National Infrastructure Commission – IEMA’s response to the consultation

IEMA has revealed support for the development of the National Infrastructure Assessment, and the Commission’s plans to produce an assessment each Parliamentary cycle. Find out more and read our full consultation response here.

Upon closure of the National Infrastructure Commission’s consultation into the development of a National Infrastructure Assessment last week, IEMA revealed support for plans to produce such an assessment in each Parliamentary cycle.

In our response, we reiterate IEMA’s “Perfect Storm” research, which found that the UK is currently vulnerable in terms of skills gap, with only 13% of organisations fully confident that they have the right skills to successfully make the transition and compete in a sustainable economy. This skills gap limits the UK’s ability to take advantage of the significant economic opportunities offered by planning and delivering the infrastructure needed to deliver a competitive and low carbon economy.

IEMA’s consultation response recommends that the NIA methodology must recognise the key enabling role skills and competence play in delivering infrastructure that meets the UK’s needs and is fit for the future. IEMA proposes that the commission ensures the scope of the NIA includes specific examination of skills acquisition, via formal education and crucially within the workforce, as a key enabling interdependency that bridges across the four key drivers identified.

Click here to read the full response.