Construction Skills Mission Board launch construction sector skills mission

1 Background
2 Construction sector skills mission
3 The Green Plant Academy agreement
4 Comments from key parties
5 Electrical Contractors’ Association response
- 5.1 Unite and the GMB response
6 Related articles on Designing Buildings
7 External links

[edit] Background

The formation of a Construction Skills Mission Board was announced by HM Treasury and The Rt Hon Rachel Reeves MP on 24 March, 2025, prior to the Spring Statement of 26 March. The Deputy Prime Minister and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, CEOs from across the sector, launched an industry commitment to recruit 100,000 more construction workers per year by the end of the Parliament.

With a 600 million investment for 60,000 more skilled construction workers to be made available over the following four years, alongside supporting experienced builders to help train and inspire the next generation. Part of the funding package is set aside to establish the new Construction Skills Mission Board, ensuring employers are able to collaborate to secure the workforce they need to meet future demands and help meet the target of building 1.5 million homes.

The funding will support the training of engineers, brickies, sparkies, and chippies to help tackle skills shortages and inspire the next generation to join the construction sector. Reforms are aimed at getting young people into well-paid, high-skilled jobs in construction by funding additional placements, establishing Technical Excellence Colleges, launching new foundation apprenticeships, and expanding Skills Bootcamps.

The new Construction Skills Mission Board, co-chaired by the government and by Mark Reynolds, Executive Chair of Mace, is empowered to develop and deliver a construction skills action plan and provide strategic leadership to the construction sector.

[edit] Construction sector skills mission

On 26 June 2025 the Construction Skills Mission Board met to launch the construction sector skills mission and set a strategy for recruiting the additional 100,000 workers a year by the end of the Parliament. Established by the Construction Leadership Council, the board supports the government’s commitment to invest an additional £625 million in construction skills. To support delivery of this strategy, the government is funding at least £725 billion for infrastructure over the next decade, as well as building 1.5 million new homes and retrofitting an additional 5 million homes.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner, joined the first meeting alongside the CLC co-chair Mark Reynolds, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Industry Sarah Jones, and several CEOs, sector leaders, and representatives of the supply chain and training organisations.

The Board will develop specific initiatives and actions to deliver its mission while supporting the Government to shape, develop and deliver skills policy, working with industry bodies to ensure its actions are rolled out across the sector. These actions will focus on five key areas to drive increased recruitment. These are:

Confidence to employ and invest;
Clear new entrant pathways;
Access to provision & support to train;
Funding that works; and
Reliable and rewarding careers.

[edit] The Green Plant Academy agreement

An agreement was signed during the same week at the newly launched Green Plant Academy at the Earl’s Court Skills Centre by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the Department for Work and Pensions. The agreement notes that more than 40,000 industry placements will be funded through a further £100 million from the government, alongside a £32 million contribution from the CITB. This is seen as a major step in the government’s drive to get Britain building and get Britain working as part of its Plan for Change and comes alongside a £1 billion employment support package to support more disabled people and those with health conditions back into work. The government notes this is "a quadrupling of the level of annual spend on supporting sick and disabled people into work, from the £275 million in 2024/25 to over £1 billion in 2029/30."

From August, new construction foundation apprenticeships, backed by an additional £40 million, will provide young people at the start of their careers with a route into construction. The scheme comes as part of the government's Youth Guarantee to ensure every young person is either earning or learning and will give youngsters skills in a range of specialist occupations, such as bricklaying and carpentry, as well as employability skills and behaviours.

The government is already expanding workplace training through Sector-based Workplace Academy Programmes (SWAPs), with over 100,000 SWAPs expected to take place this financial year. These placements offer jobseekers the opportunity to kickstart a new career by providing training, workplace placements and a guaranteed interview with an employer. SWAPs are proven to help people to stay in work for longer and boost their pay while getting businesses loyal staff with the right skills, with the scheme to be boosted even further, giving even more people access to these life-changing opportunities.

[edit] Comments from key parties

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

"Building 1.5 million homes takes investment, skills, and a government that’s ready to roll up its sleeves to deliver. And that is exactly what we are doing. Our Plan for Change commits to delivering the biggest boost for affordable and social housing in a generation, which we’ve backed with a £39 billion investment over ten years. We’re working hand-in-hand with industry to recruit thousands more workers into skilled construction jobs, and thanks to our Make Work Pay reforms we will ensure these jobs are more secure and better rewarded."

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

"I am determined that our young people have the best start in life. To do this we must give them the tools they need to get ahead. This agreement, alongside our record funding will do just that. Our welfare reforms will see the biggest investment in a generation to support disabled people into secure, well-paid work. Our Plan for Change will deliver the jobs, homes and opportunities we need to build a stronger and more prosperous Britain."

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

"The construction sector is on the frontline in our mission to grow the economy, giving more people skilled jobs building the homes and infrastructure we need. Through our Plan for Change we are determined to break the link between background and success, so that more young people can get on in well paid careers. The Construction Skills Mission Board will make sure we hear directly from employers about what their skills needs are, driving our reforms and helping more young people achieve and thrive."

Tim Balcon, CEO, CITB said:

"Opportunities in construction are for everybody, whatever their background. By working together, we can widen the talent pool, bring in more diverse voices, and encourage more people to consider a career in construction. Every year, over 100,000 people receive construction training. I want many more of them to forge lasting careers in the sector. This is why the partnership with DWP is so vital, as it helps ensure individuals are not just trained but truly prepared for careers in construction. The government commitment to addressing the housing shortage, improving the country’s infrastructure, and investing in construction skills mean this is a real boom time for our industry."

Mark Reynolds, Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council and Co-Chair of the Construction Skills Mission Board, said:

“We have seen real ambition from the Government through its commitment to 1.5 million new homes, clean power by 2030, and a renewal of our public infrastructure; and that ambition has been backed by significant funding commitments around skills. Construction will be essential to delivering growth and investment across the UK; and so it is vital that we now step up as a sector. The Construction Skills Mission Board represents a new partnership between industry and government, working together to find industry-led, collaborative solutions to delivering the workforce of the future. I am delighted that we have seen such strong support from Ministers and some of the most important leaders in our sector – and I hope everyone will play their part in the delivery of this essential mission.”

[edit] Electrical Contractors’ Association response

ECA has welcomed the Government’s new Construction Skills Mission Board, membership of which was announced today. Mark Lawrence, CEO of leading ECA Member T Clarke, is on the Board, representing building services (i.e., mechanical, electrotechnical, plumbing and related specialisms). Both ECA and EBSSA (the Engineering & Building Skills Authority) have been appointed to support Mark in fulfilling his role on the Board.

Other appointments to the Board include Jason Poulter, National Officer for Construction from Unite the Union; Chris Claydon, CEO of JTL, the apprentice training charity co-founded by ECA and Unite; and, Nikki Davis, Principal of Leeds College of Building. The stated aim of the Construction Skills Mission Board is to grow the built environment workforce through collaboration between employers, industry experts, education providers and Government.

Engineering and building services have an essential (and growing) significance for the built environment – typically contributing 40% of new-build value and 80% of whole-life value. The mechanical, electrical and plumbing sectors made the positive decision back in 1990 to withdraw from the CITB and its levy/ grants system, and some of the initiatives announced today – including the DWP-CITB partnership – necessarily have less relevance for our trades than for those in scope to the CITB. Nevertheless, ECA and its Members are committed to playing our part in improving the skills performance of the built environment, and fully support the ambitions and aims of the Mission Board.

Commenting on his new role, Mark Lawrence said:

"The word specialist is key. At first glance, our sector might appear to be just "pipes and wires," but behind every finished installation lies a complex network of technical skill, engineering expertise, and years of experience. It’s also important to note that our sector operates outside the remit of the CITB. That makes it even more vital that our voice is clearly heard and fully understood in this process and I would reinforce the point that when it comes to skills and training in our sector, one size does not fit all."

Andrew Eldred, Deputy CEO at ECA, said: “The Construction Skills Mission Board is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to focus minds on how, working together, we can overcome long-standing barriers to improved workforce skills outcomes in the built environment. The proof of the pudding will inevitably take time to emerge, but by recognising the value of input from both industry leaders and broad-based, sector-led organisations such as ECA and EBSSA, the Mission Board is already in a stronger place than its predecessors, and this constitutes a positive first step.”

[edit] Unite and the GMB response

Creation of Construction Skills Mission Board will see one hundred thousand new workers annually. Unite and the GMB, the country’s leading trade unions in the construction sector, has welcomed the government announcement today that will result in 100,000 new construction workers annually.

Thousands of people are set to benefit from on-the-job training and career opportunities in the construction sector. Unite attended and will sit on the new Construction Skills Mission Board also attended by government ministers and CEOs from across the sector. It is launching an industry commitment to recruit 100,000 more construction workers per year by the end of the Parliament.

The partnership between Jobcentres and the industry will give more people the skills they need to start fulfilling careers. Roles ranging from project managers to bricklayers will be made available to jobseekers thanks to the agreement, which will mean Jobcentres working more closely with the construction industry to offer work experience and tailored placements to meet the need of employers and people looking to start a fulfilling career. Unite and the GMB will play a critical role in ensuring workplace health and safety and that the pay and conditions are suitable for the roles being created.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“Workers are the driving force behind the government’s growth agenda and this is a step in the right direction in ensuring we have a construction workforce fit to build much needed infrastructure and housing. Unite will be working tirelessly to ensure these high-skilled jobs are well paid and on safe sites.”

Unite national officer for construction Jason Poulter added:

“We are proud to represent workers voices and the pride they hold in their skills and trades on the Construction Skills Mission Board. We welcome the governments focus on a jobs focussed approach. This is the largest investment in skills for a generation and the creation of the CSMB is a clear demonstration of industry’s commitment to supporting the skilled construction workforce of tomorrow.”

Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, GMB National Officer, said:

"The Construction Skills Mission Board brings together the Government, industry and workers to help shape the future of the industry. GMB is thrilled to be part of this effort; our members and their skills will deliver the industrial strategy and energy infrastructure. It's right that workers voices are championed in this process."