REC response to infrastructure plan: costs must not land on hard-pressed businesses alone

Responding to the government’s 10-year infrastructure plan, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) Deputy Chief Executive Kate Shoesmith said:

“Today is some of the big thinking that employers want to hear from the government, to get them investing and hiring in their businesses. Long-term, stable planning and genuine workforce collaboration will turn these infrastructure projects into a generational good. The spending on better transport and new homes will cut travel time and bring people closer to employment opportunities, but require a serious push on construction, engineering and technical skills to make them a reality. Putting recruiters at the heart of a more localised approach to skills is vital, and possibly help to address the big variations in productivity across the UK found in today’s ONS statistics.

“Social value brings an exciting new dimension to overcoming labour and skills shortages, but the costs must not land on hard-pressed businesses alone.

“Government contracts tied to job creation and skills development gives every major project the power to leave a lasting legacy for local communities. But the government must avoid loading extra compliance costs onto businesses already reeling from rising taxes, energy bills, and inflation. To make the infrastructure plan work, Ministers must reform apprenticeships and fix the Employment Rights Bill, acting on business advice to help employers find, hire and train the people we need.”

Notes to editors​​​​​​​

Regional and subregional labour productivity, UK: 2023, ONS, 19 June 2025