Labour forecasting tool

stairwell

The ConstructionSkills Labour Forecasting Tool (LFT) is a web-based application for forecasting labour needs on a whole range of construction projects including:

  • Housing (timber and non-timber)
  • Infrastructure
  • Schools (steel and non-steel)
  • Highways
  • Commercial (office and retail)
  • Housing refurbishment repair and maintenance
  • Non Housing refurbishment repair and maintenance

The LFT is an exciting new development which builds upon our ability to forecast skills and employment needs.

The labour needs are predicted throughout the entire course of a project on a month-by-month basis, given no more than the value of the project and its start and end dates.

Why the LFT is useful

The LFT will give you an ‘evidence base’ upon which to plan and negotiate realistic community benefits arising from skills and training requirements on construction projects. It will provide you with real data which has been created based upon a sound methodology and backed up by actual project information which will ensure the skills and training requirement on construction projects are realistic.

Find out more

For more information about how CITB–ConstructionSkills can help your organisation get building with greater efficiency, and better outcomes contact Sandra Lilley on:

Who should use the LFT

  • Local authorities and developers in negotiating Section 106 agreements and other community benefits Contractors in programming forthcoming work
  • Planning Agencies in exploring the impact of concurrent regional and cross-regional projects
  • Skills agencies and organisations in developing strategies for getting people into jobs

What is unique about the LFT

The Labour Forecasting Tool has been carefully developed over the last two years. This has ensured that the tool is easily accessible, easy to use, and produces forecasts that are reliable and robust at minimum cost.

Its key features are:

  • Forecasts are provided on a month-by-month basis for every trade including the professions
  • Forecasts are based on real historic data from past projects, so accuracy is typically better than ±10%
  • Forecasts are continuously calibrated as new data becomes available
  • Data is statistically verified for consistency and anomalies
  • The only data inputs required are the value of the project, its start and end dates and its location.
  • Labour profile throughout a project can be varied to suit individual needs or be updated as a project progresses
  • Forecasts take account of time and location
  • Forecasts are based on advanced algorithms for monthly predictions
  • The tool is web-based meaning that users always have access to the latest data