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PRO INSTALLER MARCH 2015
PRO SKILLS
@proinstaller1
Skill gaps threaten
27,000 building
projects
Thousands of construction projects could
be placed in jeopardy as a result of industry
skills shortages, the Royal Institution of
Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has warned.
A new report from the trade
body suggests that up to
27,000 projects could be
threatened each year by
2019.
After polling many of its members, the Rics said that more than
two in five have already been
forced to turn business opportunities down because of a lack of
skilled job candidates.
On average, it said firms are
turning down five contracts each
year.
The Rics reported that the
majority of surveyors (85%) are
having problems when it comes to
sourcing employees with the right
qualifications for their needs.
While skill gaps have already
emerged in terms of surveying and
other key areas of the construction
industry, the Rics said the problem
could peak five years down the
line.
The group’s Alan Muse said a
lack of skilled surveyors could halt
the delivery of new construction
projects.
He added: “If so many firms are
turning down work due to a lack
of available talent, demand for
skills will soon far outstrip the
supply.
“For many companies, that time
is already here, but the next few
years look like a real tipping
point. Construction as an industry
looks set to grow, but at this rate
it’s very unlikely that we’ll have
the capacity or the capability to
fulfill planned projects.”
By the time 2019 swings around,
the body said 54% of surveyors could be turning down new
work.
The Rics has now launched a campaign, called ‘Surveying the Future’,
which seeks to attract new talent to
the industry.
Responding to the findings of the
report, Housing Minister Brandon
Lewis said it is important that a
good supply of skilled employees is
maintained in the building sector.
As part of the Government’s
plans, Mr Lewis said initiatives have
already been launched to attract
workers to the home construction
trade.
Meanwhile, Phil Whitehurst, GMB
national officer, added that employers should be investing in apprenticeships in order to overcome
talent shortages.
He said a “real apprenticeship programme” needs to be offered.
Construction skills
time bomb is ticking
A construction skills time
bomb is ticking, with skills
shortages on the increase
across a number of trades
and professions, according
to the Federation of Master
Builders (FMB).
Results from the FMB’s latest
State of Trade Survey for Q4 2014
show small construction firms are
experiencing particular difficulties
recruiting carpenters, joiners and
bricklayers.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive
of the FMB, said: “As the shock
waves from the latest economic
downturn continue to reverberate
through the construction sector,
concerns over diminished workloads have been replaced by
concerns over skills shortages.
This time last year, only 27% of
firms were struggling to recruit
www.citb.co.uk
bricklayers; that figure now stands
at a sizeable 42%. For carpenters
and joiners, the figure has nearly
doubled with 23% of firms reporting issues in Q4 2013 and 44%
of firms now saying these tradespeople are hard to come by. We’re
also seeing a rising and significant
shortage of roofers, plasterers and
site managers.”
Berry continued: “The skills time
bomb has arisen for a number of
reasons. Around 400,000 construction workers left the industry
since the downturn hit in 2007
and many will never return. If you
combine this with an increase in
workloads as the economy recovers, all the signs point to the skills
shortage getting worse before it
gets better.”
Berry concluded: “The FMB is
working hard to help address this
skills shortage but the Government must also play its part. If
Ministers could do one thing to
help address the problem in the
medium term, it should be to review its proposed apprenticeship
funding reforms, which our members tell us will prevent them from
being able to train apprentices. In
the midst of a skills crisis, it’s the
last thing the construction industry
needs.”
Quarter of UK workforce receive
insufficient training and development
A recent survey has discovered that in the