Members' Business — S6M-17049 Gordon MacDonald: Construction Skills for the Future

That the Parliament recognises reports of the continued skills gap in the construction sector, including in the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency; notes recent statistics from the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) indicating positive shifts in perceptions of the sector across the country and, it understands, that almost three quarters (74%) of young people aged between 16 and 24 in Scotland hold a positive view of construction careers and more than a third (36%) would consider working in the construction sector; further notes the belief that more must be done to increase awareness of careers in the sector to ensure that the construction industry has a steady supply of labour with the necessary skills, and welcomes industry-led initiatives that seek to increase engagement between young people and Scotland’s construction sector such as the CIOB's Student Challenge and the Scottish Traditional Building Forum's skills demonstration programmes.