The Construction Jobs Plan is a welcome and necessary step, but it will only succeed if employers have confidence in the pipeline of work, explains Neil Kelly, partner and head of land & development at Bidwells
There’s no doubt that the government’s Construction Jobs Plan, published on 19 October, is a positive and necessary announcement and one that has been on the wish list for many. However, if the government is serious about delivering the homes and infrastructure the UK needs, it must also address the construction industry’s capacity alongside planning and land supply. Unlocking more development offers little benefit if we don’t have the people and businesses needed to deliver it.
The plan is widely welcomed in an industry fighting for skilled workers and talent to deliver projects, but we should be clear about what will decide whether it works. Training centres are not the same as people on a construction site. The real test is whether these opportunities lead to long-term careers, and that depends on employers’ confidence in the housing and infrastructure pipeline that new recruits will help deliver.
We also can’t forget that we are in an ageing workforce. The plan notes that 35.1% of construction workers are aged 50 or over. As they retire, the industry risks losing skills faster than it can replace them, just as demand for new homes and infrastructure rises.
Training capacity is also stretched. Seven in every 100 construction teaching posts are unfilled, around twice the average across further education. Without enough teachers, more funding alone will not produce more skilled workers.
That is why the £625m Construction Skills Package is important. Its 40,000 industry placements a year, up to 10,000 foundation apprenticeships and 35,000 additional Skills Bootcamp places give new entrants practical routes into the industry. They also give employers a way to bring in and train the people they will need for the future.
Changing how young people see construction
The problem is too few young people see construction as a career of choice. Unless that changes, we will not build the capacity the supply chain needs.
Part of the problem is a narrow view of what the industry offers. Many young people think of construction only as bricklaying and scaffolding. Those are skilled and valuable trades, but they are only part of the picture. Careers in the built environment range from skilled trades to engineering, surveying, planning, technology, and construction management. We need to do much more to explain that range at an early age, and that starts with education.
Just as importantly, many of these careers do not depend on the traditional university route. Apprenticeships, foundation apprenticeships and technical training can all lead to skilled, long-term careers. Young people need to hear that clearly and early.
The commitment to update the Go Construct careers platform by spring 2027 will help. But it will only truly work if young people, parents and teachers know it’s there.
Changing perceptions is only half the job. We also need to widen the pool of people coming into the industry.
That means creating more opportunities for women, who remain under-represented across construction and the built environment. It also means reaching young people who may never have considered the sector, as well as career changers.
The plan acknowledges that long hours, unpredictable schedules, job insecurity and poor facilities make it harder to attract and retain new entrants. To build a broader workforce, the industry must improve these conditions and support new talent.
Making it work for SMEs
The focus on smaller businesses is especially welcome. SMEs form the backbone of the construction supply chain, but they often have the least time and money to invest in training.
For SMEs to take part, apprenticeships and training programmes have to be simple and commercially realistic. Any cost or administrative burden eats into already thin margins. From October, non-levy-paying employers recruiting apprentices aged 16 to 24 can receive a £2,000 hiring payment, with training fully funded for eligible apprentices under 25. That is a sensible start.
The proposed Construction Apprenticeship Network, aimed at increasing apprentice recruitment among smaller firms, could play an important role. To succeed, it will need to take on as much of the admin as possible and connect SMEs with the right training providers.
The real test will be whether these opportunities translate into people entering the industry, developing the skills employers require and building careers for generations to come. Employers already report that some students complete courses but then struggle to apply what they have learned on site or find it hard to get work. That requires government, education providers and industry to work together, from aligning training with local construction projects to bringing industry professionals into further education teaching.
It also requires market confidence that recruits will help deliver. The plan itself recognises that businesses are reluctant to recruit and train for projects stuck at planning or procurement. Viability matters here too. On many projects, build costs, planning delays and regulation changes leave little room for a reasonable return. Schemes that do not stack up do not start, and without them there is no work for new entrants to move into.
Skills, planning and viability are parts of the same delivery challenge. The Construction Jobs Plan is an important step in the right direction to improve construction skills in this country. Matched with a steady pipeline of viable schemes, it can help build the industry capacity required to deliver our homes and infrastructure projects.
