Former South Yorkshire apprentice service engineer, Tim Balcon, is to take over the reins of the Construction Industry Training Board.
Mr Balcon started out with British Gas in the early 1980s, and will now replace Sarah Beale, when she steps down from the chief executive role at the end of September.
"As a former apprentice I know how much having the right skills at a young age can transform your whole career and support your employer,” he said. "That's why I'm so passionate about skills and am thrilled to be joining the team to help many more people join the construction sector and to have long and fulfilling careers within it."
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Mr Balcon has had previous experience heading up professional and membership bodies and was chief executive of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment from 2013 to 2019.
He was chief executive of the Energy and Utility Sector Skills Council where he created the National Skills Academy for Power from 2003 to 2012 and a member of the Ofqual board from 2010 to 2016. He was also chief executive of the membership body the Energy and Utility Skills from 2003 to 2012.
The industry sees training as essential for developing the skills for new and traditional techniques and recruiting new talent to tackle the current skills shortage.
CITB chair Peter Lauener said: "This is a crucial time for construction skills across Britain, and the board is looking forward to working with Tim to drive forward our strategy to meet the skills needs of employers."
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