The West Midlands Mayor has set out plans to address growing labour shortages in the construction sector as development activity increases across the region.<\/p>\n
The Building Growth Action Plan aims to support up to 12,000 people into construction roles over the next three years, in response to demand linked to housing delivery, infrastructure investment and retrofit programmes.<\/p>\n
Recent data shows a sharp rise in construction activity, with 23 new project starts recorded in 2025, more than double the previous year. The increase reflects ongoing demand for new homes, transport improvements and major regeneration schemes.<\/p>\n
Industry estimates suggest the region will need around 12,000 additional workers to meet this demand.<\/p>\n
Mayor Richard Parker said: “While the future feels uncertain for many, construction offers a well-paid, stable career for life. Whether you\u2019re working with bricks and mortar or in engineering and design, there are huge opportunities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are now seeing a construction boom across our region and I am determined to make sure local people are at the front of the queue to secure the vital jobs this is creating \u2013 jobs that are quite literally building the West Midlands and building Britain.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Building Growth Action Plan will bring together investment and partners to deliver the skilled pipeline of talent that the industry needs, powering new jobs, building new homes and creating new opportunities to drive investment, growth and prosperity across our region.\u201d<\/p>\n
The plan includes measures to increase training provision, improve links between education and employment, and expand access to industry placements. It follows an additional \u00a375m commitment to construction training.<\/p>\n
Delivery is expected to involve collaboration between training providers, employers and industry bodies, alongside existing apprenticeship and skills initiatives.<\/p>\n
Tim Balcon, CEO at CITB, said: \u201cThe launch of the Building Growth Action Plan for the West Midlands marks an important step towards building a more joined-up regional construction skills ecosystem. The plan will help inform a new partnership and regional action plan between CITB and the WMCA, ensuring the West Midlands develops the skilled workforce needed to deliver ambitious housing, retrofit and infrastructure programmes.<\/p>\n
\u201cLater this year, CITB will also launch a new National Construction Mayoral Network, designed to strengthen alignment between national and regional government priorities while enabling mayors and regional leaders to share best practice and innovation across the construction sector.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The West Midlands Mayor has set out plans to support up to 12,000 people into construction roles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2109635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[127720],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2109634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-skills","tag-black-country","tag-coventry-and-warwickshire","tag-featured-story","tag-greater-birmingham","tag-shropshire","tag-staffordshire","tag-worcestershire"],"yoast_head":"\n