PLANS to equip 12,000 young people with skills needed to fill construction roles is at the heart of West Midlands Mayor’s new plan.
Richard Parker launched his Building Growth Action Plan, aims to bridge the skills gap by creating more training placements in construction, and by strengthening transition from full time study into work through high quality industry placements.
The West Midlands has seen a surge in construction activity with the Deloitte Birmingham Crane Survey 2026 recording 23 new starts on site in 2025 the highest number in five years and more than double the previous year.
The Mayor was joined by key stakeholders and partners, including the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), for the launch of his Building Growth Action Plan.
CITB estimate the region needs 12,000 construction workers over the next three years.
He said: “While the future feels uncertain for many, construction offers a well-paid, stable career for life. Whether you’re working with bricks and mortar or in engineering and design, there are huge opportunities.
“We are now seeing a construction boom across our region and I am determined to make sure local people are at the front of the queue to secure the vital jobs this is creating – jobs that are quite literally building the West Midlands and building Britain.
“My Building Growth Action Plan will bring together investment and partners to deliver the skilled pipeline of talent that the industry needs, powering new jobs, building new homes and creating new opportunities to drive investment, growth and prosperity across our region.”
It follows the Mayor’s announcement of £75million additional funding for construction training along with plans to unlock further private investment.
The plan is to be led by key partners and businesses in the Construction Sector, who will work together to grow a sustainable pipeline of emerging talent and will build on the success of the recently launched Construction Technical Excellence College (CTEC) – led by Dudley College.
Tim Balcon, chief executive at CITB said, “The launch of the Building Growth Action Plan for the West Midlands marks an important step towards building a more joined-up regional construction skills ecosystem.
“The plan will help inform a new partnership and regional action plan between CITB and the WMCA, ensuring the West Midlands develops the skilled workforce needed to deliver ambitious housing, retrofit and infrastructure programmes.
“Later this year, CITB will also launch a new National Construction Mayoral Network, designed to strengthen alignment between national and regional government priorities while enabling mayors and regional leaders to share best practice and innovation across the construction sector.”
