The Guardian view on construction workers: the country needs more of them, fast

‘In a recent survey, more than a third of young people did not view a job in construction as a respected career path. More than half considered the sector not welcoming to women.’ Photograph: sturti/Getty Images

During the 1980s, the construction industry provided the backdrop to one of Britain’s best-loved television comedies. Auf Wiedersehen, Pet chronicled the progress of three Geordie bricklayers as they fled a recession-hit country to seek work in Düsseldorf. That was then. A contemporary reworking would need to start from a radically different premise.

Notwithstanding the contribution of a large migrant workforce, the modern construction sector is underpowered and dramatically understaffed. Annual job vacancies total about 38,000, half of which cannot be filled due to a shortage of skills. For a government committed to sustainably building 1.5m new homes and environmentally upgrading the existing housing stock – as well as renewing national infrastructure more generally – that is a serious problem. The Construction Industry Training Board has estimated that between now and 2029, about 240,000 new hires will be needed.