1. Skills In Industry

2. Estimated number of plant operators UK
185,564 - Plant operatives - all sectors: Labour Force Survey, Dec 2016
171,869 - All CPCS card holders, March 2017 (48,000 Red)
73,975 – Labour Force Survey in CITB Employment in Construction, Dec 2016
48,468 – CITB estimates in CITB Employment in Construction 2016
39,580 – Construction Skills Network: Industry Insights Forecasts
37,619 - Plant operatives – construction, Labour Force Survey, Dec 2016
There is a large discrepancy due to various schemes not wanting to produce figures due to confidentiality !
The CPA study indicates a total UK plant operator workforce of around 289,000

3. Percentage of Operator Workplaces

4. Estimated Requirements
Due to the economic climate it is hard to estimate the numbers required and the skills gap that exists!
Just within the CPCS scheme there were approximately 48,000 red card holders. Red cards are for new entrants! This would suggest an average of 24,000 new people per annum in one scheme alone.
Consider:-
LANTRA, MPQC, NPORS, IPAF and other schemes new entrant intakes ?

5. Challenges Recruiting
The recent CPA Study asked respondents How difficult is it to recruit plant operators?
Around 40 per cent of respondents said recruitment is very difficult or fairly difficult.
Around 28 per cent of respondents said they had, hard-to-fill vacancies in the last year.

6. Why is it Difficult to Recruit Plant Operators?
Research has shown:- There are fewer young people in the construction plant sector than the economy as a whole. More than 43 per cent of construction plant workers are aged 45 and over Just under 8 percent are aged 24 or under.

7. The recruitment of young people into the industry to replace a largely ageing workforce was seen as a challenge by many, and there were concerns around the attractiveness of the industry to young people.
Other challenges included the increasingly competitive environment, lack of skills on-site, Brexit, budget cuts, delays in government contracts and the cost of initial training.
Changes of Grants in Industry!

8. Construction Industry Training Board GRANT & LEVY
Plant operator grants are in turmoil and the future is uncertain. Current Grants Practical Theory £190 + £60 £240 + £60 £410 + £60 Plant Grant Working Party (industry)

9. CPCS and it’s Value to Industry
History Prior to CPCS it was called CTA (1980 – 2002) 2003 CPCS was created Since 2003 the scheme has been largely supported by the Construction Industry and was the sole card for plant operators on MCG, UKCG, Build UK, with the exception of IPAF. Since 2018 other schemes have been accepted by industry!

10. 1600 CPA Members Surveyed

11. Why CPCS is Preferred It has a robust Quality Assurance Process
It has 11 area quality consultants
Online Notification Portal (2 Working days)
Risk rating for centres
History in dealing with exploitation (legal)
Supported by CITB grants (April 2020)
It has a Management Committee from industry