There is growing call for foreign workers in the United Kingdom as it’s currently facing a critical shortage of construction workers, significantly impacting homeowners and major projects alike.
According to a national construction audit by Fix Radio, since 2021, over 415,000 people have had to wait more than a year to secure a builder.
The shortage isn’t limited to builders; delays also affect plumbers, heating engineers, roofers, and carpenters, with hundreds of thousands of households experiencing extended waits.
For instance, the average wait for a bricklayer has surpassed three months in the past three years, while landscapers, painters, and decorators have left customers waiting for around two and a half months on average.
This skills deficit has severe repercussions for large-scale projects, exemplified by delays in completing the Co-op Live venue in Manchester.
With the look of things, it is said that the UK will require an additional 225,000 skilled workers by 2027, with projected economic losses of £98 billion by 2030 due to the skills gap.
The ageing workforce exacerbates the issue, with a significant portion of construction workers over 50 and many planning to retire by 2030. Nearly one million tradespeople are expected to retire in the next decade, according to the Construction Industry Training Board’s estimates.
While migrant labour has helped mitigate some shortages, there is an urgent need to train more British workers. Measures are being taken, such as adding bricklayers, plasterers, roofers, and carpenters to the Home Office’s shortage occupation list and government initiatives like funding 100,000 apprenticeships.
Both major political parties in the UK have prioritised construction in their campaigns, with proposals ranging from new towns to large-scale homebuilding initiatives.
However, Clive Holland of Fix Radio stressed the necessity for a serious conversation about addressing the skills deficit, warning of dire consequences if the issue is not adequately tackled.
A survey by Fix Radio indicated that a majority of Britons feel insufficiently encouraged to pursue trades in school, and a significant percentage of parents discourage their children from entering the construction industry due to perceptions of low earnings.
This underscores the need for comprehensive efforts to attract and train the next generation of construction workers in the UK.
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