Sep 14, 2026 · 45 min · 13 segments
Robin Clevett looks at the growing demand for fitted interiors and asks whether carpenters could use their existing skills to move into a new and potentially lucrative area of the industry. Robin is…
Damian WaltersGuest
Liam McGinleyGuest
Beth HarrisonGuest
I, I don't think there is a singular answer to it, but, uh, if we sort of track back maybe 20 to 30 years, um, dare I say when I was at school, um-
We had technical colleges that would, you know, feed the appetite of those people interested in vocational careers, and government made a decision to close all of those.
But if we, we look at what's happened since, the reality is is that we've not done enough to, um, you know, to try and recover that.
Albeit recent announcements from Number 10 has suggested that there, there i- there will be a, um, a, a reintroduction of vocational learning from 2028, which we of course welcome.
But as you quite rightly point out, and I would definitely agree with everything you said about, uh, uh, you know, obviously vocational training being diluted, and we've had recessions which have knocked things out.
We've also had, um, an influx of cheaper labor due to, um, you know, people wa- being able to come to the UK and work and get better money than they might have got elsewhere, which has held-
... held back the, the wages here, and it's actually led to people leaving the industry because there was a, there was a point where there was so much labor that, um-
I, I don't think there is a singular answer to it, but, uh, if we sort of track back maybe 20 to 30 years, um, dare I say when I was at school, um-
We had technical colleges that would, you know, feed the appetite of those people interested in vocational careers, and government made a decision to close all of those.
But if we, we look at what's happened since, the reality is is that we've not done enough to, um, you know, to try and recover that.
Albeit recent announcements from Number 10 has suggested that there, there i- there will be a, um, a, a reintroduction of vocational learning from 2028, which we of course welcome.
But as you quite rightly point out, and I would definitely agree with everything you said about, uh, uh, you know, obviously vocational training being diluted, and we've had recessions which have knocked things out.
We've also had, um, an influx of cheaper labor due to, um, you know, people wa- being able to come to the UK and work and get better money than they might have got elsewhere, which has held-
... held back the, the wages here, and it's actually led to people leaving the industry because there was a, there was a point where there was so much labor that, um-
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