A leading Midlands businesswoman has been appointed to a newly formed, government-supported board tasked with shaping the future of the UK’s construction workforce.

Julie White, Managing Director of D-Drill & Sawing – which has branches nationwide and is headquartered near Coventry – has joined the Construction Skills Mission Board, co-chaired by the government and Mark Reynolds, Executive Chairman of Mace.

The board will oversee the delivery of a national workforce action plan, aiming to recruit 100,000 new construction workers every year until 2029. This drive is crucial to meeting the government's infrastructure and housing commitments, including plans to build 1.5 million homes and upgrade the UK’s built environment by the end of this Parliament.

The creation of the board was originally announced as part of the government’s £600 million construction skills package outlined in the Spring Budget, designed to train thousands of workers and address long-term labour shortages across the sector.

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Julie White, who also chairs Build UK, brings her extensive experience in developing a multi-million-pound specialist construction business to the role. She will represent the interests of specialist contractors on the board and contribute to discussions around business confidence, training, funding, and creating viable long-term careers in construction.

Julie White said: "More than 85 per cent of my workforce are current or former apprentices – including myself – and I know first-hand how much of a difference investing in skills can make, which is why I am excited to be supporting the new Construction Skills Mission Board.

"The construction industry is about to embark on a major pipeline of work originating out of the government's 10-year infrastructure strategy – alongside building 1.5 million new homes – so it is vital that employers can see a clear pathway on how they can upskill and recruit for the skills they need, so they can meet the demand.

"Youngsters' appetite to get into construction has never been stronger – more than 7,000 people recently attended Build UK’s Open Doors week for workplace tours – but we need to ensure that new entrants are learning skills that the industry needs.

"Now is the time for industry to share their views via the Board on how they can be supported to invest in new workers, as well as the skillsets that they need.

"I know the issues that specialist, niche construction companies face when it comes to skills and through my role at Build UK, I have been engaged with hundreds of companies and trade bodies so have heard a wide variety of views on the topic."