Contractors battle it out for shrinking pool of staff

Grant Prior 8 years ago
Share

Construction companies are trying to hire staff at their fastest rate for more than a decade.

But a lack of skilled workers means many vacancies could go unfilled.

The latest survey from recruitment giant ManpowerGroup reveals construction as the most upbeat sector when it comes to hiring.

James Hick, Managing Director for ManpowerGroup Solutions said: “Britain’s builders are as optimistic now as at any time since the financial crisis.

“Construction hiring often slows in the winter months, but the UK is set to buck the trend this year – our data suggests this could be the strongest fourth quarter for hiring since 2005.”

Hicks said that testing and repair work in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy had caused a surge in demand for staff.

He said: “Some of this work is the urgent testing and repair that is being carried out up and down the country on much of Britain’s public housing stock.

“The state of housing in the country is under the microscope like never before and the need for both building and remedial work have caused demand in the construction industry to shoot up.”

He added: “Thetough reality lurking beneath all these positive indicators is that these hiring intentions may not come to fruition because of difficulties attracting and retaining skilled employees.

“Take construction, where companies are reporting a stronger pipeline of work than they have for years.

“However, without a pool of skilled workers to actually do the work, buildings will go unbuilt and projects will flounder.

“There is lots of talk around what we need to do to fix the UK’s ailing housing market at present but politicians’ promises are just hot air without the essential skilled talent needed to deliver these programmes.”

For all the latest jobs and to promote your vacancies to the Enquirer’s vast industry audience click here

Latest news

Breakthrough for HS2 as first Birmingham tunnel section dug

Balfour Beatty VINCI completes 3.5km TBM drive in 652 days drive
2 days ago

HS2 Curzon Street station redesign approved as timber roof axed

Change to meet stricter fire safety rules and cut maintenance costs
2 days ago

Care home fire trial collapses

Prosecution withdrawn against four firms including Morgan Sindall Property Services
3 days ago

Leicester rebids £22m station revamp after failed tender race

Council opts for ECI route after receiving one bid for project
2 days ago

Kier wins East Coast College rebuild job in Great Yarmouth

Work to start this summer for 1,300-student college
2 days ago

R G Carter wins £28m hospital car park job in King’s Lynn

MSCP paves way for £1.5bn Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild in 2027
2 days ago

London to relax green belt building rules

Sadiq Khan shifts position on planning
2 days ago

Willmott Dixon wins Great Yarmouth waterfront deal

North Quay 10.5 acres mixed-use scheme to advance
3 days ago

SIG chief quits to join Travis Perkins

Gavin Slark to leave by the end of this year
2 days ago

Eight take key spots on £250m Prosper framework

Housing and public building upkeep deal for North East awarded
3 days ago

Early call-out for £150m Ebbsfleet Garden City infrastructure

Bidders day to set out plan for Ebbsfleet Central commercial scheme
4 days ago

McLaren storms April contracts league with flurry of wins

Cardiff Bay Arena job headlines a series of big contract wins
3 days ago

Balfour Beatty lifts cash forecast after strong first quarter

Contractor set to hit £1bn average monthly net cash in 2025
3 days ago

Goldman Sachs-owned Adler & Allan buys 180-strong civils outfit

West Country's Glanville Environmental gets new owner
3 days ago

Caddick lands first contract for £200m Skelmersdale revamp

Developer gets green light for masterplan
3 days ago

Van Elle sells HGV fleet to haulage firm

WS Specialist Logistics pays £2.9m to take on fleet and drivers
3 days ago

Buyers more bullish about prospects for year ahead

Residential "resilient" but commercial work a weak spot
4 days ago

Council backs first Brutalist car park-to-flats scheme

Newcastle-under-Lyme multi-storey car park to be reborn as pioneering homes scheme
4 days ago

Hinkley Point C hits peak build with 26,000 jobs

3,000 more workers to join as fit-out work ramps up
4 days ago

Over 40 firms win Wessex Water M&E minor works deal

Broad sweep of specialists picked for AMP8 programme
4 days ago

Spencer lands Scottish bridge hat-trick

Steelwork, gantries and bearing upgrades on Kessock, Forth and Tay crossings
5 days ago

Winners revealed for £1.5bn decarbonisation deal

Fusion21 confirms places for 40 firms: Full list
4 days ago

Cladding firm fined £225,000 after fatal fall

Court hears how cherry picker didn't reach all parts of repair job
4 days ago

Completed buildings caught-up in Gateway 2 chaos

Developer distraught after dealing with Building Safety Regulator
5 days ago

Aviva submits plans for 34-storey City office tower

Subject to planning work to start in autumn 2027
5 days ago

Murphy takes 40% stake in Aussie civils contractor

Firm enters Australasian market with stake in Sydney-based contractor Abergeldie
6 days ago

Moat seeks firm for £420m repairs and maintenance deal

15-year deal to upkeep 20,000 south east homes
5 days ago

Lynch takes over hotel for Sizewell plant operators

Hire giant now in the hotel business to guarantee accommodation for workers
5 days ago

Subcontractors wanted across Scotland

Latest Constructionline event in Glasgow: Register now
5 days ago

Six guilty of £2m bribery over Devon housing site deals

Corrupt building bosses and E.ON project chief and QS sentenced
1 week ago

Contractor services