The government has announced a £625 million investment in the training of 60,000 construction workers to help reach housebuilding targets.
Ahead of her Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced £600 million worth of investment to train up to 60,000 more skilled construction workers.
The aim is to deliver well-paid jobs across the country in the construction sector and help build 1.5 million homes to transform communities by the end of this Parliament.
The new funding will provide £100 million for 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges and £165 million to help colleges deliver more construction courses.
Skills Bootcamps in the construction sector will also be expanded, with £100 million of funding to ensure new entrants, returners, or those looking to upskill within the industry will be able to do so.
All Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) areas will benefit from £20 million to form partnerships between colleges and construction companies, to boost the number of teachers with construction experience in colleges who can share their expertise.
Construction will also be one of the key sectors that will benefit from new foundation apprenticeships backed by an additional £40 million, which will be launching in August 2025. As part of this new offer, employers will be provided with £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in the construction industry, on top of fully funding the training costs through the new Growth and Skills Levy.
A further £100 million of government funding, alongside a £32 million contribution from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) will fund over 40,000 industry placements each year for all Level 2 and Level 3 learners, those studying NVQs, BTECs, T-levels, and advanced apprenticeships. The CITB will also double the size of its New Entrant Support Team (NEST) programme to support SMEs in recruiting, engaging, and retaining apprentices.
An additional £80 million capital fund will support employers to deliver bespoke training based on their needs.
To ensure employers are able to work collaboratively to secure the workforce needed to meet future demand, the government will sponsor a new Construction Skills Mission Board. Co-chaired by government and by Mark Reynolds, Executive Chair of Mace, the Board will be empowered to develop and deliver a construction skills action plan and provide strategic leadership to the construction sector.
Insulation specialist Actis has welcomed the move. Alongside other industry players it has been concerned about dwindling numbers, with a recent Checkatrade report highlighting the scale of the problem and revealing that the UK needs another 1.3 million skilled workers and 350,000 apprentices.
Actis UK and Ireland Sales Director Mark Cooper said the newly announced investment is vital if the UK is to achieve its housebuilding goals while ensuring all homes are thermally efficient and of high quality.
"The need for a solid investment in training the next generation of construction professionals has long been recognised within the industry. But there are of course other hurdles to overcome in order to meet the housing targets - planning reform, land availability, affordability, infrastructure issues and local sentiment," he said.
