There has been a lot of noise about the government’s business rates U-turn for struggling pubs. It’s easy to see why. Off the back of the announcement, sector after sector has been lining up to ask the Chancellor for help, as businesses across the country face an ever-increasing tax burden.
But there’s one industry that is too often overlooked – despite being central to almost everything the government wants to achieve. Fixing the housing crisis, or becoming a clean energy superpower cannot happen without Britain’s 900,000 tradespeople.
“Build, baby, build” may be the mantra of the Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, but those 1.5 million homes won’t build themselves; this is going to be a tough target to meet.
Why? Because standing between ministers and their housing ambitions is a growing skills crisis right across the trade industry. Research from the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning shows the construction industry is facing a severe shortage, with more than 140,000 vacancies holding up vital housing and infrastructure projects.
Checkatrade’s own research, Trade Nation, found that seven in ten tradespeople see the skills shortage as one of the biggest barriers to growing their business. Nearly half have never hired an apprentice – and don’t plan to. Apprenticeships have traditionally been the lifeblood of the trades. Now much of the industry is turning its back on them.
So why are apprenticeships falling out of favour? It’s not because tradespeople don’t care about the next generation; cost is a major factor. So is the time commitment. And many tradespeople tell us they simply struggle to find the right candidate. When you’re running a small business, those hurdles can feel overwhelming.
It’s true the government has made progress in breaking down these barriers. Reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy, and the Budget commitment to make apprenticeships free for SMEs hiring young people, should make a real difference.
But skills policy is only half the battle. Tradespeople face a whole host of other pressures – from soaring material costs and late payments to the epidemic of tool theft. These challenges stack up quickly, and for many businesses, they can make taking on an apprentice feel like a risk they simply can’t afford. If we don’t tackle these issues head-on, it’s hard to see how the sector can flourish.
Tradespeople are ready to play their part in the government’s growth agenda. As ministers rethink how they support British businesses – whether through rates relief, tax reform or targeted investment – they must not overlook the very people who turn ambition into reality. Without Britain’s tradespeople, there is no housing boom, no clean energy transition and no growth.
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