The great skills gap: Why the skills shortage is everyone's problem

The Government’s recent announcement of a £39 billion allocation for social housing has placed a new focus on affordable housing and reaffirmed housebuilding targets. However, as the construction industry continues to tackle a critical skills shortage, how realistic are the targets without urgent investment in vocational training? Luke Gale, Channel Manager for Housing at wienerberger UK & Ireland explores the issue and how to contribute to the solution. 

When the new Labour Government was formed in 2024, a lot of noise was made around its target to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029 – or 300,000 a year. In its manifesto, Labour had pledged to update the National Policy Planning Framework, restore mandatory housing targets, and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. 

The Government remains optimistic, but despite the reforms – and an additional £39 billion investment in social housing announced in the Spring Spending Review – official figures suggest the target remains unachievable. In fact, the latest estimates from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) show that just one million homes are expected to be built in England over this period. 

The Skills Shortage

Part of the issue comes down to a continuing skills gap in construction, particularly in bricklaying. Despite the progress made in planning reforms and social housing commitments, the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) suggests an extra 250,000 construction workers are needed by 2028 to meet demand. There are simply not enough people to deliver the uplift needed. 

The Government has announced initiatives to train up to 60,000 additional skilled workers by 2029 as part of a £600 million investment, underscoring the large number of vacancies and the acute need for talent in the industry. But is it enough in a sector noted for its aging workforce, which has also struggled with a reduced EU labour pool after Brexit changes?

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that there are over 35,000 job vacancies and employers report that over half of vacancies can’t be filled due to a lack of required skills – the highest rate of any sector. Demand will only increase in line with housebuilding targets and the inevitable media scrutiny that comes with housing shortages and delayed construction projects.

Angling for change

Of course, any initiative to increase the number of skilled workers must be applauded. The Government says the £600 million pot will pay for more training places, ensure a sustainable flow of skilled construction workers and help businesses invest more in training. Skills bootcamps, increased links between colleges and construction companies, and new foundation apprenticeships have all been highlighted as routes to success. 

At wienerberger, we welcome any opportunity to challenge the myth that university education is the only path to a successful career. Trades offer lucrative, stable and fulfilling career opportunities, but urgent investment of this kind in vocational training is essential if we are to get anywhere near the ambitious housebuilding targets, and change will not happen overnight. 

This is particularly important because there remains some short-termism in the industry, focusing on immediate project delivery while neglecting long-term workforce sustainability. The constant rhetoric around housebuilding targets and figures does nothing to encourage the industry to step back and consider the future of construction skills, instead of hitting short-term figures. 

Supporting the industry

Solving the skills crisis relies on effective collaboration between businesses, government and education providers. The CITB is leading the way with its Sector Plan, bringing together members from across the housebuilding sector to work together and think about how to recruit and train the workforce of the future.

At wienerberger, we are actively contributing to the solution through the sponsorship of key skills events and programmes aimed at building a sustainable, skilled workforce. 

Such contributions include strong links with the Guild of Bricklayers, a partnership which dates back to 1990 and has seen us sponsor the Guild’s annual competition in 2025, supplying around 6,000 for each regional heat plus the final. We have also sponsored Super Trowel, which is the UK’s largest bricklaying competition, and SkillBuild, delivered by CITB, the leading construction competition for trainees and apprentices.

We have also developed an on-demand in-roof solar training course to support those who wish to install the Sandtoft in-roof solar system, now offering a more bespoke training solution to help support development and diversification into new technologies.    

Progress continues to be made, but it is now more important than ever for industry leaders to invest in training initiatives and partnerships, whilst rethinking how they attract and retain talent. Let’s continue to work together for a more sustainable future workforce.