NEWS BREXIT
Brexit will worsen shortage of architects in London, says practice director
Brexit is likely to worsen skilled labour shortages in architecture as well as construction more widely, meaning the Government will have to take decisive action to ensure the industry is not “crippled” in the process, according to architect Richard Hyams. Hyams, director of London-based practice astudio, said that as the transition phase of Brexit got underway, it was becoming clear how the industry would be affected. “The construction and architecture industries are facing the worsening of a pre- existing problem – labour shortages,” he said. “With a large portion of their skilled labour consisting of EU migrants, these sectors may have to reckon with a diminishing pool of workers, who no longer see the UK as a promising place to relocate to.”
Hyams added that there would be consequences for project programmes and budgets: “In order to minimise the impact that this future shortage will have on the completion times and costs associated with construction projects in the UK, the government will need to implement short and long-term measures to ensure the sector is not crippled during and after the Brexit process.”
Architecture practices “stand to suffer,” said Hyams, with creative industries an “essential part of the UK’s economic wealth and prosperity, contributing approximately £92bn annually and growing at double the overall rate of the economy.” Architecture made up £5bn, he said, with revenue from international work (including the EU), totalling some £500m a year. Hyams said: “The skilled-worker shortage is a key issue for us. We are proud to have over 15 nationalities working on our team of 35, many of whom joined us through the EU’s right to free movement and employment. Since the referendum, we have put serious thought into planning for a future where they may no longer be able to work with us. This not only provides logistical and workplace challenges but also limits the scope of our business from international opportunities and growth.”
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The practice has established a studio in Portugal as well as a registered business in Asia as part of measures to tackle the issue. “This offers us the ability to mitigate the potential issues by moving or growing our international operations beyond London.” Hyams said that new immigration
systems “need to recognise the key role of overseas citizens in our industry.” He added: “Long-term, we need to find ways of encouraging the training of more skilled workers within the UK, providing incentives through government programs and regulations to boost a workforce in desperate need of new, younger members. But this takes time to implement, which the construction industry does not have.” He said he “strongly supports RIBA’s position in calling for a post-Brexit immigration system which continues to allow the architecture sector to have access to the best talent globally, while providing mutual recognition of architects’ professional qualifications with the EU, as well as other countries.” “Architecture firms already struggle with
the pressures that accompany contractual work, with tight deadlines and the constant ebbs and flows in revenue.” Hyams added that labour shortages more widely in construction “pose a serious risk to the industry’s continued operations, leaving a massive contributor to the UK’s economic health in a precarious position. If we don’t take steps in both the short and long-term to mitigate these problems, the effects may prove extremely costly.” Approximately 28 per cent of London construction workers (including architects) come from European countries.
He said leading construction sector bodies had joined forces to call for action on skills shortages in a range of roles, from bricklayers to quantity surveyors, saying those organisations are “urging upskilling the existing workforce or hiring new workers within the UK.” Hyams added: “If highly sought-after workers are forced to return to Europe, the effect could be immense on the UK’s construction industry, which already struggles to keep up with demand.”
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