According to recent reports by the FMB (Federation of Master Builders), a skills shortage in the building industry is resulting in a slower economic recovery growth. The same report also shows that a fifth of those that replied are also struggling to recruit highly qualified builders.
Worryingly, only around a third of companies admitted that their staffing team would be increasing in the next 12 month and only 20% said they had made large changes in their recruitment in the past year.
The CEO of FMB has called on the government to address the issues quickly and claims that they should not take growth in the construction industry for granted instead saying it is important to continue to develop the industry before it hits a plateau. He said: “The results act as a stark warning that the government must not take the recovery in the construction sector for granted. Although this snapshot of small construction firms marks the fifth consecutive quarter of positive results, if we don’t have enough of the right people to complete the work, private and public projects could be stalled across the board.”
Speaking about the growth he also said that the new apprentice rules might have an adverse affect on the quality of young tradesman and especially roofers coming through. The FMB CEO continued saying: "CITB forecast that 182,000 new UK jobs are expected to be created in the construction industry by 2018 so this is not the time to jeopardise the ability of small firms to continue their proud history of training apprentices.
"Not only would this be disastrous for the construction sector itself and the hundreds of thousands of young people who are currently seeking employment, it would also be disastrous for the wider economy which is largely relying on construction and housing to drive the recovery.”
If you are looking for the very best skilled local Kirklees roofing talent, look no further than our team. We have lots of Huddersfield roofers ready to carry out even the most complex of roof work for you today. Give them a call on 01484 290087.