FMB survey highlights demand for carpenters, joiners and bricklayers
The proportion of small builders struggling to recruit key categories of skilled worker has almost doubled over the past 12 months, a new survey has found.
According to the Federation of Master Builders鈥� latest state of trade survey, 44% of small construction firms are having difficulty recruiting qualified joiners and carpenters, a significant increase from the 23% who reported such issues this time last year.
Its fourth quarter 2014 survey also found that 42% of firms were struggling to find bricklayers, up from 27% in the same quarter of 2013.
FMB chief executive Brian Berry said the survey had also flagged up a significant shortage of roofers, plasterers and site managers.
鈥淭he skills time bomb has arisen for a number of reasons: Around 400,000 construction workers left the industry since the downturn hit in 2007 and many will never return,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f you combine this with an increase in workloads as the economy recovers, all the signs point to the skills shortage getting worse before it gets better.鈥�
Berry urged the government to review its proposed apprenticeship funding reforms, which he said FMB members believed would prevent them from training apprentices.
鈥淚n the midst of a skills crisis, it鈥檚 the last thing the construction industry needs,鈥� he said.
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