At the B&ES President's Luncheon yesterday, president Andy Sneyd spoke passionately about the need for training in the modern construction industry.

'Being under 50, I'm considered to be  a young man by the standards of construction,' he said. 'This cannot be a healthy condition for any industry to find itself.'

Mr Sneyd went on to say that construction is at a point that offers a rewarding career for new blood, and called upon member companies to support training needs across the sectors. 'In order to attain the world-class status that must be our ultimate goal, each of us must develop an appreciation and understanding of the entire supply chain. And we must be able and prepared to influence every stage of project delivery.

'For this ambition to have any chance of fulfilment, we must all recruit into our businesses the brightest and best of today's young talent. And we must educate them - not only in the skills and competencies required within our own discipline, but also in the overall construction process.

'It is my belief that we must be prepared to invest in education, training and development programmes that are genuinely broadly-based and fit--for-purpose. That way, we will build a workforce that will ensure the future success of our own organisations.'