A leading business organisation is demanding the government addresses a skills crisis in the construction industry, which it fears will jeopardise future infrastructure projects.
Construction is crucial to the UK economy, employing 2.25million and worth 6 per cent of GDP.
But it’s workforce is declining rapidly, with more than a third working in it, aged over 50.
Nationally, some 251,500 extra workers are needed to meet UK construction output by 2028. This adds up to 50,300 per year, an increase on the 44,890 in the 2023-27 outlook.
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Among this, Yorkshire needs an extra 26,000 workers by 2028.
The current Labour government has three target growth areas, around housing, infrastructure and repair and maintenance work.
The West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce fears that crucial infrastructure projects could be impacted by a lack of qualified personnel to build it.
As such, the Chamber has written to Bridget Philipson, secretary of state for education, to seek clarity on what policy instruments it intends to deploy to help avert the crisis.
York College says it is proud of its efforts to help central government meet its ambitious growth targets, training close to 1,000 a year to enter the sector annually, despite continued underfunding.
Chief executive Ken Merry said: “We support the calls for this Labour government to show that they are a party that can deliver on ambitious targets by ensuring further education providers receive the funding they need in order to ensure that the future of our great nation is protected and provided for.
“In funding education programmes, including but not limited to construction, fairly, this Labour government would be able to create a legacy where young people have genuine choices about their future, and this would enable communities to thrive.”
Mark Casci, head of representation and policy at the Chamber, said: “The situation regarding future staffing needs for the construction industry is nothing short of a crisis.
“The lack of entrants is certainly not due to a lack of interest from young people in pursuing a career in construction, far from it.
“The problem is the lack of capacity in learning provision. For example, York College currently has around 580 apprentices, 70 per cent of which are in construction.
“However, recruiting a retaining staff remains a challenge across all learning providers. Teaching salaries in further education remain significantly below what can be commanded in private industry.
“If the Government is to hit its ambitious housing targets, build and maintain schools and hospitals and roll out the infrastructure projects we do desperately need to compete internationally, it will need the people to create it.
“Economic growth will only happen if we can build it, and we need clarity from Government as to how this will be achieved.”
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