Background
The government sees building a skilled construction workforce as key to driving economic growth. Between 2019-20 and 2024-25, the workforce declined by 7% to 2.6 million. There are a wide range of qualifications and skills programmes which students and learners can participate in to gain construction skills, including apprenticeships, NVQs, T Levels and Skills Bootcamps.
To support a sustainable number of skilled workers and help businesses invest in training, in 2025 government announced £625 million of investment to increase construction skills. It expects this will create up to 60,000 more construction workers by 2029 in key trades with skills gaps. Government has announced a broad range of interventions to increase construction skills over this Parliament, including:
- establishing 10 new Construction Technical Excellence Colleges across England to partner with colleges and training providers and create partnerships with employers
- funding over 40,000 industry placements each year to help get learners studying construction courses site-ready and support their progression into jobs
- expanding construction Skills Bootcamps for adult learners who are new or returning to the sector or who are looking to upskill
In September 2025, government announced that responsibility for apprenticeships, adult skills and Skills England would transfer to the Department for Work and Pensions. The Department for Education retained responsibility for higher education, and further education, skills, training and careers for those aged 19 and under.
Scope
This study will examine whether government is well-placed to secure value for money in delivering the construction skills required by employers. It will look at whether:
- government’s plans for increasing construction skills are realistic and informed by a clear understanding of current and future construction skills gaps
- the construction skills system is set up in a way which promotes employment outcomes required across the economy
- the government has set up its interventions to increase construction skills in a way that is likely to secure and demonstrate value for money
NAO team
Director: Emma Willson
Audit Manager: Stephanie Woodrow