A shortage of skilled workers has impacted the UK construction industry for years now, and it is an issue that looks set to persist for the foreseeable future.
Recent data, shared by Places for People, found that more than 140,000 construction job vacancies are causing essential housing and infrastructure projects to stall. This echoes comments made by the Labour government last year, in which they described a ‘dire shortage’ of construction workers.
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) estimates that 61,000 new workers would be needed every year to meet Labour’s plans to build 1.5 million new homes by 2030, with many senior construction figures expressing concerns over the reality of the target.
Several factors have combined to create the sizable gaps now being felt across the workforce, with demand significantly outweighing the supply of qualified tradespeople.
Below, we’ve taken a look at some of the biggest contributors to the construction skills shortage, and the opportunities this trend presents to those working within the sector.
An ageing workforce
With over one-third of the construction industry’s current workforce set to retire by 2035, pressure to recruit a new generation of talent is at an all-time high.
In the more immediate future, with less than one in five planning to continue working past retirement age, there is also additional pressure to retain older talent who could hold a vital role in bridging these gaps for now.
Holes left by Brexit
The end of free movement following the Brexit referendum in 2016 was a major blow for the UK’s construction workforce, of which large portions were made up of EU nationals.
Since 2019, 200,000 EU workers have left UK construction, amplifying a problem that was already a growing concern. In London alone, the number of EU construction workers dropped from 42% to just 8% in the period between 2018 - 2021.
Fewer people entering the industry & incomplete apprenticeships
Earlier this year, Sky News shared a study which found that there are now just 29 construction workers per 1,000 people in the UK, the lowest on record.
A decrease in the number of completed apprenticeships is another factor exasperating the construction industry’s skills shortage. Analysis carried out by the British Association of Construction Heads (BACH) and NOCN Group found that construction apprenticeships now have an alarmingly high dropout rate of 47%.
A variety of reasons were cited as the cause for this, including issues with training providers, employers and the quality of teaching on offer.
Reasons to be positive for skilled workers
While all of the above will no doubt continue to cause huge headaches for construction bosses, it does leave those with sought-after trade skills and qualifications in a strong position.
Hiring skilled talent remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges, meaning there are abundant opportunities for those who possess the necessary skill sets. This demand can also translate to healthy career progression opportunities, which can in turn, have a positive impact on earning potential.
There is clearly much work to be done in shifting preconceptions and outdated stereotypes often associated with the construction industry if it is to attract much-needed, younger talent.
However, for those already working in the sector, or for anyone considering a career switch, the opportunities driven by labour shortages can be seen as an appealing prospect.