In 2025, government announced £625m of investment to increase construction skills, aiming to have 60,000 more construction workers by 2029 in key trades with skills gaps. It has separately committed to deliver 1.5m new homes; to upgrade the energy performance of up to 5m homes; and a £725 billion investment in infrastructure. These commitments will rely on increasing the numbers of construction workers.
The PAC has a longstanding interest in the delivery of infrastructure programmes, which will be impacted by constraints in construction workforce capacity. Its 2026 inquiry into the New Hospital Programme heard that government would have preferred to complete replacement hospitals for those affected by crumbling concrete sooner, but that delivery speed had been held back by market capacity. In 2022, the PAC’s report on developing workforce skills for a strong economy expressed extreme concern at dramatic falls in further education and skills training, finding that an annual £4 billion spend was failing to deliver the necessary skills for the economy.
In summer 2026, the National Audit Office (NAO) publishes its report into increasing construction skills, examining whether government is well-placed to secure value for money in delivering the skills required by employers.
Proceeding from the NAO’s report, the PAC will take evidence from senior officials at the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education, as it examines government’s progress in meeting its target to boost construction skills.
The Committee will welcome written evidence on these issues in due course.
Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. The Committee decides what information to publish and how. You can request anonymity or confidentiality when you send evidence, but it is for the Committee to say whether it will agree.It may treat submissions confidentially, even where you have not requested this.
Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues.