Plugging the skills gap: Ettan Bazil discusses making construction a sector for everyone

Plugging the growing skills shortage requires a major, collaborative effort across the housing and construction sector – working together to make the industry a viable, attractive place to build a career. That means both drawing in new talent and upskilling those already here. 

Utilising pioneering technology is one way in which PfP Thrive are driving that change, with their apprentices embracing new and more streamlined ways of working, helping to make a career in this sector an inspiring and long-term choice. 

In this article, Ettan Bazil, CEO of Help me Fix and Founding Trustee of the Remote Apprenticeship Field Training (RAFT) Programme, shares his views on what must change, and why embracing diversity and technology is essential to sustaining the future construction workforce.

“The housing and construction industry is a place for everyone – rich with opportunity and offering fulfilling, long-term careers." 

Tapping into experience

“At Help me Fix, we’ve made it our mission to help more People enter and stay in the sector – and I believe we can achieve that by focusing on three key areas: leveraging the skills of experienced workers, embracing tech-enabled solutions, and forming strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations such as PfP Thrive.

“These are People who possess decades of hard-earned knowledge – a vital asset in supporting and inspiring the next generation of workers.

“But it’s not just about who’s already here, it’s about making sure they succeed. With 44% of apprentices failing to complete their programmes, often due to the burden of portfolio work and admin, it’s clear that more needs to be done to make their journey manageable and rewarding."

Streamlining through tech

“That’s where technology comes in – and it’s where both Help me Fix and RAFT play complementary roles.

“Help me Fix is a diagnostic and video triage software platform that transforms how our learners respond to repair and maintenance issues. The platform, which is trusted across the sector, blends AI-driven diagnostics with a network of experienced engineers enabling our learners to tackle issues instantly and efficiently in the workplace. It’s already helping resolve up to 85% of repair issues remotely, testament to its ease of use and reflective of our younger learners' familiarity with AI technology of this ability. That said, our teams are also gaining insight and clarity from our more experienced engineers, collectively reducing unnecessary callouts, improving first-time fixes, and creating a better experience for residents. Our AI assistant, Aidenn, is trained on thousands of real-life triage sessions and is designed to support both engineers and residents efficiently.

“Likewise, the RAFT platform is a free, AI-powered mentoring and resource hub specifically designed to support apprentices and trainees. RAFT helps reduce the admin burden that often leads to dropout, giving learners access to remote guidance and digital tools that allow them to focus on gaining hands-on skills – the real foundation of their future careers.

“Together, Help me Fix and RAFT offer a dual solution: tech that solves real-time problems on the job, balanced with real life experience from engineers to help trainees stay in the game and thrive.

A joined-up approach

“Our collaboration with PfP Thrive is another important part of this strategy. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to innovation in training and a stronger, more inclusive construction workforce. We’ve strengthened this collaboration further with the appointment of Jen Radcliffe, Head of Partnerships at PfP Thrive, to our Board of Trustees. Jen brings invaluable perspective as a female leader in construction and represents our ambition to bring more women into the industry.

Operating from 20 locations nationwide, PfP Thrive recently opened their Derby learning centre as part of their mission to train over 100 apprentices in their first year. Take a look at their range of flexible apprenticeships, short courses and organisational development programmes.