Rachel Reeves’s pledge of £22bn for carbon capture projects across the UK brings the promise of jobs and a revitalised economy (Today, with our £22bn pledge for carbon capture, Labour’s green revolution for Britain begins, 4 October). But there’s one critical question: who’s going to build it all?
The UK construction sector is already facing a skills crisis. The Construction Industry Training Board estimates that we’ll need an extra 250,000 workers by 2028 just to meet current demand. Without a robust plan to recruit and train the workforce needed, these ambitious projects could face delays, spiralling costs and missed targets. Without action now, the gap between ambition and reality will only widen.
While reforms to the apprenticeship levy are a welcome step to unlocking new routes into the industry, this isn’t enough on its own. We need a long-term strategy to attract and develop talent in construction – particularly in areas like sustainable building and green energy projects that require a new generation of highly skilled workers.
To deliver the housing, schools, hospitals and green infrastructure that Reeves envisions, we need a workforce ready to hit the ground running. That means investing in people as well as projects.
Mark Robinson
Group chief executive, Scape