You may have seen construction hitting the headlines, with big promises of support, via the creation of 100,000 jobs in our industry.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner recently said:
“Building 1.5 million homes takes investment, skills, and a government that’s ready to roll up its sleeves to deliver. And that is exactly what we are doing. Our Plan for Change commits to delivering the biggest boost for affordable and social housing in a generation, which we’ve backed with a £39 billion investment over ten years. We’re working hand-in-hand with industry to recruit thousands more workers into skilled construction jobs, and thanks to our Make Work Pay reforms we will ensure these jobs are more secure and better rewarded.”
On the 26th June the Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB) committed to providing 100,000 more construction jobs per year, by the end of the Parliamentary term.
This promise relies on collaborative efforts by our job centres, the Government and industry leaders focussing on training and recruitment drives, in order to support current workers to upskill and add newcomers to the industry we all know and love.
Industry insight: our Director weighs in
With that in mind, we spoke to our Director Stuart, to get his opinion on matters;
“It is encouraging news that the Government is finally considering construction, however a shortage of skilled workers is only one of the challenges being faced by our industry. It would be equally beneficial for the Government to examine the stringent planning system and implement measures to stimulate the housing sector further. It is time to revive the UK’s construction industry which is the backbone of our economy, yet is all too often overlooked. I am hopeful this announcement is the first of many steps.”
One of the key factors in this journey, as echoed by Stuart, is Labour’s plan to ‘take off the brakes’ when it comes to planning constraints surrounding building homes and critical infrastructure within the UK. So, we are watching the Planning and Infrastructure bill keenly to see how it pans out.
Labour state that “The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is central to the government’s plan to get Britain building again and deliver economic growth. The Bill will speed up and streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure, supporting delivery of the government’s Plan for Change milestones of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England and fast-tracking 150 planning decisions on major economic infrastructure projects by the end of this Parliament. It will also support delivery of the government’s Clean Power 2030 target by ensuring that key clean energy projects are built as quickly as possible.”
Is this the change the industry needs?
So, what do you think? Is this the progress we need, or does our industry need more?
We would love to hear your thoughts, find us on social media to get the conversation going.