TrustMark the Government endorsed quality scheme for work carried out in or around a home, held an event at the House of Lords to launch their report “Skilled to Build: Empowering the UK’s Repair, Maintenance and Improvement sector for a better future”.
FIS was consulted throughout the process, contributing valuable insights to the report. Iain McIlwee, CEO of FIS, also attended the launch event, reinforcing FIS’s commitment to supporting the future of the RMI sector.
A representative for Trustmark commented, “It was exciting to share with the attendees the results of our research, which involved over 1,200 small and micro businesses working across the construction and RMI sectors. This research highlights factors contributing to the skills gap in the UK construction and home repair, maintenance, and improvement (RMI) sectors, and proposes practical policy and operational recommendations to create career opportunities.”
The key highlights from the research include:
- An estimated 39,000 businesses are at risk of disappearing from the sector in the next 10 years
- 64% of small and micro businesses cite a lack of financial incentives acting as a barrier to recruiting apprentices
- There is headroom to employ an additional 195,000 skilled tradespeople in the RMI sector
The report also proposes recommendations to help meet this gap, falling into main categories:
- Developing and delivering fit-for-purpose training & curricula
- Strengthening the navigation system for businesses to find recruits
- Unlocking and raising awareness of the financial incentives available; and training and encouraging businesses into renewables and clean heat technologies
To read the report in full visit: www.trustmark.org.uk/pages/skills-gap-research
