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Round- up
FMB ACTIVITY AND BRAND AWARENESS Making the news with BBC and Sky
T he FMB has been hard at housebuilders need to play if the government is to reach its target of 1.5 million new homes. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, recently appeared on BBC Breakfast and Sky News, sharing the insights and concerns of members – and noting there needs to be a significant shift in strategy if the UK is to solve the housing crisis. Commenting on the ‘grey belt’ – work to spread the message about the important role small and medium-sized the new government’s term for poor- quality green belt land – Berry said: “The grey belt is not going to solve the entire housing problem. We've got housing shortages in every village and every town in this country. The green belt only takes up about
13 per cent of the land in England, but the grey belt, as it's defined, talks about the ugly bit of the green belt. People often think the green belt is lush land, but actually six per cent of it is things like disused garages and petrol stations. So this is a good place for developing the homes we need.” The FMB National President, Chris Carr, also appeared on live BBC Breakfast on A-level results day, speaking about the importance of developing skills for the construction industry.
Carr emphasised that construction should be a career of choice rather than a last resort. He explained how our industry provides people with a positive, lucrative and entrepreneurial career path. He noted school leavers – and their parents – would be interested to know that construction apprentices join the workforce with skills, experience and, importantly, without debt, unlike many university students. Carr also pointed out how many construction roles, such as a skilled bricklayer, will pay more than many graduate jobs. Positively, the news segment also showed interviews with students at the Chameleon School of Construction about their results, and why they have chosen a career in construction. It demonstrates how the message championed by the FMB is being heard and taken seriously.
Master Builder 34
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