Built Environment Sector

Baroness Winterton of Doncaster Excerpts

Tuesday 28th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

The noble Earl makes an extremely important point. He will recall that, at the Spring Statement, the Government announced a £625 million package to boost construction skills. This aims to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled workers and includes everything from foundation apprenticeships, the expansion of skills boot camps specially tailored for the construction industry and the establishment of construction technical excellence colleges. This will all be overseen by the Construction Skills Mission Board, which is a collaborative partnership.

[Baroness Winterton of Doncaster (Lab)]

My Lords, my noble friend the Minister has just set out very clearly the need for skilled construction workers to support the built environment agenda and the Government’s growth agenda. But could I push her a little further on how what she has just set out will tie in with Ed Miliband’s announcement last week about tech training hubs for the energy sector? All these things are vital for regional growth in areas such as Yorkshire and the Humber.

[Baroness Lloyd of Effra (Lab)]

My noble friend is right to draw our attention to this area. Ensuring that we have the workers to support a clean energy transition is essential and she will know that, last week, the department put out a very detailed plan—I commend it to all noble Lords—to address the skills gaps we have in 31 priority occupations. The plan will create well-paid, secure jobs with good workplace rights. Noble Lords will also be aware that, in the last few weeks, the Department for Education, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has also published a skills White Paper, which shows just how joined up these projects to create skills will be. It includes details of the technical excellence colleges, which will specialise in these areas.