Business news 13/10/2024

North East mayor shares her vision to bridge the skills gap with the next generation of house builders

Keepmoat and new home warranty and insurance provider NHBC, (National House Building Council) has welcomed the Mayor of the North East, Kim McGuinness, to tour the NHBC Training Hub at ‘The Rise’ in Newcastle.

The Rise development is a project from New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC), a partnership between Keepmoat and Newcastle City Council, that aims to deliver 1,800 new homes in the area.

The NHBC Training Hub, located at The Rise, is a purpose-built facility designed to immerse apprentices in a realistic working environment, with an initial focus on bricklaying. This initiative is equipping the next generation of skilled workers with hands-on experience to meet the growing demand in the house-building industry.

The partners involved in the NHBC Training Hub welcomed Ms McGuinness who enjoyed a tour of the facilities, met with local apprentices and discussed her vision to support the creation of larger cohorts to address the construction skills gap. Industry figures suggest an extra 224,900 people need to be recruited for construction jobs by 2027.

Mayor of the North East, Kim McGuinness, said: “I am determined we don’t just build new homes in North East England but build a new generation of skilled workers at the same time. That is what it means to make our region the home of real opportunity.

“It was inspiring to catch up with Kaycie and her fellow bricklayers and see how their training has been going. We discussed the real hunger there is among young people to learn new skills and build careers. That’s why the actions we are delivering as a North East Combined Authority, such as our £17 million Skills Bootcamp programme announced this week, are so important for the future.”

Kaycie Hall, Keepmoat’s first female bricklaying apprentice in the region, spoke with Ms McGuinness about the work taking place at the hub. Kaycie comments: "The NHBC Training Hub provides a fantastic opportunity for people like me to explore the house building industry and its various career paths. It has been great to meet the Mayor and learn about her plans to support workers in the future."

The NHBC Training Hub is part of an ongoing commitment to combat the skills shortage in the area, whilst creating social value and a sustainable community by generating opportunities in upskilling and employment close to The Rise.

Ian Worgan, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat North East, added: “It’s been fantastic to welcome Mayor McGuinness to the NHBC training hub here in Scotswood. We recently celebrated the second full year of operations at the hub and we're delighted with the tremendous impact it has already made on apprentices like Kaycie in providing critical skills, training and job opportunities for local young people, students, and job seekers.

“The NHBC Training Hub is delivering key skilled workers into the talent pipeline in the face of a skills shortage and it’s been special to receive the support of the North East Mayor.”

Roger Morton, Director of NHBC Training Hubs, said: “ It was a pleasure for our expert trainers to showcase how NHBC is leading the way in shaping the next generation of house builders. Our unique approach means apprentices across our national network of hubs train in real site conditions throughout their course, ensuring they graduate fully equipped to meet the demands of working on site and adhere to NHBC Standards, the benchmark for quality in house building.

“We’re proud to see apprentices completing this fast-track training in as little as 14 months, with an average completion time of 18 months—many achieving distinctions. This is nearly twice as fast as traditional routes, which can take up to 30 months.

“As the industry faces the challenge of delivering 1.5 million new homes by 2029 and the urgent need to address an aging workforce, we must find new ways to encourage more people to enter house building which can offer a rewarding and well-paid career path. At NHBC, we’re committed to welcoming people from all backgrounds and helping to shape the next generation of housebuilders."