Where Pragmatism and Idealism collide

We have a housing crisis and have done for decades. We have been debating the reasons for this for almost as long but the solutions being proposed do not reflect the known realities of how our housing industry operates. We need an alternative delivery system but it needs to be one that operates without conflicting with the volume housebuilders' business model.

Affordable retrofit at scale is still an aspiration, but one that needs to be turned into reality fast if we are to meet the Government's targets for decarbonising the construction sector. That means taking the lessons learnt from Fabric First, Deep Retrofit and a widespread reluctance to engage, let alone invest in retrofitting, and coming up with some alternative, possibly simpler solutions.

This is a sector that cyclically fails to get the foothold it needs to become the alternative delivery model that we need to drive innovation, and challenge the status quo, reducing costs and increasing capacity. But every iteration of that cycle is different and this time round there are more reasons why it needs to succeed and more factors in play that suggest that it probably will.

This is a challenge calling for Radical Incrementalism – strong clear messaging at a governmental level defining the end goal and why we're pursuing it, plus clear guidance on what the steps are that we can be taking independently to get us there. The small steps can and will change over time, but the end goal must remain intact throughout.

Nationally, the majority of our workforce is made up of micro SMEs with less than 25 employees, with many of these far smaller and even 'harder to reach'. With more devolved power comes a greater need for our regions to make better use of their SMEs by simplifying and shortening their supply chains, but doing this requires a mechanism for reaching and engaging with this sector.

We have known for some time that our education system has favoured academic teaching over vocational training and that this now needs a reset. Again, this realisation is not being met with viable solutions for how this can be achieved. For the construction industry time is running out as our growing demand is met with declining numbers through retirement and low recruitment due to the sector's reputation as an employer of last resort.

There are known reasons why we have fewer apprentices coming through the system than the construction sector needs and there are known solutions for how to rectify this, by taking the financial overhead of employing apprentices outside of the procurement process. All that is needed for this to become an accepted solution is for it to be mandated for all public works – something that would not be resisted by any of the parties involved.

Growing a regional economy comes far less from inward investment than it does from making better use of your existing capabilities. It requires clear, consistent messaging and a strategic plan that recognises the interrelatedness of the multiple challenges being faced – all of which, for the construction industry, are covered here.