The government’s plan unveiled last week, will create 120,000 training opportunities across bricklaying, carpentry and healthcare support.

The budget includes £14 million to develop adult construction skills, plus £100 million to expand construction skills bootcamps.

There are also plans to establish ten technical excellence colleges.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said, “when we invest for young people, we invest in a shared economic future”.

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The weekly pay for roofers in England and Wales has plunged by nearly 10% since the end of 2024 — that’s according to stats from Hudson Contract.

Roofers under 25 experienced the biggest drop, with the weekly average wage dropping to £642.

The highest paid age group – those between 35 and 49 years old – witnessed a 7% fall in average weekly earnings.

The decline in pay wasn’t seen everywhere in the building trades. 

On average self-employed tradespeople saw a 5.5% increase in April, compared with last year.

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Builders in Bristol sent up a drone to search for a swan, after a stray cygnet waddled on site.

The baby swan was pottering around Wessex Water’s recycling centre at Avonmouth, which is currently undergoing a £100m expansion.

After driving around the local area, the team from YTL Construction eventually reunited the cygnet with its parents.

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