The government and housebuilding industry have struck a deal to create “tens of thousands” of new housebuilding jobs and apprenticeships.
The Home Builders Federation held a housebuilding careers summit at Taylor Wimpey’s Chobham Manor site at the Olympic Park, attended by housebuilders and ministers Brandon Lewis and Nick Boles, to discuss one of the key issues now facing the industry - a lack of skilled labour.
Stewart Baseley, Executive chairman of the Home Builders Federation said: “The industry is committed to working with Government to ensure more of our brightest and most talented young people become the house builders of the future and the actions we have agreed today will help us achieve that.
“In the coming years we need to be building more of what are the best designed, most energy efficient homes in the world – and we need thousands of our brightest and most ambitious young people to help us deliver.
“In return, our industry has a wide range of fantastic opportunities for young people, with career paths both on sites and in the office ranging from bricklaying to engineering, commercial management and design. Our young people develop skills for life, earn whilst they learn, and at the end of every day go home knowing they have achieved something fantastic that is contributing positively to the nation’s future.”
The following outcomes were agreed:
- the housebuilding industry will recruit tens of thousands of new workers in the coming years – including thousands of apprentices, graduates and ex-military personnel - they will also increase the numbers of school-leavers joining the industry
- the government and housebuilding industry would work together to improve the image of housebuilding with young people – including by enabling industry representatives to work with schools to explain the range of opportunities available
- the industry will work more closely with the Military to help increase the numbers of former members of the Armed Forces to move into housebuilding – and to look at how more people who lost their jobs in the 2008 housing crash to rejoin the industry
- the government and housebuilding industry will work together to ensure apprenticeships and training standards meet the needs of the modern building industry – including taking into account new methods such as off-site construction
- the industry will now work with Government to develop and implement the outcomes agreed.
