The new Conservative Chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned of a construction skills shortage affecting housing supply, urging devolving of powers to local authorities to help address this issue.
The Local Government Association (LGA) writes:
Councils hold the key to ending the nation’s housing crisis and ensuring the Government’s pledge to build 275,000 affordable homes by 2020 is met, the new leader of local government in England and Wales will say today (30/6).
Cllr Gary Porter will use his first keynote address as the Conservative Chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) to warn of a growing skills shortage in the construction industry which is holding back vital housebuilding.
Cllr Porter will also use his speech to more than 1,400 local government leaders, councillors and government ministers, at the first day of the LGA’s Annual Conference, to call for an end to restrictions hampering council efforts to build desperately-needed homes.
Demand for skills within the construction industry is up 54 per cent since 2013. However, there are 58 per cent fewer completed construction apprenticeships today than in 2009.
Councils warn this mismatch risks resulting in the construction industry being left without the skilled employees needed to deliver on the Government’s ambitions for housebuilding.
To solve this crisis, the LGA wants funding and responsibilities over employment and skills services to be devolved to local areas.
This would allow councils, schools, colleges and employers to work together and ensure young people and the unemployed develop the vital skills to build, essential for creating the homes and jobs our communities need.
