The government’s £100 million investment in new Technical Excellence Colleges is a welcome development for the construction sector, and we fully support the ambition to create a homegrown, highly-skilled workforce. However, to truly “turbocharge the building of new homes, schools and hospitals,” this training must encompass the full range of skills required for modern, sustainable development.

While the focus on traditional trades like bricklaying, carpentry, and plumbing is essential, we strongly urge policymakers to ensure the curriculum includes landscape-related skills. The integration of natural elements is no longer a secondary concern; it is fundamental to providing economic, environmental, and health benefits to residents and the public in general.

The inclusion of a landscape-focused approach to training supports the Plan for Change whilst significantly benefitting people, place and nature:

Multifunctional Benefits: Modern construction requires skills in areas such as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), biodiversity net gain, and the creation of green infrastructure. These are critical for flood resilience, pollution control, and enhancing community well-being. Without these skills, new developments risk being unsustainable and lacking the vital green and blue spaces that people need.

Addressing the Skills Gap: There is a significant and growing shortage of skilled landscape practitioners in the UK. Integrating landscape-related training into these colleges will help address this gap and also attract a wider, more diverse range of home-grown talent into the sector.

Creating a Resilient Workforce: Equipping future builders with an understanding of green infrastructure and nature-based solutions will create a more adaptable and resilient workforce, in support of the Government’s ambitious aims in the Plan for Change.

By broadening the scope of training to include vital landscape skills, the Technical Excellence Colleges can produce not just builders, but innovators in sustainable placemaking. This would ensure that more developments are built quickly, to high-quality, resilient standards, and are beneficial for the people who live in them.

Kelli Cochran-Sharp and Briony Marston, Education Managers at the LI, said: “We welcome the £600 million construction skills investment, including funding for 10 Technical Excellence Colleges. At the Landscape Institute, we believe building must go beyond bricks and mortar. It must reflect people’s needs, the character of place, and the wellbeing of nature. That means cultivating skills in landscape design, green infrastructure, ecological restoration, and sustainable place-making, so that every development is a positive contribution to community and environment.”