Mayor announces £75m training package to tackle construction worker shortage

Mayor Richard Parker has announced a £75m skills package to train more than 12,000 people over the next three years to help tackle the region’s shortage of construction workers.

Industry leaders say thousands of workers, including carpenters, electricians and plumbers are needed, as well as people for technical roles like surveying and engineering.

Research by Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) says around 4,000 extra workers will be needed annually over the coming few years with the region primed for a construction boom.

This is being driven by plans for 12,200 new homes across the region each year, a £2.4bn transport infrastructure programme, flagship schemes like the East Birmingham Sports Quarter and a £160m retrofit scheme to make thousands of homes more energy efficient.

Funding for the Mayor’s skills package is being drawn from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) adult skills budget and a government skills mission fund for construction. It is part of a broader ambition to unlock £100m of skills training investment.

The package sets out to train the 12,000 construction workers required over the next three years in jobs such as bricklaying, engineering, design, plastering and painting.

The news comes ahead of the Government’s first ever Regional Investment Summit, which will be held in Birmingham next week and jointly hosted by the Mayor, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: "We're heading into a construction boom that will power new jobs, new homes and new opportunities right across the West Midlands. But that growth will only last if local people have the skills to deliver it.

“That’s why I’m backing investment in training and apprenticeships - so people here get the first shot at the good jobs being created and businesses can draw on local talent with the latest skills and knowhow. This isn’t just about construction - we’re also working on engineering, design and all the supporting roles that keep our region building.

“As we bring investors together at the Regional Investment Summit, this is the message I’ll be taking to them: that the West Midlands is growing its own skills, backing its people, and breaking down all the barriers to investment and growth.”

The announcement follows the news that the Mayor is on target to fund a record number of almost 5,000 new homes this year – compared to an average of just 623 a year under the previous administration.

Work is now underway with national partners including the Department for Education (DfE), and CITB, to secure additional support, with employer match-funding expected to play a key role in future phases. The National House Building Council (NHBC) will also scope the potential for one of its training hubs to be located in the region.

The comprehensive package means that investment in construction skills by the WMCA will increase to £20m a year.

It has been developed in partnership with the DfE and guided by a dedicated Mayoral Jobs Taskforce, as a direct response to the increased demand across the region for skilled construction workers.

Mal Cowgill, chair of the Mayor’s Jobs Taskforce, said: “This investment is key to ensuring the construction sector can respond to the regional demand for skilled workers across the full range of trades and will make a major contribution to the Mayor's pledge of ‘jobs for everyone’.

“It’s a fantastic example of how to support local people into employment and to promote the existing workforce into higher paid jobs, making sure employers across the West Midlands have the skills in place to drive regional growth.”

The investment will bolster existing initiatives like the WMCA’s successful Path 2 Apprenticeship programme and Construction Gateway, as well as local programmes led by employers.

It will support people into work as well as upskilling the current workforce to keep pace with the needs of the sector and help deliver the Mayor’s Growth Plan.

The skills package will be led by Dudley College’s Technical Excellence Hub. The college was named as a College of Technical Excellence earlier this year – one of just 10 across the country that will focus on teaching the skills most needed by construction firms.

Dudley College’s  Construction Apprenticeship Training Centre houses sector specific training resources including bricklaying, carpentry, plastering, painting and decorating workshops – all developed with employers.

Diana Martin, chief executive and principal of Dudley College of Technology, said: “Dudley College of Technology is proud to be supporting the Mayor’s plans for growth. Through our role as the region’s Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) we will be working to boost both the range and quality of construction training across the West Midlands.

“One of our key objectives will be to work with employers to leverage further investment in construction skills provision, so that the industry not only builds capacity way into the future but can immediately maximise the business benefits the large-scale investment offers.”

John McKeon, head of the Dudley CTEC, said: “My role is to make sure there is a collective effort from all training providers to collaborate on key issues, such as driving up the quality of training so that everyone who goes through a training programme is fully capable to do the job intended. The plan is to share best practice and develop a supportive culture across the region’s trainers.” 

During a visit to Dudley College CTEC, the Mayor met learners taking part in the construction skills courses on offer. One of the learners is Fiona Watkins from Wordsley, who is in her second year of a Level 2 architectural joinery apprenticeship. Fiona, 17, is working with Woodcraft Joinery Ltd as part of her apprenticeship and is aiming to become a qualified joiner and progress onto the Level 3 qualification.

She said: “I enjoyed Design and Technology at school and my brother was a carpenter, so I got to see him in action first hand. I also managed to get work experience at the company I’m at now, which inspired me to pursue this apprenticeship.

“Every day is different. It suits me because I’m more of a hands-on learner. When I get my own house, I want to fit it out myself so I can be proud of what I have achieved.

“I would encourage everyone to look at apprenticeships as you learn skills while making money – and this can set you up for life.”

Jake Fereday, aged 29 and from Halesowen, is working on a Level 3 plumbing and domestic heating apprenticeship at the college with Misad Plumbing and Heating Ltd. On completion he will receive a Gas Safe qualification, enabling him to work safely in the industry.

Jake aims to progress onto the Level 4 site supervisor qualification and become a heating engineer.

He said: “I came into this apprenticeship because I can see the potential in this area of work for my future career.

“I have friends that work in the trade and the flexibility suits me as well as learning on site. The benefit is that you get paid while you learn – there are lots of skills you can learn on the way and there is always a need for a plumber.”

Numbers of young people aged 16 to 19 enrolling in construction-related courses have been increasing in recent years as more young people recognise the well-paid opportunities on offer in a fast-growing sector. And local skills providers such as Dudley College and Halesowen College are capitalising on this enthusiasm by linking training to local employers.

Tim Balcon, CEO of the CITB, said: “We know the Government is committed to getting Britain building again, and it’s vital that the regional mayoralties are working with the Government to achieve this. It’s fantastic to see the WMCA’s skills package to address the region’s shortage of construction workers.

“The WMCA’s skills package builds on the Government’s £600m construction skills package announced earlier this year, which CITB contributed to, as well as the Technical Excellence Colleges that will train tens of thousands of future construction workers.”

In addition to this investment, the WMCA is launching a £10m Skills Innovation Fund grant programme (including construction), to be delivered by Business Growth West Midlands, where it will match fund 50% employer investment in non-qualification courses.

Employers in the region interested in getting involved in the programme can get in touch by emailing employers@wmca.org.uk