A skilled workforce needs employers

We need politicians to understand how a skilled workforce is locally sustained

Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, has highlighted the need for a radical overhaul of our skills policy to help places like Bradford, one of the top 40 constituencies to be affected by automation in the coming years.

Cummins identified that 15% of her constituents have no qualifications compared to the UK average of 8%, whilst only 14% are qualified to a degree level or above compared to 31% nationally.

Despite backing changes to the apprenticeship levy, she criticised the use of unused levy funds and a lack of strong industrial sectoral voices to help drive collective action from employers.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) agrees that the skills policy needs to be significantly changed, particularly in places such as Bradford. However, the conversation on the subject seems to ignore the process by which a skilled workforce is both trained and employed.

In construction, where automation is being championed by all politicians as a panacea for the housing crisis and skill shortage, 66% of apprentices are trained and retained by SMEs. And yet, they only build 33% of all homes.

Cummins explained how SMEs identify a major barrier to development in the complexity of the current levy system, but the NFB is surprised that issues such as late payment and a complex procurement process did not emerge as the greatest obstacles to growth for SMEs in construction, as they directly affect their ability to hire new apprentices and invest in existing staff.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said: “SMEs are the predominant rural employer and train the majority of apprentices. Hiring within fifteen miles of their head offices, a fifth of SMEs operate in construction. As the leading voice for construction SMEs, we need politicians to understand how a skilled workforce is locally sustained.”

Nick Sangwin, incoming NFB national chair and regional chair for the north east, said: “We need to re-look at the procurement process to involve successful regional contractors and SME’s more on frameworks.  These are the companies that retain and train the workforce, but they need a steady pipeline of work to do this. They also pay their subcontractors and supply chain quicker.”

Nick Sangwin is also managing director for Sangwin Group, based in the north east.

Shared by: National Federation of Builders

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Damaged timber from Dry Rot
Estate Agent Talk

Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter

With the winter months just round the corner, problems with damp and mould can become far more prominent. Autumntime is when many people turn on central heating systems and choose to close windows, preventing fresh air ventilation needed to allow damp air to leave a property. Unfortunately, the combination of warm and damp air can…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025

London and South East see biggest dips in required rental salary year-on-year London and the South East saw the sharpest dips year-on-year in the average salary needed in order to rent the average home in that area. London saw a 4.2% drop, whilst the South East saw a decline of 2.9%. Yorkshire and Humberside saw…
Read More
buying at auction uk
Breaking News

The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit

British first-time buyer mortgage payments are typically 17% cheaper than renting, even with a low 5% deposit The average 5% deposit is £11,412 based on a typical first-time buyer property price of £228,233 Among major cities outside London, the biggest gap between owning and renting is in Glasgow, where buyers could save more than £4,750…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.51% +0.00% -0.37% 5-year fixed 4.55% +0.01% +0.01%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.77% +0.05% -0.07% 5-year fixed 3.97% +0.10% +0.29%   Average…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert said: “We’ve been calling for stamp duty reform for some time now, as it’s a significant barrier for many people moving home. Abolishing it completely would remove one of the biggest barriers to moving, unlocking more moves at all stages of the property ladder. “Our data shows that only 5%…
Read More
Breaking News

Second-time buyers dominate demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals

Second-time buyers are dominating demand for longer term fixed mortgage deals, fresh data from Moneyfacts Analyser can reveal. Of those looking for fixed term deals on moneyfactscompare.co.uk: Almost two-thirds (58%) of second-time buyers who compared mortgage deals using the moneyfactscompare.co.uk website were considering terms of three years or longer in the 30 days to 1…
Read More