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NEWS

Construction industry set to

experience recruitment pinch

NEW FIGURES FROM THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TRAINING

BOARD (CITB) FORECAST A BIG RISE IN THE DEMAND FOR

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Construction is set to experience
recruitment pinch points, as over a
quarter of a million additional workers
will be needed by 2026 to meet
growing demand in the industry, the
latest Construction Skills Network (CSN)
report finds.
The report finds all major sectors are
expected to experience increasing
recruitment demands as demand for
construction increases, but the most
affected sectors are expected to be
private housing, infrastructure and
repair and maintenance.
• Private housing output is forecasted
to exceed pre-pandemic levels by
2023, having seen strong growth since
the pandemic.
• Infrastructure: saw the shallowest fall the next five years. • Responding to the skills demands
in output (5%) of any of the new work • Developing the capacity and
sectors in 2020 The government views If projected growth is met, capability of construction training
investment in major infrastructure construction employment will provision
projects and programmes of work as reach a high of nearly 2.78 million • Addressing future skills needs.
key in delivering the post-pandemic workers by 2026, with the largest
economic recovery along with increases in annual demand will be The plan shows how CITB will invest
levelling-up and future energy for occupations such as carpenters, over £233m across Britain to support
security. joiners and construction managers, construction throughout 2022/23.
• Repair and maintenance: Growth along with a range of technical roles. CITB will create more accessible
in repair and maintenance is These include electronics technicians, routes into construction, focus
expected to be driven in part by the civil engineering technicians, on apprenticeships and on-site
Government’s £9.2bn commitment estimators and valuers, as well as experience, and roll-out
to increase the energy efficiency of office-based support staff. occupational traineeships in Further
homes, schools and hospitals, which This comes as CITB urges industry and Education.
includes funding to improve energy government to come together in This year, a total of £110m in training
efficiency of social housing and grants refreshing the way the industry hires grants reaching 14,000 businesses
for private home improvements. and trains, making construction an is available. This includes £60.3m
With job vacancies at a record high, attractive place for everyone to work. in direct grants to employers who
and unemployment at its lowest level In CITB’s Business Plan,3 launched last take on apprentices, supporting the
in 50 years, the report forecasts that month, three core challenges are set industry to address its current and
recruitment and developing a highly- out. These challenges, which reflect future need for a skilled workforce.
skilled workforce will be the biggest the views of employers and a wide For more information, please visit:
challenge construction will face over variety of stakeholders, are: https://www.citb.co.uk/

www.modernbuilder.co.uk modern builder - issue 103 9