The Government has announced a £100 million investment in new Technical Excellence Colleges for construction workers.
The measure aims to have trained 40,000 new workers in the building sector by the end of this parliament in 2029.
The plans are to assist in meeting the government’s housing target to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
Labour claims that the funding will enable the construction sector to draw on homegrown talent, remove barriers to work for young people across the country and reduce reliance on overseas workers.
The colleges will be set up across England and will provide students with the skills needed skilled tradesmen working as bricklayers, electricians, roofers, carpenters, plumbers and more.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “We need skilled workers to deliver the homes, schools and hospitals that communities across the country are crying out for, and today’s announcement underlines our commitment to the next generation of homegrown talent.
“Construction Technical Excellence Colleges will enable us to invest in people and give them the skills they need to break down barriers to opportunity in an industry which is essential to delivering growth.”
Data from the Employer Skills Survey shows that the percentage of construction firms funding or offering training has dropped from 57 per cent in 2011 to 49 per cent in 2024.
This investment follows the announcement of £625 million of funding for the construction sector from the Government in their spring statement.
David Hughes CBE, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “Today’s announcement is very positive news for people wanting good jobs, for the construction employers looking for skilled people and for the government’s ambitions to build 1.5 million new homes.
“It represents significant investment and trust in the 10 successful colleges, and the college sector, recognising their crucial role in boosting the country’s construction sector by opening up high quality learning opportunities all over the country.
“We look forward to supporting the TECs as leaders in the construction skills arena, partnering with employers, developing new courses and ensuring that innovation in construction techniques and approaches can be supported across all employers with skills training.
“We are also keen to help the TECs build their networks with other colleges in their areas.”
Projections by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) have estimated that 61,000 new workers would have to be recruited each year in order to meet the Government’s targets for house building.
However challenges have been identified including the variety of different training colleges and subcontractors making coordinating the industry difficult.
Other factors that the CITB have highlighted include the visibility of opportunities and the need to retain workers in order to address labour shortages.
As well as the construction of new properties, workers will be needed with the necessary skills to upgrade all existing rental properties to an EPC-C efficiency rating, in accordance with the Government’s Warm Homes plan.
Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of the CITB, said: “It’s wonderful to see the progress being made towards establishing these Technical Excellence Colleges for Construction.
“They represent a transformative opportunity for people to complete local vocational training, helping to drive regional growth and nurture the next generation of skilled construction workers in local communities.
“This builds brilliantly on the wider £600 million construction skills package we’re delivering in partnership with government, helping create a robust pipeline of talent that will break down barriers to opportunity, delivering good jobs and powering economic growth across the UK.”
Featured image via Alice Hodgson / No 10
