VIEWPOINT


THE CHANGING SHAPE OF THE UK’S CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE


Dan Caborn, OD & talent manager for Wienerberger


ACCORDING TO THE Construction Skills Network, the industry training board for the construction sector in England, Scotland and Wales the industry needs an extra 266,000 workers by 2026, on top of initial projections, to meet growing demand in the UK. That’s an additional 53,000 recruits each year to fill if we are to achieve targets in the built environment. Skills shortages are not a new issue in construction but, with other external pressures on employers, the impact is being felt by some in the sector more dramatically. One potential implication is wage inflation, as in-demand workers take advantage of a shortage in supply: the ONS reports that pay growth is higher in construction than any other sector.


Identifying the cause There are, of course, many factors behind the ever-growing gap between demand and supply of construction skills, including the ‘Great Resignation’ following the pandemic, as well as other factors more specific to construction. Back in 2016, the Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model, commissioned by the Construction Leadership Council, concluded that the industry must ‘modernise or die’, raising concern that more people leave the industry each year than join it. One of the most alarming points raised, however, was the demographic of the construction industry.


“A combination of an ageing workforce, low levels of new entrants and an overlay of deep and recurring recessions which induce accelerated shrinkage, now threatens the very sustainability of the industry. It is potentially


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in danger of becoming unfit for purpose,” Mark Farmer wrote. Six years on and engineers are particularly affected. Figures from 2019, for instance, by the ECITB (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) show that by 2026, more than 91,000 engineers (20% of the workforce) will have retired or will be close to retiring. All of this paints a concerning picture around skills shortages. Deloitte’s latest survey of sentiment of UK Chief Finance Officers found that persistent labour shortage was fourth in list of biggest risk to business and it’s clear that the construction industry is at risk more than most. How, then, do we start to reduce the gap and address the shortage of talent across the sector?


Exploring the


solutions: Adjusting perceptions


One of the biggest historical challenges in attracting new entrants to the construction sector has been negative perceptions of the industry from ‘outsiders’. A research report by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) for the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) published in January 2022 highlighted the need to increase visibility and awareness of an industry that has traditionally been perceived as physical, largely based outside, hard work and male-dominated.


The report says recruitment from outside the industry is “hindered by a lack of real understanding and accurate knowledge of construction; of the entry requirements, availability of jobs, progression opportunities offered, and how to access work experience. And it is further


hampered by firmly rooted and largely negative perceptions of the construction industry.” Noting the perceptions in the CITB’s report, one way to make progress and shift negative attitudes is to make construction a safer, easier and more sustainable environment in which to work.


Manufacturers are supporting this with continued product innovation, and the rise of modern methods of construction will do much to challenge those traditional perceptions of working on-site. With this, we can expect to see a huge shift towards a digitally skilled workforce. Many manufacturers would also point out how the nature of factory work itself has changed in recent years. Factory roles across our sites, for instance, tend to be less ‘hands on’ and more involved with technology - I’m always impressed by the level of automation, engineering, robotics and science in our processes, tackling that perception of a manual, heavy industry.


Exploring the solutions: Training to recruit and retain While new recruits are needed across the industry to help plug the skills gap, it is also important to retain existing talent and minimise any risk of the gap growing further. And training is a vital means of supporting both objectives.


Structured training programmes help to keep staff engaged and provide the skills they need to cope with evolving challenges and new approaches, whether they are already in the industry or not. Organisations like the CITB do a lot of good work to help train those in the industry, but


manufacturers have a role to play too, particularly in getting new people interested in the industry and raising competency levels. Wienerberger’s apprenticeship scheme offers vocational training and an industry-recognised qualification, supporting wider objectives to provide a broad range of learning opportunities that support employees’ personal growth. In fact, we recently invested in a new £1 million Centre of Excellence, dedicated to educating and training engineers. The centre is a valuable resource for both current and future engineers. It will help to ensure that there are enough qualified engineers to fill the jobs that are available, and that the engineering workforce is up-to- date on the latest technologies. The centre also allows us to share knowledge and expertise with other staff groups on Wienerberger’s specific products, skills, and processes.


Exploiting opportunities


Clearly, there are challenges in place for the construction industry and no quick fix as we seek to work together to address the skills gap and achieve the growth needed to support the UK’s recovery from COVID-19, inflation and other economic threats. However, there is also evidence that we have the insights, understanding and tools needed to do just that.


By looking at best practice from within the construction industry and from other industries too, it’s clear that opportunities exist to recruit, retain and engage construction workers. Now we must focus on exploiting those opportunities to achieve common goals. BMJ


www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net June 2023


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