The New Hospital Programme (NHP) is one of the biggest infrastructure programmes in the UK right now. It will transform the way that hospital infrastructure is delivered for our future NHS. In doing so, it will become a catalyst for addressing the UK construction industry’s most urgent current and future skills shortages.
That is why, earlier this week we signed an agreement for NHP to work in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and to gain accreditation as a National Skills Academy for Construction.
This is a significant step as we look to work with the CITB to support our future Hospital 2.0 Alliance Partners and their supply chains in addressing workforce development needs for the successful delivery of hospital schemes across the country. Furthermore, this will help us to meet our objective to create an enduring supply chain capability needed to support ongoing government investment in healthcare infrastructure over the next 15 years and beyond.
Through working together with the CITB, Trusts and Alliance Partners to develop Employment and Skills Plans, and through embedding the CITB framework across the programme, we will help to ensure that obligations relating to social value and community benefits are met.
This will enable us to leverage the long-term investment in NHP to draw new talent into the industry, boost workforce capacity and equip workers with the cutting-edge skills needed to deliver Hospital 2.0. In addition, we aim to foster a more diverse workforce, collaborating with supply chains and educators nationwide to break down barriers and forge skills pathways.
From a sector perspective, we know there is a need to bridge known skills gaps in key areas such as medical gas systems; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; water systems; electrical; and construction leaders. We therefore plan to prioritise addressing the challenges faced in these areas to meet programme demands.
From a geographical perspective, given the spread of the programme across the country, CITB regional teams will be on hand to support NHP in ensuring that interventions are flexed to each region’s needs, local priorities and future pipeline of investment.
Emma Whigham, Hospital 2.0 Alliance Director, NHP said:
“NHP offers a significant opportunity to the supply chain with a huge 15-year pipeline of work. Therefore, now is the optimal time for businesses to increase capacity and capability within their organisations by investing in their workforce.
Through working collaboratively with the CITB to develop plans and facilitate the provision of high-quality employment and training opportunities to address current and future skills gaps, the NHP Alliance will support key sectors to build supply chain capacity, resilience and drive growth.”
Gemma Davies, Workforce and Capability Director, NHP, said:
“By working together with our Hospital 2.0 Alliance Partners and the CITB and applying the NSAfC framework to our Wave 1 schemes, we aim to ensure the programme develops and delivers the highly skilled, inclusive workforce that is required to build hospitals now and for the future. Our partnership with the CITB will help us to get the right skills on site to the right people at the right time, wherever they are needed to support NHP. This includes everyone – from tradespeople, to those with technical skills and professionals – as well as both new recruits and experienced workers.”
Anthony Frayne, CITB Customer Engagement Manager, said:
“We are delighted to sign this agreement with the NHS England – New Hospital Programme, underlining their commitment to embedding the NSAfC Framework across all projects.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to social value – the NSAfC Framework has been created by industry for industry. CITB developed it together with the construction sector to improve productivity, promote skills and create high-performing workplaces that can develop and harness talent.
The Framework enables the NHS England – New Hospital Programme to work with a trusted partner, with CITB’s regional teams on hand every step of the way to support the social value skills outcomes of projects across the country.”
To find out more about the New Hospital Programme, read our Supplier Guide at Supplier Guide – New Hospital Programme
