The lack of new housing is being worsened by a corresponding shortage of young people entering the construction industry - particularly in skilled trades such as bricklaying, plastering and carpentry. With Britain's housing supply crisis worsening rapidly, industry chiefs are calling on the nation's youth to help.

Just as the shortage of homes has caused house prices to increase dramatically in the recent past, the corresponding shortage of skilled workers means that job opportunities and earnings potential for those who do choose a career in construction have never been better.

Now Britain s biggest house builders have joined forces with ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for Construction. The aim is to provide young people with career opportunities in house building.

A spokesperson for the House Builders Federation said: “Britain's younger generation knows all about the problems caused by too few homes being built because it is increasingly difficult to get a foot on the housing ladder. Ultimately, however, part of the solution to this problem is in their hands."

"The younger generation is needed by our industry and the country to deliver the number of new homes required. Our industry can let them know about the huge potential awaiting them. There are excellent career possibilities in construction and, with government pressing for a big increase in house building, the opportunities have never been better.”

Housebuilders and ConstructionSkills have a new three-point programme to increase the opportunities and training available. The plan includes:

• In addition to its existing commitment to the traditional apprenticeship training, the Major Home Builders’ Group (MHBG) and ConstructionSkills are jointly developing a new initiative to greatly increase the number of training places for skilled trades in house building.
• MHBG and ConstructionSkills are promoting the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) through sub-contractors, with the aim of having a fully card-carrying workforce by 2007.
• MHBG and ConstructionSkills will work together to draw up a new flexible qualifications structure for residential site management that can be delivered in an efficient way to ensure site managers have the appropriate and relevant skills for the projects they are working on.