BARNSLEY North MP Dan Jarvis has backed the government’s plan to ‘get Britain building’.
He welcomed news that the construction sector is set to benefit from an ‘unprecedented package’ of measures to boost the construction workforce and deliver good jobs.
He says that under the previous Conservative government, the construction sector repeatedly sounded the alarm over skills shortages, with around 320,000 workers lost between 2019 and 2024.
As part of Labour’s ‘Plan for Change’ to build 1.5 million homes, the government have announced a £600m investment over the next four years to deliver 60,000 more construction workers by 2029, establish Technical Excellence Colleges, and launch new foundation apprenticeships.
Dan said: “As anybody who’s ever had the pleasure of meeting the students and staff at Barnsley College’s ‘The CUBE’ will know, trainee brickies, sparkies, and other construction workers are vital to the success of our town and our country - as are the teachers and employers who train them.
“Given that the Conservative government missed every housing target they set over the last fourteen years and Britain faces a housing crisis, construction students, teachers, and employers will all play a vital role in the Labour government’s Plan for Change to build the 1.5 million homes this country desperately needs.
“It’s great to see that the government are backing them with a £600m investment - supporting students with new training and placements, supporting staff with new resources and improved pay, and supporting employers with new funding for on-the-job training.”
