COMMENT

Construction is not on its own, and over the past 12-months it has become clear that the nation cannot meet labour demand for many other critical sectors and professions from veterinarians to HGV drivers.

There are several reasons which are suggested to have contributed to this problem one of which being the UK’s reliance on non-UK labour, much of which disappeared as the UK left the EU. This coupled with scores returning to their home nations to be with family during extended periods of global lockdown and then not coming back, resulted in the construction sector losing an estimated 50,000 non-EU workers.

It is easy to point the finger at Brexit and a global pandemic. However, they are not the only reasons why this sector and several others find themselves struggling to fill vacancies or attract a new generation of workers.

It’s a problem we need to resolve and fast. ONS figures published in June 2022 indicate that there were 42,000 job vacancies in construction. Compare that with June 2021 when there were 35,000 and with June 2020 when there were only 12,000 and the scale of the challenge becomes clear.

I think government and its agencies have a part to play, to ensure that employers and jobseekers can access fit-for-purpose training that is visible, relevant, accessible, affordable, and scalable. For scaffolding and access specifically, I think there are several gaps here and the association is working hard to address them.

The industry must also do its bit by helping to attract a new generation of workers but also by looking after and retaining those that are already here.

Women make up around 11% of construction workers, far less in scaffolding and access. There are several factors that might explain this enormous gender gap, including unconscious gender bias and negative perceptions of women working in construction. As a sector, we need to work harder to address this gender imbalance and again, this is not something the government will do for us.

As this month’s AccessPoint Magazine lands on doormats, we will have not long finished National Scaffolding Week (NSW) - a one-of-a-kind campaign, facilitated by the Scaffolding Association, which encourages industry stakeholders, fellow trade associations, government departments and scaffolding and access businesses to come together, to bring a much-needed platform to help raise the profile of careers and achievements within this sector.

The campaign is also working to build relationships with schools and colleges so that over time, young people at the point that they are making their career choices, know about the wide range of well-paid jobs and careers our sector has to offer.

Of course, we cannot solve our skills and labour shortages during the course of a week. However, NSW is one of several initiatives that our collective industry can and should be getting behind, to help ease the problem.

Robert Candy CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SCAFFOLDING ASSOCIATION www.scaffolding-association.org