Dwayne's Story

Dwayne, 29, from Streatham and Croydon North wanted to train as an electrician to help build the homes his community desperately needs. Construction training providers in London had unfilled places while local housing targets remained unmet. But HM Treasury treated infrastructure spending as a deficit risk rather than recognizing it as the mechanism that puts skilled tradespeople to work on projects with planning permission already approved. The workers were available, training capacity existed, but Westminster's spending choices left both unused. This episode explores how central government decisions about construction training funding created artificial scarcity in a sector crying out for workers. Dwayne's story reveals the human cost when ministers prioritize fiscal targets over building the infrastructure Britain needs. Disclosure: This podcast advocates for increased public investment in training and infrastructure through Modern Monetary Theory principles.