A shortage of skilled workers in the building industry threatens to derail General Election manifesto promises to tackle the housing crisis, an expert has suggested.
Political parties have pledged a range of measures to tackle the UK’s housing crisis, including a Conservative Party pledge to build 1.6 million new homes over the next Parliament. The Lib Dems have vowed to construct 150,000 new social rent homes, while Labour wants to reinstate local housebuilding targets and making councils accountable for housing requirements.
The Greens are offering large-scale building and rent controls while Reform UK has pledged to unleash housebuilding through fast-track planning and tax incentives to develop brownfield sites.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders which represents small and micro building companies in the repairs, maintenance and building sector, told Express.co.uk one of the biggest challenges the industry faces is a skills shortage, and without an adequate workforce, parties’ pledges to build will be at risk of failure.
He said firms have been struggling to hire skilled workers since before Brexit, with a need to attract younger and older people as well as those from different backgrounds into the trade.
Mr Berry said that, to draw more people into the trade, perceptions around apprenticeships need to change and investment in further education colleges boosted. He added: “We need to see more people taking on vocational jobs such as construction because we won’t be able to build the homes, hospitals and schools we desperately need.”
He called for a long term skills plan to include measures to promote vocational careers, to help employers take on apprentices and to tackle the stigma around choosing technical college instead of university post-18.
To meet growth forecasts, an equivalent of more than 251,500 more construction workers will be needed over the next five years, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
It reports that despite recruiting 200,000 construction workers last year, a total of 210,000 were lost. Last year, 38,000 vacancies were advertised per month, the body reported.
The CITB reported almost a third (31 percent) of employers say finding suitably skilled staff remains a key challenge, particularly as older workers retire and are not replaced.
On top of the skills gap, local opposition to building projects at the planning stage presents another industry challenge, according to Mr Berry, who argued the next government also needs to boost demand for new homes by making it easier for younger people to get on the housing ladder.
He said: “We need to unlock the planning system. Local authorities backtrack on government housing targets because of local opposition. I think the next government needs to tell local authorities we expect you to build.”
Dorian Payne, Managing Director at Swansea based affordable homes land developer Castell Group, told Express.co.uk the planning system’s inefficiency is a critical issue.
He added: “We are building new developments and homes faster than we can obtain the necessary legal permissions. The system needs reform and urgently.”
According to the FMB’s leader, housing and house-building hasn’t been a top priority for the main parties in this General Election despite the crisis faced by the industry. Mr Berry said: “I’m really surprised housing is not a top issue.”
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