The Spring Statement included a £625m package for construction skills, expected to provide up to 60,000 more skilled workers, who will support the government’s plans to build 1.5 million homes in England during this parliament.
“The chancellor’s recognition of the importance of investing in skills through a new training package for up to 60,000 new construction workers is welcome and essential to delivering on the government’s growth mission, which is underpinned by plans to build 1.5 million homes and to strengthen the UK’s national security,” said Beatrice Barleon, head of policy and public affairs at EngineeringUK.
The education- and training-focused organisation called on the government to “go further” in the Spending Review and Autumn Budget later this year, and to address the financial barriers to technical and vocational entry routes into engineering and technology.
“Government must recognise its role in training the next generation and look to move towards a new model of directly funding apprenticeships for 16- to 18-year-olds, to help reverse the decline in uptake of apprenticeships for this age group,” Barleon said.
“We look to government to reverse recent cuts to Continuing Professional Development for STEM teachers and continue to support outreach programmes reaching into schools. The investment in construction training announced today is a positive step in the right direction, but this action needs to be replicated through investment across the full STEM skills pipeline.”
As part of the skills boost, the government said it would provide £100m for 35,000 additional training places in construction-focused Skills Bootcamps, supporting trainees, returners and existing employees. It will also provide £40m to support up to 10,000 more young people to access new construction Foundation Apprenticeships.
A further £100m will pay for 10 Technical Excellence Colleges specialised in construction and £165m will increase funding for training providers delivering construction courses. Another £100m, alongside £32m from the Construction Industry Training Board, will be used to create up to 40,000 industry placements in the industry each year.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology also welcomed the £600m pledge, recognising its importance in the context of the 1.5 million new homes target. “The ongoing shortage of skilled engineers and technicians in the UK is impeding engineering sectors, such as construction and manufacturing, from capitalising on innovations, holding back productivity, and risks the UK falling behind international competitors,” said head of policy Stephanie Baxter.
The government should also work closely with industry and academia “to ensure that funding and support is available to businesses, particularly SMEs, to upskill and reskill existing workers throughout their careers,” she added. “For example, access to ‘agile’ short courses in new technologies such as digital twins and AI will ensure that the UK workforce remains adaptive to – and able to capitalise on – rapidly changing technologies and best practices.”
Justin Young, CEO of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, welcomed the “decisive investment in the UK’s built environment”. He added: “This should help secure the next generation of construction sector workers and professionals as we look to tackle the challenge of an aging workforce, alongside acute labour and skills shortages. If this can be combined with a new GCSE for the built environment in England, we can drive fresh talent to take up the new opportunities afforded by this investment.”
This week, the government also confirmed a £2bn injection of new grant funding to build up to 18,000 new social and affordable homes. The new funding, which will only support developments during this parliament, is designed to get construction swiftly underway in cities such as Manchester and Liverpool.
“The future of sustainable growth for the construction industry is going to rely on the success of growth measures such as the recently announced funding for social housing, construction skills and landmark projects like the Lower Thames Crossing,” said Lee Sleight, CEO of sustainable construction-focused Holcim UK.
“Funding can address some of the key challenges and barriers to kickstart growth in our industry, but there is more to be done by businesses and the government to ensuring sustainable construction can be a reality across the UK.”
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