Graham says:

“The construction skills gap problem in the UK is two fold: Firstly, there aren’t enough homes for people to live in and we don’t have enough skilled people to build them. Secondly, many existing homes and other buildings are poorly insulated and energy inefficient and we don’t have the skills or workforce to effectively retrofit them all. For ordinary people, this is pushing up house prices and rents and impacting both quality of life and personal finances due to increased heating bills and other costs, especially for those in social housing.

"The Government’s ambition to build 1.5m new homes is vital but not realistic. The construction industry has been contracting rather than growing in recent years and the skilled workforce is dwindling because of lack of investment on the part of Government and employers. We’re also at risk of losing our skilled construction workers to other countries who will pay them more to help meet their Net Zero targets.

"Construction has a serious image problem when it comes to people wanting to work in the sector despite the fact that there is plenty of well-paid, rewarding work with excellent progression opportunities and less of a likelihood that jobs will be replaced by AI/robotics than in other sectors.

"Schools and others have got to change the message to young people, amongst whom unemployment is high, to encourage them to consider a career in construction – and then Government and industry must invest in up-skilling them.

"We also need to raise occupational standards up to a world-class level to avoid the likes of the Grenfell disaster. This will help to ensure that the buildings we’re building and maintaining are sound, safe and fit for purpose. Being trained and accredited to an international standard enhances career prospects even further, giving workers the opportunity to work abroad.”

Graham recommends that those interested in careers in construction contact their local Technical College or Mayoral Authority to find out about training. Find out more about NOCN Group’s skills solutions for Colleges, training providers and employers in the construction and engineering sectors.

 

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