By Sarah Macklin 
The UK property and construction industry is facing what Mike Reader MP has called a “national emergency”. That is the growing shortage of skilled tradespeople.
Speaking on the Federation of Master Builders’ (FMB) Build Up from the Basement podcast, Mike, who’s also known as the Government’s Construction Champion, laid out some bold ideas for addressing the crisis and ensuring the sector can deliver on housing and infrastructure goals.
What is the skills shortage and why is it a problem?
Reader, who has spent over 20 years in the industry with firms like Mace, argued that the traditional routes into construction simply aren’t working. School talks and short work experience placements, he said, aren’t enough to bring in the next generation.
“We can’t keep doing the same thing we’ve always done of talking in schools, of doing work experience programmes […] I think actually either you do or don’t want to work in the sector […] and you should be able to come in, try it and learn very quicky.”
Instead, he advocates for intensive “boot camp” style training, where newcomers get real hands-on experience.
Would a construction GCSE help?
One of Reader’s strongest points was that the sector is engaging young people far too late. By the time teenagers leave school, many have already chosen their career paths, and construction often isn’t even on their radar.
“We should be looking at GCSE for the built environment […] I think we engage too late. We should be introducing people a lot younger to the built environment.”
This early exposure could help schools highlight the variety of roles in construction, from skilled trades to modern methods like 3D printing, and show that the industry is about far more than hard hats and muddy boots.
Do specialist trades have their place alongside traditional trades?
While Reader acknowledged the exciting potential of technologies like 3D printing, he made it clear that they won’t replace the need for traditional craftsmanship.
“It’s not going to work on every site […] but we also will always have a need for specialist trades […] I think we’re a very innovative industry. What we’re not great at is adopting […] There is a place to say we’ve got a product we can deliver now, let’s just get on and deliver it.”
In other words, the future of construction will require a mix of modern skills and age-old trades, both of which depend on attracting, training, and retaining new talent.
Why this matters for homeowners and landlords
The skills shortage isn’t just a problem for government targets. It directly affects property owners. Fewer skilled workers means longer waiting times for projects, higher labour costs, and a greater risk of rogue traders stepping in to fill the gap.
The MP emphasised the benefits of licensing: consumer protection and professional recognition. He said:
“We need skilled trades like the building trades to be recognised for being the skilled craft people that they are and the quality that they deliver.”
Discussing the £14.3bn lost to rogue builders, as revealed by the FMB, he highlighted concerning cases from his constituency surgeries, including constituents who lost £60,000 to builders who disappeared. Reader stressed that licensing would address the industry’s image challenge: “It’s about credibility. We want skilled trades to be recognised as the skilled craft people that they are.”
What does the FMB think?
Commenting on the podcast, FMB CEO Brian Berry said:
“Mike Reader’s commitment to driving forward a licensing scheme for retrofit work represents a significant step towards protecting consumers and raising standards across the construction industry. His understanding and personal experience in the industry and of the challenges facing our members, combined with his political position, makes him a valuable advocate for the professional trades.
“The FMB has long campaigned for proper licensing and regulation, and we’re pleased to see Government taking these consumer protection issues seriously and we look forward to continuing to work with Mike in the future to better support the building industry.”
Unless the UK finds a way to bring more young people into the construction workforce, the skills crisis will continue to grow. Boot camps, earlier engagement in schools, and national recruitment campaigns could all play a role in fixing the pipeline, but it will take joined-up effort from government, industry, and educators to turn this vision into reality.
