Jobs Market

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

The noble Viscount will be aware that in March, the Government announced the new Construction Skills Mission Board, which has already met. It will help to ensure that employers are able to work collaboratively to secure the workforce they need to meet future demand, and to build the houses we so desperately need. Our department is working closely with MHCLG and across government to support the delivery of the Government’s commitment to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament. I should add that we are introducing foundational apprenticeships, which will be underpinned by an employer incentive payment to contribute to the extra cost of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. So, whether it is young people going into the workforce or into construction, or the delivery of the housing we need, we have a plan and we are working to it.

[Baroness Smith of Llanfaes (PC)]

My Lords, the Institute of Student Employers has found that in 2023, there were an average of 140 applicants per graduate role, the highest in over 30 years. What specific initiatives are His Majesty’s Government supporting for the creation of more graduate jobs outside London?

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

My Lords, as part of the Get Britain Working plan, we are ensuring that there are local growth plans across the economy, because we recognise that different labour markets have different needs, and different populations in the different areas, regions and indeed nations of our country have different profiles and skills levels. We are determined to get the whole country working through a number of different ways, including reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain, bringing together Jobcentre Plus with the National Careers Service in England so that we can move from box-ticking to job-finding.