As the cost of materials and inflation continues to make headlines, there is another issue quietly chipping away at the UK’s construction sector: a growing shortage of labour. Recent data shows that over 250,000 workers have been lost in UK construction in just the past few years alone, despite strong levels of activity. The industry is not enticing people at the same rate as it is losing them, and with roughly 500,000 people expected to leave the industry in the next decade, the problem is only set to worsen.
To keep up with demand over the next 10 years, the UK needs to attract over 900,000 tradespeople, with a quarter of a million of those being qualified apprentices. However, this represents a massive 34% increase in the number of people completing construction apprenticeships today.
It’s clear that more needs to be done to encourage young people to consider careers in construction, including tapping into the pool of female talent that exists. Currently, women make up less than 15% of the UK construction workforce, and we’re missing a trick by failing to encourage more women into the industry.
Next Steps?
Collaboration during Covid was just the beginning – Now it’s time for the construction industry to band together and rebrand the built environment as a great place to work. We need to reach out to schools, universities, and young people with accessible messaging or risk falling into a labour shortage abyss. Attracting new talent is vital for achieving our ambitious homebuilding, net-zero, and infrastructure delivery targets – let’s act now before it’s too late.
Article adapted from Construction News
