Construction workforce woes: Just 0.24% of UK workforce meet skills requirements
With construction trades facing a ‘demographic time bomb’ and high insolvency rate, new research has revealed the extent of the challenge to source skilled talent.1
The business finance experts at money.co.uk business savings have analysed ONS data to highlight the current skill proficiency among the total UK workforce compared to the requirements of different sectors.
Just 0.24% of the UK workforce meets the requirements for the average occupation in the skilled construction and building trades - ranking second compared to other sectors for the lowest rate.
Sectors with the lowest skills proficiency:
|
Rank |
Occupation group |
Average % of people meeting skills requirements for an occupation in this group |
|
1 |
Skilled metal, electrical, and electronic trades |
0.22% |
|
2 |
Skilled construction and building trades |
0.24% |
|
3 |
Science, engineering, and technology associate professionals |
0.31% |
|
4 |
Process, plant, and machine operatives |
0.34% |
|
5 |
Elementary trades and related occupations |
0.35% |
|
6 |
Business, media, and public service professionals |
0.35% |
|
7 |
Health professionals |
0.41% |
|
8 |
Skilled agricultural and related trades |
0.42% |
|
9 |
Secretarial and related |
0.44% |
|
10 |
Science, research, engineering, and technology professionals |
0.45% |
This, combined with an ageing workforce and fewer young people entering the trade, contributes to the skills shortage issues the industry is facing and the difficulty in overcoming it.
To tackle this, the government has launched 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs to bolster the number of apprentices entering the sector. These hubs will help deliver fast-track training to local areas that need more housing, including bricklaying, roofing, scaffolding, and more.
Joe Phelan, money.co.uk business savings expert, commented: “Attracting and retaining high-quality talent, including through regular upskilling and reskilling, is essential to staying competitive and driving economic growth in any industry.
“To consistently meet their skills requirements, businesses need to undertake strategic planning. This includes identifying current and future potential skills gaps and saving to invest in necessary skilled hires and upskilling programs.
“Creating a structured saving plan and utilising a business savings account to effectively manage your cash flow and consistently set aside money for these purposes is a good place to start.
“You can also look into cost-effective upskilling options, such as government support in apprentice recruitment via the National Careers Service (NCS) and reduced training costs via the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.”
1-https://tica-acad.co.uk/tica-urges-public-procurement-reforms-to-prioritise-apprenticeships/ & https://bcis.co.uk/news/construction-insolvencies-latest-news/
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