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While much of the UK’s job market is currently struggling to meet the demand for opportunities for young people, the construction industry is facing a different problem entirely. Already, many construction sites are struggling to get boots on the ground and find enough skilled labour to keep up with project timelines (not to mention meet quality standards), but with around one third of the current workforce expected to retire in the next decade, the outlook is starting to look quite bleak. Decades of hard-earned expertise are going to be lost, and we’re not replacing that expertise at the rate we need to.
There are many reasons why the UK construction industry is facing a labour shortage. Brexit created a fresh wave of immigration challenges to skilled workers, meaning that the UK doesn’t have the same level of incoming talent as it once enjoyed. In fact, at the time, this was referred to as an exodus, with 42% of EU workers leaving between 2017 and 2020.
What’s more, apprenticeship dropout rates are high due, in part, to a lack of career guidance and clear direction, while competition with other sectors such as engineering also poach potential talent from construction.
What Can Be Done About It?
There are two elements to the proposed solution. The first is an increased emphasis on off-site solutions that raise the standard of quality without causing unwanted delays to project cycles. One deterrent to new workers will, of course, be the current level of demand placed on skeleton teams to complete projects faster and under-budget. The second is improved resources for younger talent that captures their imagination earlier, and offers sound career guidance in order to support them in those earlier years.
For the former, solutions like precast retaining wall systems offer real support to stretched teams. Manufactured off-site to under highly controlled conditions, these systems are favoured for their ease of delivery and installation, along with their superior quality and excellent durability. They circumvent one of the biggest causes of project slowdown, which is the weeks-long curing process that is, ultimately, at the mercy of British weather.
For the latter, boosting retention is more nuanced. It requires better resources for young people, career guidance, and dedicated monitoring. The classroom is vital for training, but practical, hands-on expertise is more likely to capture the interest of young people at a crossroads. More facilities are also needed. The government has promised these as part of its £600m construction skills package. Clear career progression is also important. It can help break the age-old stigma around manual labour.
Many still believe it offers little in terms of future prospects or earning potential. Showing young people the skills they can gain and the careers they can build may make construction more appealing. Better guidance, practical experience, facilities, and monitoring can also help young people see construction as a long-term career choice and improve retention.
The first step is accepting that there is a problem, and it feels as though the government is already a little behind in doing so, despite some signals that they are making progress.
