There are increasing concerns regarding the shortage of skilled workers
being experienced in Britain. A recent survey by Royal
Institution of Charter Surveyors highlighted that 53% of those currently
working in the industry feel that labour shortage is a serious challenge to
future growth.
While this problem has been an ongoing issue since the global recession
in 2008, the number of tradesmen who are retiring and not being replaced makes
the shortage even more acute. The Royal Academy of Engineering estimates that
Britain will need as many as one million new engineers and technicians by 2020.
Construction and technical companies continue to call on the government
and schools to promote trades as a viable option, especially when you consider
the ever-increasing costs of a university degree for many of today’s school
leavers.
But how is the industry coping in the short term?
Shifting Workforce
The ever-looming issue of Brexit is likely to increase the urgency in
securing a solution to the shortage. If you consider that estimates put the
migrant labour workforce somewhere near 9% of the total work force, and upwards
of 17% in London and the
South East. This places a
significant amount of stress on the industries, as the uncertainty around the
status of these employees post Brexit hangs in the balance, and a mass exodus can
yet be ruled out.
However, buried within these stats is an interesting sub-plot: not all
areas of the UK require the same number of tradespeople, either due to a lack
of population, or due to the number of major construction jobs. This has resulted in companies sending workforces long distances to fill
the demand.
Reports from Northern Ireland claim that nearly half of all work being completed
by building firms from the country is now being performed outside
of Northern Ireland. It is also suggested that better job security and
significantly higher pay has enticed thousands of tradespeople to commute to the
UK mainland for weeks at a time.
Market Entry
Northern Ireland tradespeople are not an isolated case, as trade
companies and individuals in the North West, North East and Scotland have also
been targeting high demand areas. However, the most intriguing moves have been
made by industries not usually involved in the trade world.
John
Lewis has taken the unprecedent step to move into the market and offer a new
home maintenance service. They will enlist 150 tradespeople, after a thorough
screening process, into their scheme. This is the start of what is predicted to
be many moves by brands to incorporate themselves into consumers’ lifestyles.
John
Lewis’s main objective of the scheme is to create a bigger eco-system around
the home, so that when their customers are in the process of buying or selling a home, they
will use John Lewis to not only furnish the property, but remain with the brand
for all product upgrades and future maintenance. This will also help to stave
off competition from online retailers like Amazon who are expanding their range
of services significantly.
Of course, there is no intention to directly address the lack of
tradespeople, but by throwing its trusted name behind a group of contractors,
it will help to raise the profile and image of the industry.
Break The Stigma
Ultimately, the only way the UK is going to be able to fulfil its need
for greater numbers of tradespeople is to attract and train new workers in the
skills they will require. Both John Lewis’s move and money offered in other
parts of the country for experienced workers will help in part, but the youth
and unemployed will be key.
Local companies are attempting to stem the tide by offering apprenticeships
and re-training contracts to both young and old, and bringing onboard
enthusiastic individuals, keen for a first or second chance, and allowing them
to learn the key skills via knowledgeable people.
However, the government and schools must do more to entice young people
in the industry. They must break the stigma attached to the social class and
education ability associated with the roles. Maybe by broadcasting the
estimated £100,000 annual salary
earned by some London based plumbers or highlighting the control many have over
their working hours.
With government infrastructure plans around housing being rolled out in
2017/18, Brexit unresolved and the expert estimates of the number of industry
workers required by 2020, solutions need to be found sooner rather than later.
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