As part of BEYOND ‘25 LIVE we took the opportunity to discuss an issue at the very heart of the house-building sector: the growing skills gap in construction.
Our host Amelia Bird discussed this critical issue with Roger Morton, Director of Business Change at NHBC.
What is the skills gap?
The skills gap represents one of the most pressing challenges in UK construction, affecting all stages of build and all roles from site management to trades.
In the simplest terms it means that there are more people leaving the house-building industry than are entering it, potentially leading to a shortage of essential construction skills to build much-needed new homes.
The challenges
The skills gap in construction has been increasing for some time but two elements in particular are exacerbating an already concerning issue:
1. An ageing workforce
With fewer young people entering the sector and an ageing workforce inexorably moving towards retirement, it is essential the house-building industry comes together to address this challenge.
As Roger explained at BEYOND ’25 LIVE “[If you] take brick layers for example, 22% of all brick layers in the UK are aged between 50 and 59 years old, and a further 12% are aged over 60.”
From these statistics we can see that within the next decade a third of bricklayers could retire. This is clearly a significant proportion of the workforce, but it becomes even more significant if you consider this alongside an increased demand for this skill.
2. The need for new homes
Roger went on to highlight the need for more skilled tradespeople against the backdrop of Government’s target to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. He said “[It is important to consider] the number of homes that we're being asked to build… the government has a very bold target.”
That is why it is essential that the house-building industry finds new ways to make the sector more appealing and inspire new people to join this rewarding industry. As Roger outlined “We need to [work together to] make construction something that’s attractive to everybody.”
How can apprenticeships help bridge the skills gap?
As part of NHBC’s purpose to raise standards in house building by championing high-quality homes we are investing £100 million in a network of new multi-skill training hubs. These hubs will deliver high quality trained apprenticeships in key trades including bricklaying, groundworks and site carpentry.
Roger explained that the NHBC Training Hubs support apprentices by reflecting a real site environment “our hubs [are] actually on a house building site… with cabins [as per] a normal compound on site. Apprentices [are] typically completing a Level 2 qualification in 14 to 15 month [and] most people are then going on to apply their trade.”
