HBF launches Home Building Sector Skills Plan

The Home Builders Federation has today (August 14th) launched its latest Home Building Sector Skills Plan. The updated strategy sets out what HBF describes as “a comprehensive industry-led roadmap for attracting, retaining and training the workforce needed to deliver 1.5 million new homes during this parliament.”

HBF is also calling on government to support the industry skills drive.

The plan includes initiatives aimed at reversing the decline in numbers entering construction roles from the education system as well as programmes designed to boost diversity and capability.

HBF said: “As a new cohort of school leavers prepares to receive their results in the coming weeks, government is at risk of losing talent if it does not act and direct more support into home building careers. While 100,000 students may be enrolled in Further Education construction courses at any one time, less than 40% of those students go directly into employment in construction. Without a strategy tailored specifically to home building, the UK will fall short of its housing ambitions.”

This latest plan highlights progress in this area over recent years including the fact that industry-led solutions have already made an impact: “More than 15,000 tradespeople have benefitted …