The UK's construction industry would need a considerable boost to its labour force or a change in building methods to meet the government's annual 300,000 new homes target, according to a report by Make UK Modular.
The organisation found that the country's workforce is not large enough to meet the current demand for housing, replace workers who will retire in the coming years and help retrofit homes for the path to net zero.
In 2019-20 there were just 242,700 net additional dwellings, which fell to 216,490 in 2020-21, partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the research, the traditional housebuilding sector needs to recruit 137,000 more workers to hit the new homes 300,000 target by 2030 – triple the current rate. The manufacturers’ organisation said only 11,000 construction apprentices finished courses last year, and most did not start a job in the housebuilding industry.
New construction workers will also be needed to replace...