West Midlands bosses confident millions pumped into construction skills supply

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said thousands will be trained for jobs in the sector over the next few years, when quizzed on whether enough money was being spent on skills.

This was in response to Solihull councillor Andrew Burrow, who raised the issue at a West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) joint overview and scrutiny committee meeting.

Local authorities across the region have housing targets for the coming years while Mr Parker himself wants to build 2,000 social homes a year by 2028.

Councillor Burrow said: “We’ve got a big housing target and there’s always been a lack of skills.

“A few years back, I did a City and Guilds plumbing course level two and became a self-employed plumber. I know how difficult that is to do.

“Do we have enough money to train sufficient building and construction workers to meet the regional housing targets?”

Mr Parker said: “In the summer last year, I launched a Growth Plan and we subsequently took that to Westminster.

“One aspect of our Growth Plan is it recognises the fundamental importance to our regional economy of the everyday economy. That includes construction, engineering, hospitality.

“The issue of construction is of paramount importance. We have around a quarter of the workforce in the West Midlands with low skills and no skills.

“Too many people in low paid work and, in some of our poorest and deprived wards, we have twice as many young people out of work than the national average.

“Sectors like construction are fantastic which allow folks from some of those communities access to the skills they need to get that well paid work.

“Be in no doubt, we understand the quantum of funding we’re spending and we want to make sure we’re investing in the young people particularly that would require the skills.

“We’re investing now £20 million per year from our skills budget in the construction sector and that commitment we’ve made over the next three and a half years is £75 million.

“That will train 12,000 young people in getting apprenticeships and skills which will allow them to get jobs in that sector.

“It’s also a sector with an ageing workforce too so those skills need to be replaced.

“In 25/26 we delivered almost 9,000 level three qualifications in the sector and an additional 15,000 in essential skills courses.

“We are doing that work and very fortunate in this region to have a technical excellence college in Dudley which is also contributing to those skills.

“We’re doing as much as we can. But we are part of the eco-skills system and we are not it.

“Very soon we will be announcing a Compact with our further education colleges which will continue to build upon what we’ve done.”