the scenes, engaging through the Construction Leadership Council with industry bodies, employers, as well as Ministers and Civil Servants, helping to make the scheme a reality for the benefit of the entire construction sector and supply chain.

Construction Leadership Council co-chair Andy Mitchell said: “This is a great example of what we can achieve when we work collaboratively with Government and we look forward to continuing in this spirit when the proposals and recommendations of our broader Roadmap to Recovery are published. In the meantime we will work with our members and industry stakeholders to encourage the scheme’s use and success.”

ACE chief executive Hannah Vickers welcomed the news: “This is a proven solution with a strong track-record in other sectors, cross-industry support and pledges from our leading employers. It is vital we keep the skills in our sector to avoid a talent drain and is the only way we will be able to ramp-up activity to lead the recovery of the wider economy and deliver growth through new buildings and infrastructure.”

Group chief executive of Mace and skills workstream lead at the Construction Leadership Council, Mark Reynolds, said: “The CLC’s Construction Talent Retention Scheme will offer a critical lifeline for the construction industry, it will help the industry retain and share our exceptional talent needed to deliver vital infrastructure and support the country’s recovery plan. The scheme is a great example of Government and industry collaboration during these challenging times for the construction sector. We are delighted to support the initiative as a real solution to protecting employment for thousands in our industry, continuing to build a better future.”

Reaction has been positive with a number of stakeholders and employers from across the industry welcoming the announcement. Download the attached flyer to find out more about the scheme, or register your interest as an employer at the Talent Retention Scheme website.