Mayor Steve Rotheram has signed a training agreement to tackle an estimated shortfall of 9,000 building workers in the Liverpool City Region.

The landmark collaboration between the combined authority and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) marks a major step forward in ensuring the region has the skilled workforce needed to deliver ambitious housing, retrofit and infrastructure projects.

A memorandum of understanding was signed at a £22m apartment project being built by housing association Torus in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, supported by £960,000 from the CA's Brownfield Land Fund.

It is the first formal partnership under the CITB’s new national initiative to create a connected Construction Skills Ecosystem across England, aligning national and regional priorities

Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "The Liverpool City Region has successfully won huge sums of funding to deliver some of the most ambitious housing and infrastructure projects in the country. From a £700m housing programme which will deliver 16,000 homes, to HyNet energy, as well as four new train stations.

“But to deliver on these plans, we need a skilled, diverse workforce."

CITB chief executive Tim Balcon added: "This agreement marks a major step forward in aligning national and regional priorities to meet the construction sector’s challenges.

"By working closely with the Liverpool City Region, we can ensure training provision and workforce planning are responsive to local needs, helping employers and communities thrive."