The government just announced £100 million to create “new specialist colleges” for construction training.

Except they’re not creating anything. They’re just renaming colleges that have existed for decades.

Leeds College of Building, designated as a “Construction Technical Excellence College,” was established in 1960. Its roots trace back to 1824 through the Mechanics Institute.

Sixty-four years of construction education apparently qualifies as “new” in government terminology.

Apparently 64 years qualifies as “new” when you need good headlines.

The Skills Crisis Is Real

The construction industry faces a crisis. Over 35,000 job vacancies remain unfilled due to skills shortages – the highest rate of any sector.

But the government’s solution reveals a familiar trick. Instead of building new capacity, they’re rebranding existing institutions with enhanced funding and status.

This creates a two-tier system where designated “excellence” colleges receive priority while other institutions offering identical training get ignored.

Government-Created Crisis

The current shortage stems from cuts. The government has cut £1 billion from skills funding since 2010.

Employer investment in training dropped 26% per employee since 2005. Construction firms offering worker training fell from 57% in 2011 to 49% in 2024.

The industry needs nearly 1 million additional workers by 2032. The government’s plan targets 40,000 learners by 2029.

Do the math. That’s a 96% shortfall.

The Rebranding Problem

Political messaging matters because it controls the narrative. When governments present existing institutions as new solutions, they avoid accountability for past failures while claiming credit for doing nothing new.

This pattern extends beyond construction education. Every department does this now.

Watch any government announcement. Same playbook every time.

The designated colleges will function as regional “hubs” supporting other institutions. But why not invest directly in expanding proven programs rather than creating fake competition?

Why not just expand what works? Because that doesn’t generate press releases about “new” initiatives.

Real Solutions Require Honesty

Addressing the construction skills crisis demands new colleges, not renamed ones.

The skills crisis needs actual solutions. New buildings. More capacity. Real investment.

The government could build new facilities, restore cut funding, or incentivize employer training programs. Instead, they chose the path requiring minimal new investment while maximizing headlines.

Instead, they chose maximum PR for minimum spend.

Voters deserve accurate information about policy initiatives. Calling 64-year-old institutions “new” undermines public trust and hides how little they’re really spending.

When you call a 64-year-old college “new,” you’re not fooling the industry. You’re insulting everyone’s intelligence.

The £100 million isn’t building new colleges. It’s buying new signs.