Women in Construction Anglia (WICA) and Suffolk Chamber of Commerce have voiced strong support for the government's new plans to increase the construction workforce by 100,000 people annually.

The announcement follows the launch of the first Construction Skills Mission Board, attended by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and leading industry CEOs. The initiative aims to address growing demand for workers in the sector, with the government pledging to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of the current parliament.

Earlier this year, WICA and the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce entered into a partnership focused on encouraging more women into the construction industry and strengthening links between education and employment.

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Clare Friel, founder of Women in Construction Anglia, said: "The government's pledge to increase construction worker numbers by 100,000 a year is great news for the industry and an opportunity to help get Britain building again,” said Friel.

"The construction sector does have a skills gap and this will help boost numbers in the industry and meet the need for skilled workers.

"WICA would particularly like to see more women take up construction roles. We hope this new initiative will give them more opportunities and open more doors to a career in the sector."

The government has committed £625 million to support construction skills training, with an additional £275 million from the Industrial Strategy. This funding will be complemented by £120 million from central government and £32 million from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), aiming to create more than 40,000 on-site industry placements.

John Dugmore, Chief Executive of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, said: "A flourishing construction sector is key to driving the UK's economy, and will play a huge role here in Suffolk with large infrastructure projects such as Sizewell C being built in the county,” said Dugmore.

"It is great to see the government putting extra funding towards closing the construction skills gap and supporting people to take on a career in the construction sector.

"We welcome the government's announcement and will be keeping a close eye on how the initiative progresses in the future."