FOR WARD THIN KING

摘要

It's pretty simple. In recessionary times, businesses need to make cuts. This means firms having to draw distinctions between what they need and what they want. For the construction industry, training budgets and developing new talent were two of the first "nice-to-haves" struck of the list of priorities when the downturn came. But over the last two years, concerns have been raised over whether this was wise, as thoughts turn increasingly to future skills in the industry -particularly in emerging markets like nuclear. Last year Diane Johnson, Electrical Contractors' Association president and financial director of electrical contractor Northwich, warned that unless the industry acted soon, it could be too late. "We are sitting on a ticking time bomb here if nobody addresses these issues," she said. "Who is training up the future captains of our industry? The guys who really know their craft in this sector won't be around forever.