Future bright for house building work, experts say

Tens of thousands of new construction workers are needed for current plans to be met, the CTIB said

New construction workers could reap the rewards as tens of thousands of them are needed to meet house building targets, leading industry figures have said.

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) said 61,000 new workers were needed if the Labour government was to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes by 2030.

The government said it was investing £600m to create up to 60,000 more engineers, bricklayers, electricians and joiners by 2029 to tackle skills shortages and to help meet that target.

Ben Ramsay, from Thatcham-based Francis Construction, said opportunities for younger people would emerge as the ageing workforce changes.

"Since 2015 the average age of the construction worker has increased from 42 to about 50 so over time there's going to be a lot of experience leaving the industry, which has potential upsides," he said.

"There's an option for innovation and a different way of doing things."

He added: "The perception of the industry is that it's quite demanding, long hours, stressful deadlines and, particularly with the younger guys and girls of today, that impact on work-life balance.

"The reality of the industry is not always like that and that's something that we need to change to show that it's a rewarding industry."

Neil Jefferson, the chief executive of the Home Builders Federation, said new jobs would be created in the house building industry.

"People often just think about brickwork and bricklaying skills and they're important but there are so many skills [needed], particularly in the housebuilding industry which has got more to offer than construction," he added.

"It's well paid. Sometimes that's overlooked. Also there's a wide range of jobs, particularly for people who want to work on site. You can get the chance to be your own boss. There are reasons to be cheerful."