A housing group is launching a campaign to recruit more young people to the property industry in general and the building sector in particular.

A recent report by the London Homes Coalitionhas shown significant skills gaps in areas like asset management, and research by the Construction Industry Training Board has shown a need for 251,500 skilled workers nationwide by 2028.

The new government is also seeking to improve skills provision across the country, with the creation of Skills England announced last month.

Hayley Hayes, chair of the new campaign – called Futures Network – says: “For anyone working in the housing sector, we recognise there is a skills shortage in UK construction. Recruiting people into the sector and then retaining them is the biggest challenge. 

“Over the last 12 months, the Futures Network have been working on several projects, reaching out to the wider sector and beyond, to really try and understand the challenges around the skills shortage.  

“The Futures Network have produced another fantastic product, consisting of podcasts to provide insights into the best practices for promoting strong workplace cultures within the housing sector.  

“Discussions around recruitment practices that are fit for the future, how can we raise awareness to the sector by harnessing the positives and demystifying the negatives to encourage youths to choose construction as a career. And the need for up-skilling in a face paced sector that is constantly evolving its regulatory landscape.”