Rachel Credidio, Group people and transformation director responds to the Summer statement

“The Kickstart scheme and apprenticeship funding announced by the chancellor has the potential to be a catalyst for change in our sector given housing has historically suffered from skills shortages, especially in construction. At a time like this, when hundreds of thousands of young people are anxious about how they begin and build their careers, it is only right to be supporting them and the companies that can offer them jobs.

“It remains essential that we as business leaders view the skills gap as our problem to address. Government support helps but it also serves as a reminder that it’s the responsibility of the business community to act responsibly and take a long-term view.

“There is, after all, a reason it’s called investing in talent –  apprentices fulfill a number of crucial roles in our organisation so we’ve seen just how big a pay off there is for businesses, the economy and society as a whole if we create a new generation of young people with the skills to succeed. For the housing sector, they’ll be vital to helping us build the homes the country needs too.”