Marvin OnumonuLondon’s Build Academy has welcomed Chris McDonald (pictured, right), Minister for Industry in the Department for Business and Trade.
The scheme – set up by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Federation of Master Builders (FMB), and Shooters Hill Sixth Form College – aims to tackle skills shortages in repair, maintenance and improvement (RMI), including green skills and retrofit.
The pilot works with 20 students at a time, supporting them into jobs with local small and medium-sized builders.
The target is to get students into full-time work with SMEs by June 2026.
Students, aged 16 to 19, get practical experience, health and safety training, and business knowledge to help them start work on site.
The initiative forms part of the domestic retrofit section of the RMI Sector Skills Plan, which CITB supports.
Sector skills plans are designed to match workforce supply with industry demand and support national priorities.
CITB’s Construction Workforce Outlook found that 47,000 extra workers are needed each year in the UK by 2029.
In London, recruitment needs to go up by 8,460 workers a year to meet demand.
McDonald said: “Britain needs more construction workers, and that’s why I was pleased to visit the Build Academy today to see the pivotal role places like this are playing in bringing the next generation into this highly skilled profession.
“This Government is fully behind these efforts, in partnership with industry.
“That’s why we’re investing £625 million into construction skills training, and promoting the great work opportunities in this sector is a top priority of mine as Co-Chair of the Construction Leadership Council.”
Tim Balcon, CEO at CITB, said: “The Build Academy shows what can be achieved when industry and education work together with real ambition.
“By giving young people hands‑on experience with employers, we’re helping them become site‑ready from day one and supporting SMEs that urgently need new talent.
“We’re proud to work with FMB and Shooters Hill College to build a more inclusive, skilled and future‑focused construction workforce.”
Brian Berry (pictured, left), CEO of FMB and RMI (domestic retrofit) Sector Skills Plan chair, said: “The Build Academy training initiative is a new employer-led approach to workforce development in the building industry.
“Led primarily by FMB members, who are small, local builders that often struggle to hire apprentices due to risk, cost and administrative issues.
“It is not a traditional apprenticeship scheme; it’s a brand-new initiative that creates employment pathways for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who might otherwise not have the opportunity.”
Berry added: “Crucially, this is not training for its own sake – it is designed to lead to real jobs and long-term careers at a time when our industry is grappling with well-documented skills shortages.”
Geoff Osborne, principal of Shooters Hill Sixth Form College, said: “Today is about more than just a ministerial visit; it is a testament to the fact that our construction learners are part of something bigger.
“At the Build Academy we are transforming lives by preparing our learners for the next steps in a career within the construction industry that offers skills for lifelong learning.
“Seeing the Minister engage with our learners reinforces that they are the heartbeat of an industry that builds our future.”
