Helping to bridge the skills gap one step at a time

Last year we pledged to work with our subcontractors to recruit and train more people to the highest standards. The idea is to tackle ‘head on’ the pressing building industry skills gap in the East Midlands and East of England.

The Home Building Skills Pledge is a set of five key actions developed by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) through its Home Building Skills Partnership to solve a nationwide skills shortage. It also recognises the importance of ‘future-proofing’ workforce skills by developing new ways for people to enter the building industry as well as developing existing talent with the industry.

The Skills Pledge covers five key areas: Collaborate and share; Train to a standard; Engage and support; Champion diversity and inclusion; and Promote careers. By signing up to the Pledge, companies will also be supporting the HBF’s Home Building Skills Partnership and working to its shared goals.

We are delighted to be supporting the Home Building Skills Pledge and being part of the growing momentum for really tackling this crucial agenda. It is vital to nurture the future of the construction industry if we are to build the homes that the country needs.

By signing up to the pledge we are committing Larkfleet Homes to recruit the best possible talent and to train people to the highest standards. By being proactive in terms of engaging staff, and by being inclusive and diverse in our recruitment, we will be able to future-proof our workforce to continue to deliver high quality new homes.

We are already a major investor in training and skills development. We are one of the sponsors of the newly-opened Greater Peterborough University Technical College which aims to give young people ‘hands on’ as well as theoretical training for careers in the engineering and construction sectors.

The Home Building Skills Partnership is funded by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and was set up to tackle the industry’s skills shortage. It is already attracting and training the people the industry needs to deliver more, high quality homes in the future.

The key is promoting awareness of careers available in housebuilding. Visit the HBF website to check out your career options in housebuilding.