History

The Swansea Bay Construction Support Group (SBCSG) was formed in 2012 from the old West Glamorgan Construction Training Association (WGCTA). The WGCTA had a very narrow focus on training and was finding it difficult to retain or attract new members. The SBCSG was formed under a new management team to increase the scope accordingly. The SBCSG still has a primary focus in training but also has a more participative approach and encourages input from its members. The Group has strong links with local colleges and the South West Wales Construction Forum of which the Groups Chairman and Vice Chairman are members.

A key objective of SBCSG was to seek approval from its members to become an independent group. The previous group was a serviced group with administrative support from CITB. It was felt that the move to becoming an independent group was essential due to on-going changes within CITB. A Ballot of the members comfortably exceeded the 75% benchmark to proceed toward independent status for the group.

The primary objectives of the group are to:

• Serve and promote the interests of the construction industry at a local level.
• Provide a forum within which training and development can be discussed, developed and implemented to the quality and quantity required by the local industry.
• Maintain effective communications with group members in the way most appropriate to the individual member needs to promote training and development.
• Provide members with a cost effective training brokerage network.
• Assist the member companies to develop and maintain their organisations at a level of competence matching that of national service providers. This includes providing discounted training and links with the new Shared Apprentice Scheme.
• Provide a forum within which training & development and topical industry issues can be discussed.
• Provide topical information to help member companies improve their businesses including procurement, community involvement technical issues, health & safety and environmental. This will be carried out by inviting speakers to provide presentations and information to the member companies.
• Act as a conduit to the South West Wales Construction Forum to ensure that member company’s voices are heard. The Forum members also report back to the group on various topical issues.

Prior to this, the WGCTA was formed in 1992 following the amalgamation of both Swansea and Neath Training Groups. The downturn in the industry coupled with the redundancy of the Group Training Advisor during the end of 1992 was to have a profound affect on the ethos of the Training Group as member’s interest and commitment towards the forum declined. Local companies were forced to discontinue their operations and this, in turn, forced members to leave.

With productivity being perceived to be steadying within the industry and the appointment of a new Group Training Advisor in the latter part of 1994, the Training Association attracted 12 new members and encouraged 7 existing members to regain their participation in the activities within the WGCTA.