Balfour Beatty Chief Exec appointed to Construction Leadership Council

Chief Executive of the Balfour Beatty Group, Leo Quinn, has been appointed to the Construction Leadership Council, where he will head up its Skills workstream.

Formed in 2013, the Construction Leadership Council is made up of business leaders from a cross the construction industry and work closely with the government to support the industry by creating greater efficiency, skills and growth.

As the government pushes ahead with its commitment to major infrastructure projects, the demand for skilled industry professionals increases. The Skills workstream is seen as fundamental to driving the changes required to make sure the construction industry has the skilled numbers required to tackle present and future demand.

The Skill workstream will collaborate closely with the government to help deliver on its target of creating three million apprenticeships by 2020 through overhauling apprenticeship training from initial recruitment to retention.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr Quinn commented: “I look forward to working closely with my colleagues on the Council and with Government to drive the changes required to protect the future of our industry. I am passionate about the provision of high quality apprenticeships that provide the skills to our young people that industry demands.

“It is imperative that young adults are aware of the vast opportunities available to them in our industry and that, most importantly, these opportunities are accessible and provide a solid foundation for a long, successful career in the industry”.

Mr Quinn has reputation for supporting the development of opportunities for young adults, having founded ‘The 5% Club’ in 2013, which asked its members to commit 5% of their workforce being made up of apprentices, graduates or sponsored students on structured programmes within five years of joining the club.

Current stats suggest that nearly 50% of all construction apprentices fail to stay within the industry long term. This, coupled with youth unemployment in the UK at 14%, provide Mr Quinn and the Council with a challenge to stop the talent pool draining away from the construction industry.

Nick Boles, MP, Minister of State for Skills and co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council, said, “We are getting Britain building. Leo will bring great expertise to the Construction Leadership Council as it continues to promote innovation, training and business improvement in this vital sector.”

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