The MP for Tamworth and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for SME Housebuilders, Sarah Edwards MP, has joined the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) to discuss the impact of AI and the need to boost skills
Builder licensing, planning delays, artificial intelligence, and the construction skills crisis are all hot topics within the industry at the moment.
Speaking with the FMB, Edwards is urging the government to take urgent action to rectify the skills crisis, especially, and that without reform, building 1.5m new homes will not be possible.
Construction cannot be automated
Edwards has argued that construction is one of the most secure and future-proof career paths because “AI can’t actually put bricks together and build a house. Unless we’re going to start investing huge amounts of money into robots – which isn’t going to be a cost-effective way – then we’re not going to be there. There is a huge opportunity for people to get themselves a career that isn’t going to be redundant. It literally can’t be.”
As such, training courses such as the college courses that combine on-site experience with learning will be vital and should be expanded on, she argues.
She also argues that mandatory licensing for builders will be crucial to help people hire builders with confidence and avoid rogue and cowboy builders: “Most of the good people are already doing it. They’re already meeting those kind of standards. So it’s just agreeing with the government — if they are going to bring that in — how do they take the right information from organisations like yours to make sure that when it is rolled out, it’s done in the best way possible.”
The FMB continues its call for builder licensing
Brian Berry, chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Sarah Edwards speaks with real authority on the challenges facing small housebuilders on our Build Up from the Basement podcast – and we welcome her commitment to championing their voice in government.
“The FMB has long called for mandatory licensing to protect consumers and raise standards across the industry; it is encouraging to hear an MP of her standing make this case so clearly. Small builders are essential to delivering the homes this country needs and they deserve a planning system, a skills pipeline and a licensing framework that works for them.”
Earlier in June, the FMB released research showing that young homeowners are at particular risk of hiring cowboy builders due to the rise in the exploitation of online reviews and comparison platforms.
Berry explained: “Young homeowners are hiring builders the same way they would order a takeaway – scrolling through reviews and choosing whoever has five stars. But online reviews can be faked, comparison sites are not regulated, and neither are small building companies, which can make it easier for rogue or cowboy builders to appear more credible than they are.
“That’s why traditional vetting methods matter. Choosing a builder through a trade body like the FMB gives homeowners extra reassurance that the company has been properly checked and independently vetted, helping to reduce the risk of encountering cowboy traders.”
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