Sadiq Khan spends millions on workers to build homes in London
Key Points
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan will spend £88.6 on training new construction workers to accelerate housebuilding in the capital.
- The investment is funded by DfE and will include £43 million being invested in colleges to support training of construction workers.
- London's housebuilding industry faces severe labour shortages, with critical gaps in specific trades.
- More than 20,000 construction courses will be delivered by this package, along with industry placements.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan will spend £88.6 million training new construction workers to help reach London’s housebuilding targets.
Khan announced the investment package on Monday 27 July, stating that a portion of the funds would be used to deliver more than 20,000 construction courses, alongside industry placements, to train the capital’s next generation of construction workers and address the industry’s critical skills shortage.
The new package is funded by the Department for Education (DfE), and will see the Mayor investing in high-quality training facilities and equipment at colleges across the capital.
£43 million will be invested in colleges to support new or improved training facilities and equipment, a £2.5 million fund will test and scale training provision, and more than 2.700 industry teaching days will be delivered to learners from construction workers.
In his recently published London Plan, Khan announced his goal of building as many as 558,000 new homes in London by 2037, despite acknowledging that the capital currently faces on of the most difficult development markets since the 2008 financial crisis.
London’s housebuilding industry is experiencing a severe structural labour shortage, with the most critical gaps in trades such as bricklaying and carpentry, plumbing, and electrical installation.
According to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Greater London will require approximately 26,500 additional construction workers over a five-year period to service ongoing demands.
“We can’t build the homes Londoners desperately need without the skilled workforce to deliver them,” Khan said.
“That’s why I’m investing an unprecedented £88.6m to train London’s next generation of construction workers, helping thousands of Londoners develop the skills they need to access good jobs while tackling critical skills shortages across the industry.”
“This landmark investment will deliver more than 20,000 construction courses, alongside industry placements and major investment in our colleges, ensuring London has the skilled workforce needed to build more homes and make existing homes more energy efficient,” he added.
