Ross's Story

Ross, 27, from Brentwood and Ongar in the East of England, wanted to retrain in construction but found himself caught in a system where training places sat empty while housing targets went unmet. Despite construction training providers in the region having available capacity, CITB levy funding wasn't directed where housing need was greatest. HM Treasury's treatment of infrastructure spending as a deficit risk, rather than a mechanism to put skilled workers into essential roles, left qualified instructors idle and potential bricklayers, electricians, and plumbers unable to access the training they needed. Ross's story reveals how central government choices about funding allocation create artificial scarcity in a sector crying out for workers. Disclosure: This episode examines monetary policy and government spending constraints through personal stories.