Earlier this year Tash was at a ‘Lets Talk Housing’ conference with the Gloucester Homes and Communities Partnership where the focus was on how to increase the number of new build homes over the next five years.

One of the key issues established while at this conference was the lack of labour. The MD of one house builder in particular expressed the struggles they have with the amount of qualified labourers and builders available at any one time. A developer might have the perfect site, already paid for with the perfect planning application but still find a hurdle to jump when it comes to locating someone to physically build the homes.

This issue has also been made public in a recent Financial Times article in which the Chief Exec of Barratt claimed, “Our caution is not about consumer demand or the market, it is about getting enough skilled workers.” The FT stated, “a shortage of skilled workers in the British building trade has been blamed by Barratt Developments for a decision to pull back on supplying new homes.”

At the conference Tash attended it was muted that schools and organisations should look more into apprenticeships and internships for pupils not interested in university. There currently seems to be a lack of skilled workers in the country which is leading to a lack of housing and development. Rather than leaving school with no real path an apprenticeship leading to a qualification in a some sort of skill would prove beneficial for both the apprentice and a future home owner!