46 | JANUARY 2020
Skills
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A ‘CLEAR SOLUTION’
TO THE SKILLS GAP
With the construction in-
dustry facing its biggest skills
shortage since 2007, it’s more
vital than ever that the industry
recruits new talent to its ranks. In
fact, the Royal Institute of Char-
tered Surveyors (RICS) believes
that more than 200,000 skilled
workers are needed by the mid-
2020s.
It doesn’t help that the industry
is also suffering from an ageing
workforce. Data from the 2011
census showed that one in five
employees in the construction
industry were aged over 55. This
means that by 2020 the industry
will lose a fifth of its workforce
to retirement — without enough
newcomers to replace them.
BUT, the industry is still seen
as undesirable to young people,
with only 10% showing an inter-
est in a career in construction.
This study by L&Q Group found
that 50% of the young people
surveyed were interested in
Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths (STEM), yet the con-
struction industry was described
as “challenging and unexciting”.
But it doesn’t have to be this
way. Below, health and safety ex-
perts 3B explores what steps can
be taken by construction compa-
nies, and the industry as a whole,
to remove the stigma young
people have with construction
and how to attract a new, vibrant
workforce.
Pique their interest
costs from the government. If
they offer apprenticeships for
those aged 19 and over, they’ll re-
ceive 90% from the government.
Things are even better for
non-levy businesses that have
50 or fewer staff, as the govern-
ment will even give you a £1000
incentive towards apprenticeships
for taking on someone aged 16
to 18.
Although manual labour is still
a huge aspect of construction,
there’s a lot more on offer than
hard hats and muddy boots.
As a generation that lives and
breathes technology, there are
plenty of exciting opportunities
for young people to get involved
in; whether it’s drones, 3D print-
ing or augmented reality. How-
ever, the industry needs to start
shouting louder about the revolu-
tionary technology and range of
career opportunities available to
attract the future talent it needs.
Final thoughts
Perks are key Generate interest early Hire apprentices
Perks were once seen as a reten-
tion tool for employers as a way to
keep their employees sweet.
Today, though, things are
different., A survey by Perkbox
found that Generation Z (your fu-
ture workforce) value workplace
perks more than any other gener-
ation. 36% claim that it can make
a big difference when choosing
where to work.
Looking at the top 10 perks
for Gen Z, a common theme is
that they are looking for ways
that companies can assist them
financially. Another trend seems
to be a healthy work-life balance.
Though not every business is in
a position to offer flexitime, mak-
ing the effort to allow birthday
holidays and the occasional work
from home day can go a long
way in attracting new talent. The key to attracting potential
talent is to target young people
while they’re still in school. STEM
courses are increasingly more
popular and account for over
40% of A-level subjects, meaning
the industry has a large pool
of candidates just waiting to be
signed up.
The problem, however, is that
young people simply aren’t cur-
rently interested in construction.
As well as 90% of L&Q Group’s
respondents not wishing to work
in construction, 40% claimed
that they were worried that they
wouldn’t be good at the job.
Too many young people see the
construction industry as cold
building sites and mucky boots,
without knowing about the
exciting opportunities that STEM
students could pursue. Apprenticeships are an ideal
way to spark young people’s
interest in construction, giving
them hands-on experience of
what it’s like to work in the
industry. Plus, the introduction of
the apprenticeships levy in 2017
has made it even easier for busi-
nesses to hire apprentices.
The apprenticeship levy applies
to employers in England who
have an annual pay bill of over
£3m and is calculated as 0.5% of
the annual pay bill. All employ-
ers will receive a £15,000 annual
allowance to be offset against the
bill -- meaning employers with
an annual pay bill of £3m or less
don’t need to pay the levy.
Employers who fall beneath
the revenue threshold, and offer
apprenticeships for 16 to 18-year-
olds, will receive 100% of training
Instead of waiting for a new
generation of workers to sign up,
it’s vital that the industry reaches
out. There are so many more op-
portunities to offer young people
than they realise, whether it’s as a
site manager, architect or quantity
surveyor.
it’s vital that
‘ the
industry
reaches out ’
By showcasing what the in-
dustry can offer, both in techno-
logical advances and workplace
benefits, construction companies
can attract the interest of young
people early. This gives the con-
struction industry an opportunity
to build a workforce of skilled
and passionate workers, who
are putting their talents to good
use.
www.3btraining.com