Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address skill shortages in the construction industry.

The construction industry needs to attract, retain and develop individuals with the appropriate skills, so it can meet the country’s ambition to build 1.2 million new homes by 2022 and upgrade our infrastructure.

The government is working with the construction industry to help meet this challenge, as set out in the construction sector deal announced in November last year. We are reforming technical education and apprenticeships, which will help train the workforce of the future in line with the industry’s needs. The department recently announced reforms to the Construction Industry Training Board, which oversees industry training, to improve its effectiveness and accountability.

In the Autumn Budget 2017, we announced a new National Retraining Scheme, including an additional £34 million to help adults retrain and develop the necessary skills to work in the construction industry. We expect to launch this construction skills fund in the coming months.