en.Wedoany.com Reported - A new report commissioned by the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) reveals that the repair, maintenance, and improvement (RMI) of existing UK homes accounts for £41 billion of total construction output.
The report, titled "Energy Retrofit, Repair, Maintenance, and Improvement of UK Homes: Towards an Industry Skills Strategy," was commissioned by the RMI Sector Skills Advisory Group under the CITB. It establishes several guiding principles that define key directions for the sector's development, with a particular focus on capacity building, industry coordination optimization, and end-to-end quality assurance.
These principles lay the foundation for a new RMI industry skills plan. Developed by the CITB in collaboration with the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), employers, and industry stakeholders, the plan outlines how the sector can work together to streamline training programs and enhance the skills, capabilities, and confidence of the retrofit workforce across the UK. It also aims to provide clearer training standards for employers and workers.
High-quality retrofit work can improve energy efficiency and occupant health, while poor workmanship poses significant risks to both buildings and residents. The new plan places quality at the heart of the skills agenda, seeking to ensure that the RMI and retrofit workforce is fully competent to maximize retrofit benefits while minimizing risks, thereby curbing poor construction practices.
The CITB states that the plan's launch comes at a critical time for the industry. The construction sector is under immense pressure to meet housing targets, net-zero emissions goals, and building safety objectives. Retrofit plays a central role in improving the performance of existing buildings, but scaling up retrofit work is a challenge, and its success largely depends on a skilled and capable workforce.
Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of the CITB, said that to deliver retrofit at the required scale across the UK, a workforce with the right skills, knowledge, and capabilities is essential. This RMI industry skills plan brings the sector together around a common approach, helping to simplify complexity and making it easier for businesses and individuals to access the support they need. Balcon noted that this is also a prime example of how the CITB is changing its approach to levy investment. The organization is increasingly focusing on supporting training and skills interventions that deliver clear, measurable impacts on the industry, thereby improving capacity, productivity, and long-term workforce effectiveness. Because the plan is developed by and for the industry, it represents targeted investment that delivers greater value from the levy, pooling collective resources on the skills employers need most and helping to raise standards across the retrofit workforce.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, noted that the repair, maintenance, and improvement sector is often seen as the "Cinderella" of the construction industry. However, residential RMI output accounts for 20% of UK construction economic output, a share higher than that of new housing and infrastructure. Research from the University of Oxford and Nottingham Trent University is regarded as the most comprehensive review of RMI skills, laying the groundwork for the future direction of construction training funding. Berry believes that from a broader perspective, retrofit is no longer a niche area but the everyday repair, maintenance, and improvement work carried out by thousands of local small builders. Therefore, it is time to invest in the skills and capability outcomes that the sector deserves.
The plan will now move into an implementation phase, with industry partners working closely together to advance its key actions, ensuring the sector has the skills, standards, and support needed to deliver retrofit at scale.
