<p>The housebuilding industry must make itself “first choice for careers,” according to John Tutte, chief executive of Redrow Homes.</p> <p><span>Speaking at the Home Building Skills Partnership Conference in Birmingham – which looked at what the HBSP has achieved in the past year in addressing the skills gap and future plans – Tutte thanked housebuilders for their support for the initiative. “We couldn’t have made the progress we have without the wider contribution from the industry,” he said.</span></p><p></p> <p>He highlighted the spotlight the sector remained under, while acknowledging the work it still needed to do. “We get criticised for poor design, quality and service. Much of that criticism is harsh and unfounded. But there are areas for improvement. While customer satisfaction levels are high, quality needs to improve. The Skills Partnership can make a difference in these areas.”</p> <p>Although HBSP’s ultimate aim was to “build more homes”, Tutte said that those involved in the initiative had realised “we can make a greater contribution”.</p> <p>This was a point elaborated on by Jenny Herdman, director of the HBSP, who looked at the ways in which HBSP was collaborating and sharing with the industry on emerging issues, including diversity and inclusion and mental health …