Housebuilder Barratt Homes is launching a new campaign to encourage more people into the sector.
With landscaping roles particularly hard to fill, Barratt Developments, which encompasses the Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands, is launching the Constructing Futures campaign, with an aim to bridge the skills gap and encourage more people to consider working as landscapers within the housebuilding sector.
An estimated 230,000 construction jobs are set to be created throughout the UK in the next five years, but the industry is struggling to keep up with the pace of change, Barratt Developments believes the skills shortage is holding back housebuilders across the country back from meeting the Government’s ambitious housebuilding targets.
As well as the need for young people to consider a career as a landscaper, Barratt Developments believes that existing construction firms in the industry need to consider taking on more business from housebuilders and to reap the benefits of being a subcontractor in the industry.
The call comes after BALI recently launched its GoLandscape initiative aimed at encouraging the next generation of landscapers and also provide an opportunity for career changers to move into the industry.
Barratt Developments is calling on firms to join them at their Constructing Futures events, which will see the housebuilder addressing common concerns about working in the industry and offering firms practical advice on how to get their foot in the door and managing their subcontractor business. Barratt Developments will also be working with schools and colleges to deliver talks and practical workshops to showcase the career opportunities available in the housebuilding sector.
Steve Mattinson, Construction Director at Barratt Developments Yorkshire East, commented: “It’s fantastic that the Government has ambitious aims to boost housebuilding, but the simple fact is that the UK will never have the number of homes it needs if we don’t have the skilled people required to build them.
"It isn’t just about encouraging more students to train as painters and decorators, even though this is a worthy aim. Children leaving school and college are unaware of the opportunities available to them, but existing construction firms also don’t realise the sheer potential in the housebuilding industry. What we want to say to these firms is that the Government plans to build 25,000 new homes by 2020 and as a result businesses across the county have a unique opportunity to take advantage of this supported growth.
“We know that some firms might have reservations about investing and getting involved, so as part of the Constructing Futures campaign we are aiming to dispel some of these myths and to showcase the fantastic opportunities available to hard working people who want to work in the housebuilding sector.
"In partnership with this, we will also be teaming up with schools and colleges across the UK to educate youngsters on the wealth of career opportunities available within the construction industry, to ensure we have enough skilled people to build the homes of the future.”
Barratt Developments will be launching the Constructing Futures events in 2017.
