Pro Installer October 2019 - Issue 79 | Page 26

26 | OCTOBER 2019 Skills Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk HOW THE SKILLS GAP HAS AFFECTED THE GOVERNMENT’S HOMEBUILDING TARGETS It’s no secret that the construction industry is currently facing an increasingly large skills shortage. The industry has long suffered from a lack of skilled workers, making it more difficult than ever to hit deadlines due to the shrinking talent pool. This is a big problem for the government, whose plans to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s is becoming more of a pipe dream. In fact, according to the Royal Institute of Char- tered Surveyors (RICS), the lack of skilled construction workers is at its highest point since 2007. In order to get back on track, the industry needs to recruit over 200,000 more workers by 2020. Below, industry experts at Vizwear explore what problems the skills shortage in construction is causing for the government’s homebuilding targets — and what companies can do to help fill key positions. ‘ young people need to be re-educated about what construction is really like ’ What’s causing the skills shortage? The main problem that’s contrib- uting towards the skills shortage is that as a whole, the construction industry is still battling with an image problem. “The industry needs to attract a fresh workforce to keep up with demands”, says Daniel Ure from online PPE retailer Vizwear. “But for many on the outside, the thought of working in con- struction still conjures up images of wolf-whistling workmen on building sites. To attract a new stream of workers, the industry needs to shake this negative image and show how the industry has developed.” It’s not just the difficulties of attracting new employees that are causing a skills shortage, though: it’s also due to the current work- ers. Data from the 2011 census showed that in the construction in- dustry, one in five employees were aged over 55. This means that by the early 2020s, when the industry should be hitting its homebuilding targets, most will have reached or be close to retirement age. An ageing workforce and an uphill recruitment battle are a combina- tion that could have a detrimental effect on the industry. What steps can be taken to close the gap? The biggest barrier facing the construction industry is presenting itself as a desirable career path to potential employees. Although often seen in a bad light, there are fantastic opportunities to be had in construction, including mechan- ics, engineering and electronics. There are a number of ways that construction companies can reach out to the right candidates and ensure them that a career in con- struction is exactly what they’re looking for. 1. Increase education To ensure that the future work- force in construction is vibrant and engaged, young people need to be re-educated about what con- struction is really like. A survey created by L&Q Group discovered that only one in ten children between the ages of 16 and 18 would consider a career in construction, fearing that the industry would be ‘challenging and unexciting’. Although around 50% said that they were inter- ested in a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) career, the construction industry simply wasn’t appealing enough. Interestingly, though, the students who said they would consider a construction career said that their reasoning was due to the excite- ment of the role. Working closely with schools and colleges to promote the industry is a great way to show young people that there are a number of avenues their career path can take in construction. By setting up a formal work experi- ence programme, you can attract future workers with real, hands-on experience to give students the chance to experience the industry for themselves. 2. Don’t neglect training By offering proper training pro- grammes, construction companies have the opportunity to help close the skills gap with new talent. It’s not just labour-intensive roles that are suffering from the skills short- age — there is also a demand for tech and digital skills. But rather than looking exter- nally for these roles, use it as an opportunity to upskill your current staff. Nurturing talent within your business is great for morale; plus, you’ll help to develop your team’s careers, skill sets and better utilise ambitious and forward-thinking workers. The training involved with upskilling current workers can be as simple as one-on-one mentor- ing, or you can make use of the wide range of online and practical courses available for skill devel- opment. There are also government-fund- ed schemes available to help train future construction workers. For instance, we are currently in the middle of an 18-month fund set up by the government, launched with a budget of £22 million. This scheme launched 20 on-site hubs, of which people looking to join the industry, as well as people switching careers, can apply their knowledge in a real-world envi- ronment. 3. Look for skilled workers in the right places Ensuring that next-generation workers are knowledgeable about the industry is vital, but there are other skilled groups that are waiting to be snapped up by the industry. For example, over 14,000 leave the military every year, meaning the construction industry has a pool of highly trained individuals with transferable skills at their disposal. There are a number of companies that have already reaped the benefits of military leavers, and even provide special- ist training and learning credits to get them fully trained as soon as possible. Military leavers offer the unique opportunity for construction firms to hire workers that can effectively follow instructions, work well as a team and can keep calm under pressure. It’s a unique opportunity that is too good to pass up.