PfP Thrive supply chain panel: Why collaboration is key in solving the skills shortage

PfP Thrive hosted a summit earlier this year for housing and construction leaders, and education providers who gathered at their brand-new skills centre in Derby.

At the heart of the event was a lively panel debate chaired by Head of Partnerships at PfP Thrive Jen Radcliffe. The discussion focused on the critical role that contractors, suppliers and training providers must play in addressing the housing sector’s widening skills shortage and in this article, we summarise the main points of discussion. 

Beyond traditional trades 

First to speak was Lauren Courty, AD of Homes and Building Safety at Sanctuary, who kicked the conversation off by encouraging attendees to look beyond the obvious skills shortage, stressing that the sector needs to not only invest in more bricklayers and plumbers – but professionals across housing too:

Harry Flanaghan, Operations Manager at Novus Property Solutions picked up the baton and delved further into innovation. He reflected eloquently on the role of AI in training and on‑site support. “AI isn’t here to replace us,” said Flanaghan, “we must see the benefits on offer. 

“AI can speed processes up – from automated safety checks to digital mentoring platforms – which means skilled workers will have more time to take on complex tasks. That’s better for them and for customers living in homes.”

Owning the apprentice process

Tom Langley, Regional Director at WPS, echoed Lauren and Harry’s views, adding that we must make housing jobs appealing to younger people, showing them that we’re tech savvy and future proofed. 

Tom also asked attendees to look at other barriers, touching on the resistance among young entrants who were put off by the perceived hard graft of trades such as scaffolding and bricklaying, and challenged contractors to take greater ownership of apprenticeships: “Trades are still so tricky. People see scaffolding and lifting heavy blocks and think twice,” he observed. 

“We, as contractors, must do more to make apprenticeships attractive and year‑round, perhaps touching on the more sophisticated emerging areas of the sector – MMC for example. The jobs in this industry are vast so there’s something for everyone. If we can work together to convey that in a coherent way imagine the impact it could have!”

Harry Flanaghan went on to add that patience is key – not just from newcomers coming into the sector, but by employers too. “Everyone needs time and patience,” he added. 

“The industry must resist excessive scrutiny of apprentices’ early mistakes and give them a chance for the long term. We have to look at the bigger picture – yes, you might carry the cost of an apprentice for the first year or two, but after four years they become fully fledged members of the industry. It’s well worth the wait.”

Trusting smaller contractors

Liz O’Connor, Procurement Lead at Horton Housing, joined the debate with a new point, bringing into the discussion the role of smaller contractors. “There’s huge untapped potential in the supply chain,” Liz added. “We rely on our supply chain and contractors, and many small firms bring decades of hands-on expertise but are often overlooked in favour of tier 1 contractors. 

“What smaller contractors lack in scale or in‑house training capacity they more than make up for with the depth of their knowledge. We need more consortium models so smaller outfits can join forces, share resources and speak with a collectively stronger voice.”

As the debate closed, Chair Jen Radcliffe reminded attendees that the solutions lie in partnership: 

Operating from 20 locations nationwide, PfP Thrive will open its Derby Skills Centre this autumn as part of its mission to train over 100 apprentices in its first year.

You can find more information on its flexible apprenticeships, short courses and organisational development programmes on the website.