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PRO INSTALLER JUNE 2016
PRO RECRUITMENT
@proinstaller1
CONSTRUCTION SUMMIT
CONFRONTS SKILLS CRISIS
The skills crisis within the construction industry has been well
documented and it is not set to be resolved any time soon.
According to industry research, the sector has to
be prepared for the loss of
400,000 workers over the
next decade, as they are
expected to retire and with
limited young recruits ready
to take their place - without
urgent action this crisis will
continue.
Research from the Royal Institute
of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
highlights just how tough it is to
find skilled workers. In its UK
Construction Market Survey for Q3
2014, RICS states:
“Across the whole of the UK, the
main factors found to be limiting
building activity were a shortage
of labour, followed by concerns
over finance and shortage of
material. In particular, demand for
bricklayers grew significantly on
the previous quarter, with a net
balance of 71% of respondents
now saying that they are in great
demand (compared to 59% in Q2
2014).”
The industry has to attract young
workers and one approach is to
provide training for those looking
to enter the construction sector.
UK Commission for Employment
and Skills (UKCES) states that
employers are facing ‘talent poverty’ -with skills shortages across
UK industry rising by 130% since
2011. Nearly a quarter of vacancies are directly linked to those
shortages, with employers unable
to recruit sufficient numbers of
competent people with the required skills, knowledge, training
and experience to fill them.
Statistics presented by TS International Recruitment Consultants
claim that:
• There are 87,000 degree graduates required - but only 46,000
produced
• There are 69,000 apprentices
required per year - but only
27,000 per year currently qualify
• The industry needs to double
the output
• Almost half of recruiters claim
that engineering is the toughest
sector to place candidates.
The Midlands Construction
Summit on 20 September 2016 at
Ricoh Arena, Coventry, will seek to
confront issues in attracting young
workers and developing skills in
the sector.
For more information, or
to book a place, visit: www.
midlandsconstructionsummit.co.uk
College Helps Plug
Construction Skills Gap
Major infrastructure projects are threatened by the
UK’s skills shortage, with a quarter of a million
existing workers needing retraining and an anticipated
gap of 100,000 workers over the next five years,
according to a recent government-backed report.
The National Infrastructure Plan for Skills,
published by Infrastructure UK, sets out concerns in major sectors
such as roads, rail and
energy amid fears that
major projects will be
affected.
The report found that
through growth in infrastructure investment,
there was a demand for
over 250,000 construction
workers and over 150,000
engineering construction
workers by 2020, with a
shortfall of nearly 100,000
additional workers by the
end of the decade.
This will require the retraining and up-skilling of
around 250,000 of the existing workforce over the next
decade. This is in addition
to the need to recruit new
workers.
The report also found
that programmes such as
HS2, Cross Rail 2, the Tideway Tunnel, plus increased
investment in roads, will
put further stress on the
industry’s capacity to
deliver.
‘huge
opportunities for
people looking
to upskill and
build a career’
While this puts pressure
on construction firms to
meet demand, it does
present huge opportunities for people looking to
upskill and build a career
in this fast-paced sector. In
particular, demand will be
for electricians, welders,
bricklayers, carpenters, site
supervisors, engineers and
labourers.
Havering College has
taken steps to realign its
offer to help meet the
needs for these skills and
help local people access
the opportunities that the
big infrastructure projects
in and around London can
offer.
On July 14th the college
is holding an Infrastructure Careers Event to
encourage more people
to consider a career in
construction, engineering,
transport and logistics.
This event will offer networking opportunities and
a hands on experience.
For tickets or more
information visit haveringcollege.ac.uk/college/events
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