A new skills survey by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) was conducted among 1200 construction managers and directors, most of who work for large organisations that employ 500 or more people. The results show that skilled trades and crafts people, and those with senior and middle management experience are in great demand within the construction industry.

The skills shortages identified by nine out of ten respondents can only become worse as finding apprenticeship places within construction continues to be a problem. In 2007 ConstructionSkills was only able to find apprenticeship places for 8,500 people out of 45,000 who applied.

Max Hamps, ConstructionSkills apprenticeship director explained: “It is true that the number of young people seeking an apprenticeship is far greater than placements available and that in 2007 over 45,000 young people applied to ConstructionSkills for apprenticeships with 8,500 placements resulting. However less than half of those who applied went on to take the ConstructionSkills selection test, the next stage in the application process, and of those that did, not all went on to enroll as an apprentice as often applications are only speculative and other careers may have also been pursued.

“ConstructionSkills is committed to developing solutions to support employers to train their workforce. For example Programme Led Apprenticeships (PLA’s), by changing the structure of the employer training commitment, offer a flexible alternative route to traditional apprenticeships. Furthermore ConstructionSkills Apprenticeships has a dedicated team which works closely with both employers and apprentices to provide support and advice throughout the training period, including up to £9,400 in grant for registered employers.

“Now we’re calling on employers to play their part, which means providing the essential on-site practice required to get new entrants qualified and into the industry.  Last year we helped set up the Cross Industry Task Force on Apprenticeship Numbers, which has a major role to play in increasing apprenticeship numbers and the group has committed to doubling the number of successful construction apprenticeships in England over the next four years, it is now critical that industry rise to the challenge.”

The survey found that the demand for middle and senior managers, too, is an on-going and increasing problem within the construction industry. Eighty-three per cent of respondents said they found recruiting senior management difficult (up 7 per cent from last year) and 84 per cent experienced problems recruiting middle management (up 9 per cent from last year).

At lower management levels the number of graduates who hold industry related degrees is being supplemented by taking on graduates with other degrees and then helping them relate those to the construction industry. The problem arises at middle and senior management levels where it takes longer to train and get back into the industry. And while it could be argued that management skills are the same wherever they are applied, multiple issues in construction, such as health and safety and a multitude of trades mean that only people from a construction background have the knowledge to manage effectively.

Middle and senior managers cannot be drawn to any great extent from the migrant labour population. Any management skills held by migrants are either not recognised, or language proves to be a barrier. In any event, the flow of migrant labour is slowing as currency is affected by the credit crunch, making it less worthwhile to work in the UK, combined with a building boom in their home countries.

One measure currently being put in place is to encourage senior and middle managers to stay on in the industry past their retirement ages to allow time for replacements to be trained up.

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