Former IDE president decries lack of investment in demolition education.
John Woodward, founder of C&D Consultancy and former president of the Institute of Demolition Engineers, believes his industry is in urgent need of ‘young blood’ if it is to meet its current and future commitments.
The industry expert estimates that more than 600 positions need to be filled, but a lack of funding and available apprenticeship courses are seriously restricting the search and development of new talent.
“There is a massive skills gap in demolition, especially for those young people looking to become engineers,” explains Woodward. “As it stands, there are no colleges or universities in the UK that offer apprenticeships or courses in this field and it makes it very tough to give new recruits the right training.”
He continued: “If we were looking to train the next generation of hairdressers, automotive engineers or digital media specialists – all valid careers in their own right – we’d have tens of options to choose from.
“Some people will also argue that there are operative apprenticeships and both the National Demolition Training Group and CSkills are pushing these. That’s great if you want to be a labourer or a plant operator, but not ideal for those looking at the more technical element of our industry.”
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