Skills shortage could leave Government house building plans shorthanded

Councils have warned that a lack of construction skills could jeopardise the government’s pledge to build 275,000 affordable homes by 2020.

New research carried out by the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, has revealed a growing gulf between the construction industry’s increasing demand for skills and the falling number of people gaining construction qualifications.

The construction industry’s predicted annual recruitment requirement is up over 50% from 2013 but there are 10,000 fewer construction qualifications being awarded by colleges, apprenticeships and universities.

This has meant that 56% of job vacancies in the construction industry are classed as difficult to fill, an increase from 2011’s figure of 46%, with councils now issuing a warning that this “increasing mismatch” is leaving the construction industry stranded without the necessary skilled people to fulfil the government’s pledge on housing.

In an effort to solve the growing shortage, the LGA is calling on Government to work with the construction industry, councils and education providers to develop a national ‘Skills to Build’ strategy to be delivered at a local level under the government’s devolution plans.

Councillor Peter Box, Chair of the LGA’s Housing Board, said: “For too long we’ve trained too many hairdressers and not enough bricklayers. Too few apprentices are getting the construction skills to build the homes and roads our local communities need and developers are struggling to recruit skilled labour to build new homes.

“Industry is clear that skills gaps are one of their greatest barriers to building. If we are to see the homes desperately needed across the country built and jobs and apprenticeships created, councils must be given a leading role.

“Skills demand will always vary significantly across the country. For example, the Northwest is desperate for bricklayers while the West Midlands have a higher demand for wood trades and interior fitters.

“Councils are best-placed to understand the needs of their residents and local economies but have no influence over skills training and employment support in their area.

“In return for increased funding and powers, councils, schools, colleges and employers could work together to reduce unemployment, close this widening construction skills gap and ramp up housebuilding.”

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