Tradespeople say Spring Budget will worsen skills shortage, according to On The Tools

  Posted by: electime      22nd May 2025

The latest TradeBrain insight report from On The Tools reveals scepticism amongst tradespeople across the UK, with findings detailing that large majorities feel the new budget won’t directly benefit them, and won’t offer any short-term improvements to the industry.

The On The Tools: Closing the Gap white paper found that 1 in 2 tradespeople feel they don’t have enough colleagues to support them, which indicates that although new openings for construction based employment may become available through the new Spring Budget, there may be a lack of support to efficiently support and train new employees.

A smaller number of tradespeople (18% of those surveyed by On The Tools) do, however, feel optimistic about the new budget’s ability to tackle industry issues.
The data shows an overall mistrust and negative perception regarding the recent announcement, with many tradespeople not seeing how top-level announcements connect with their day-to-day work, proving that huge national announcements, especially in the construction sector, will fail to reach success if tangible change isn’t delivered at ground level.

A lack of clarity about how the funding will trickle down to those on site seems to be one of the key factors causing scepticism in tradespeople, creating a sense that the Spring Budget doesn’t adequately respond to the urgent realities of working in the trade

The report also included testimonies surrounding the topic of the Spring Budget 2025 budget from tradespeople such as landscaper Tom Windle:

“Personally, I don’t think the new budget will have any impact on self-employed tradespeople like myself. The skills gap won’t be solved immediately, and it won’t be for a very long time, because there’s still nothing done at a grassroots level in schools and colleges. I’m a landscaper, and there are no courses offered for what we do.

Honestly, I believe the additional budget is just going to feed the big corporations, help them to tick their boxes, and keep their government funding them. I don’t think actual self-employed workers are going to see any difference.”

CEO and Co-founder of On The Tools, Lee Wilcox, said:

“The Spring Budget included some welcome steps, but this feedback highlights that many tradespeople still await real change. Issues like rising costs, access to training, and support for small businesses remain front of mind. These findings underline just how important it is that policy decisions are informed by the everyday experiences of those working in the trade.”

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