A House of Commons committee report has been released, finding that government interventions have so far been effective, but more is needed
Further government construction skills support will be vital to delivering government net zero targets, says the report.
Titled Workforce Planning to Deliver Clean, Secure Energy, it examines the industry’s ability to deliver the 2030 and 2050 net zero targets with current support.
Plans by the OCEJ and Skills England have been hailed as a good start
The report has hailed the Clean Energy Jobs Plan created by the Office for Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ), and the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper produced by Skills England, as well as the £1.2bn of funding allocated to promoting workforce skills by the 2028-29 period.
The report also emphasises that the Warm Homes Plan should be published as soon as possible to grant more stability.
The report states: “Our inquiry scrutinised the Government’s workforce planning to support the delivery of its objectives for cleaner energy by 2030 and more buildings retrofitted with insulation and greener heating/cooling by 2050. It was put to us in evidence that the UK will not achieve either target without further government intervention in workforce planning.
“There is a clear demand for skilled labour. We recommend the Government continue to tackle barriers preventing existing energy sector workers transitioning successfully; launch further initiatives to promote clean energy and retrofit careers among under-represented groups and those outside the existing workforce; and explore leveraging the short-term need for skilled immigration to boost the longer-term need for home-grown talent.”
Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), said: “The FMB strongly welcomes the Committee’s call for a nationally recognised, industry-backed construction and retrofit skills programme. This is exactly the kind of bold intervention we need to tackle the skills crisis and deliver the Government’s ambitious targets for clean energy and housing. Small builders are ready to play their part, but they need clarity, long-term certainty, and practical support to train the next generation. The UK is not going to be able to meet its housing and retrofit goals without investing in home-grown talent. SMEs are the backbone of the construction industry, yet too often they are overlooked in skills planning.
“A national programme must work for small firms, with flexible training routes and funding that makes it viable for them to take on apprentices and upskill their workforce. We are currently experiencing a skills crisis, and so the Government must work with industry together to create clear career pathways and make construction and retrofit attractive to a young people. If we are serious about hitting our net zero targets, we need to do more to create high quality jobs in every community.”
Government reforms on skill training may harm niches
Last month, Marion Marsland, the CEO of the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA), wrote a public warning addressing the contents of the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, which will shorten the length of apprenticeship programmes.
She felt that, while the effort to boost construction skills is commendable and ambitious, the focus on a small number of colleges could be detrimental to more specialist or niche trades.
The colleges to receive funding are:
- Derby College Group, East Midlands
- West Suffolk College, East of England
- New City College, Greater London
- City of Sunderland College, North East
- Wigan and Leigh College, North West
- North Kent College, South East
- Exeter College, South West
- Bedford College, cross-regional
- Dudley College of Technology, West Midlands
- Leeds College of Building, Yorkshire and the Humber
Marion wrote: “Quality training happens right across the UK, not just in ten locations,” she added. “If we’re serious about closing the construction industry’s skills gap, including thermal insulation, we need consistent investment and recognition for all high-quality training providers.
“Apprenticeships are about building genuine competence and any move to shorten programmes or weaken assessments risks devaluing the very system that underpins construction safety and quality. Our members work in complex, safety-critical environments and the workforce must be trained and tested to the highest standards. Anything less puts people and projects at risk.”
