By Alison McGovern MP, Minister for State for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions
It is clear that to get Britain growing again we must get Britain building again, which is why we’ve committed to building 1.5 million homes in England by the end of this parliament and announced £39 billion for the development of affordable social housing in the Spending Review.
I know that to make this commitment a reality, we need to support the construction industry with the right workforce it needs to deliver. This is why we are working with colleagues across government to address the skills gap in construction, including a £625 million investment to train 60,000 more construction workers by 2029.
At the DWP, we know Jobcentre Plus will be at the heart of supporting this ambition. This is why, we recently signed a refreshed Partnership Agreement with the Construction Industry Training Board to enable jobcentres to work more closely with the sector to offer work experience and tailored placements to meet both the needs of employers and people looking to start a fulfilling career in construction.
This renewed agreement will enhance and build on how the DWP supports the sector with its recruitment needs. Which is why I want to take this opportunity to talk to you about how your local jobcentre can help your construction business. We have more than 600 jobcentres spanning the length and breadth of the country, and thousands of amazing Work Coaches full of passion and expertise ready to help the industry recruit the staff it needs at no extra cost. The jobcentre can offer free support with application processes, sifting for suitable candidates, pre-employment training programmes and promote vacancies to jobseekers actively looking for work. In many cases, your local Jobcentre Plus offices can also be used to host interviews, as well as recruitment events.
But I know the construction industry isn’t just managing a labour shortage, but a skills shortage too. Our Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) have a good record in helping to address skills shortages across industries. SWAPs is a partnership between your business, Jobcentre Plus and a training provider. The programme offers a candidate role relevant pre-employment training, work experience, and a guaranteed job interview on completion of the programme. SWAPs offer businesses the opportunity to trial a candidate that has received relevant training in a role and if they are a match, hire them through the guaranteed interview. The SWAP scheme is a great example of the success of local jobcentres and employers working together, which is why we’ve made a record breaking 100,000 SWAP placements available in the year 2025/2026.
Along with our teams of talented and experienced work coaches, SWAPs are a good example of what is currently working in jobcentres across the country, but the fundamental system is failing which means we are letting jobseekers and employers down. This is evident in the data, which suggests 79% of employers had not made contact or obtained information from DWP in the last year. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that we are going to do everything we can to turn that on its head so that the DWP better serves business in this country - large and small.
We have already started to make changes that will make it easier for businesses to interact with the jobcentre by giving employers a single point of contact. We’ve also set up a team dedicated to serving employers and their needs, providing recruitment support - including tailored campaigns to fill vacancies and expanding the availability of training programmes in high growth sectors on offer at jobcentres -so employers can get staff who are ready to go with the skills they need.
But these changes are just the start of much wider reform. As set out in our Get Britain Working White Paper, working with employers we will design a new jobs and careers service that is locally tailored and embedded, designed to meet the different needs of local labour markets, local people, and local employers. Our vision is for a service that all employers, of all sizes, want to engage with. This is why we will be undertaking a structured programme of engagement with a variety of employers this year, to ensure we understand your needs as we develop an improved service.
We want to bring employers along on this journey, and since the start of this government, we’ve continued to establish relationships with new employers. So, if you’re interested in working with us and would like to receive recruitment support or create a SWAP in your business, please do get in touch by contacting the Employer Services Line.
I want jobcentres to be places where people can access the best jobs, and the construction industry offers just that. I also want jobcentres to become the recruiter of choice, where employers know they can access the best talent. To make this a reality, we are getting on with creating a new jobs and careers service. I look forward to working with you along the way and supporting the industry with the skilled talent it needs to fill jobs, grow, and build new homes.
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