PA Media
The UK does not have enough construction workers to build the 1.5 million homes the government has promised, industry leaders have warned.
Tens of thousands of new recruits are needed for bricklaying, groundworks and carpentry to get anywhere near the target, they told the BBC.
The Home Builders Federation (HBF), along with the UK’s largest housebuilder Barratt Redrow said skills shortages, ageing workers and Brexit were some of the factors behind the shrinking workforce.
The government confirmed there was a “dire shortage” of construction workers but said it was “taking steps to rectify” the problem.
Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer repeated the pledge he made soon after taking power to deliver 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029.
And on Thursday he unveiled sweeping changes to the planning system and vowed to override “blockers” standing in the way of building the new homes.
Labour hopes building more homes will reduce house prices and make buying and renting homes more affordable, especially for younger people.
Its target means building an average of 300,000 new homes a year – in recent years the number has been about 220,000.
The current workforce is estimated to be 2.67 million, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
But for every 10,000 new homes to be built, the sector needs about 30,000 new recruits across 12 trades, according to the HBF, the trade body for the house building industry in England and Wales.
Based on the government’s plans, the estimated number of new workers required for some common trades, for example, would be:
20,000 bricklayers2,400 plumbers8,000 carpenters3,200 plasterers20,000 groundworkers1,200 tilers2,400 electricians2,400 roofers480 engineersThe HBF said while the industry had “the capacity to deliver current build levels, tens of thousands of new people will need to be recruited if we are to reach
Read More