Jerome's Story

Jerome is 31 and lives in Lewisham East, one of London's most deprived constituencies. He wants to retrain in construction, but can't access the opportunities that should exist. Construction training providers in his area have unfilled places while local housing targets remain unmet. The problem isn't a shortage of workers or training capacity. HM Treasury treats infrastructure spending as a deficit risk rather than recognizing it as the mechanism that puts skilled tradespeople to work building homes that already have planning permission. CITB levy funding wasn't directed where housing need is greatest. Jerome's story exposes how central government choices block ready workers from essential training. DISCLOSURE: This episode discusses government fiscal policy and challenges orthodox economic assumptions about public spending constraints.