Let's get our own Brit build brickies

BRITAIN is crying out for young, home-grown workers to build the future without relying on foreign labour.

But, as we reveal today, there is a dire shortage of apprentices learning key skills, despite Labour’s hugely ambitious housing targets.

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Building firm boss Ian Hodgkinson says the Government needs a “reality check” if it thinks it can construct 1.5 million new houses over the next five years.

Staggeringly, he claims there are only 42,000 brickies and 40,000 plasterers in the entire country.

Good luck building a new housing revolution on that.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to cut our dependence on workers from abroad.

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But the Tory-built apprenticeship system, funded by a levy on companies, is not fit for purpose.

Far too much money has been spent on polishing the management skills of already well-qualified older staff.

Meanwhile, teaching school leavers vital trades in which they work with their hands — a core aim of the system — has been shamefully neglected.

Last year there were 10,000 new apprentice accountants and 6,000 senior leaders.

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In stark contrast, there were only 380 roofers, 600 scaffolders and 2,600 brickies starting apprenticeships.

The Government must overhaul the system from the ground up so hundreds of thousands of young Brits get trained in the essential building trades we so need.

Unless ministers get to grips with that they should admit there will be only one way to hit targets.

By importing ever greater numbers of foreign labourers.

Show us reform, Wes

HEALTH Secretary Wes Streeting has repeatedly said that the NHS must reform or die.

We heartily agree.

Which is another reason why the Government’s 15% deal with Aslef’s rail workers is depressing.

The money is bad enough, but the no-strings-attached offer is almost worse.

If reforms are not tied to pay deals how will our most bloated public services ever cut down on waste?

We can’t throw vast amounts of cash at the NHS without sorting out its failings.

Top deck athletes

OUR Olympic heroes deserved every minute of last night’s welcome home party.

We hope gold medal star Keely Hodgkinson and Team GB colleagues enjoyed a fantastic concert in Manchester.

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But we don’t get many chances in this country to celebrate national success with an open top bus parade through the streets.

Next time we win a staggering 65 medals can we have one of those as well please?