White collar skills crisis strangling construction

Grant Prior 7 years ago
Share

A dire shortage of construction professionals is holding back the industry’s progress.

The RICS survey graph highlights rising skills shortages
The RICS survey graph highlights rising skills shortages

The latest RICS UK Construction and Infrastructure Market Survey revealed huge problems in recruiting for white collar roles.

The survey found that during the third quarter of this year 64% of firms are still seeing a lack of quantity surveyors as well as 52% for other professionals.

The situation is not much better on site with 44% reporting a shortage of workers within specific trades.

Andrew Bridson of Skanska said: “We have recently secured some of the initial tranches for HS2.

“This will inevitably put a significant strain on our own current Professional resources with regards to Infrastructure / Rail Engineers, QSs and Construction Managers.”

Richard Diamond of Diamond Resolution Consultants Ltd said: “Too much talk of skills shortages pushes incompetent people up the salary bracket by constantly moving companies.

“New apprentices don’t come equipped with basic computer knowledge making their industry training slow.”

To advertise your current vacancies direct to the Enquirer’s huge construction readership click here

Latest news

Government to license principal contractors after Grenfell

Seven firms criticised in Inquiry to face ban from government contracts
2 hours ago

Overbury profits lift Morgan Sindall to another record year

Construction margin hits 3% as group daily cash soars to £374m
10 hours ago

Galliford Try wins £45m high security prison fire safety retrofit

HMP Wakefield provides upgrade challenges in secure environments
11 hours ago

Over 120 firms win £660m retrofit and decarb framework

LHC national framework covers capabilities from consultancy to retrofit works
20 hours ago

Costain signs PM and engineering resources deal for Sizewell C

10-year framework will cover project managers and engineers, cost controllers and risk managers
1 day ago

Lovell Partnerships to build 2,260 South Wales homes

Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan councils partnership to deliver homes over 10 years
1 day ago

HS2 Euston tunnel work put on hold

Supply chain told of delays in shock announcement
1 day ago

Gateway 2 approval delay pushes back Bristol student scheme

Student developer warns fire design approvals will push projects back 6 months
1 day ago

Axa submits plan for 46-storey London city tower

176m office block plan submitted after 22 Bishopsgate space fully let
2 days ago

Winners named for NHS building safety and fire compliance deal

66 specialists and consultants lined up to deliver compliance backlog
1 day ago

Durkan launches specialist housing upgrade business

Regeneration arm to deliver housing maintenance, retrofit and fire remediation works
2 days ago

Grants extended to switch van fleets to electric

Need for extra training for zero emission van drivers abolished
1 day ago

Sweeping changes to public procurement come into force

Procurement Act 2023 brings greater duty to report on contract performance
2 days ago

£3bn London councils general works deal out to bid

Five-year London Construction Programme framework up for renewal
2 days ago

Didcot demolition disaster probe enters tenth year

Thames Valley Police "moving towards the latter stages of enquiries"
3 days ago

Hunt for development partner for £4bn Bristol Temple Quarter

130 ha masterplan could deliver 10,000 new homes
2 days ago

Sovereign starts hunt for £750m framework builders

Housing association looking for contractors across West, South, London and East
2 days ago

Bromford sets 11,000 new homes target across West of England

Housing association on land-buying spree to scale-up construction work
2 days ago

Administrators take control at Acheson Construction

40 staff made redundant at South West regional contractor
5 days ago

34 secure spots on £1bn NEPO civils framework

Balfour Beatty, Graham, Taylor Woodrow and Winvic signed up for first time
5 days ago

Bouygues claims net zero construction goal at Welsh project

Llanelli leisure centre and health campus achieves green construction target
5 days ago

Manchester civil service digital campus approved

Two Government office blocks totaling 900,000sq ft to cost £310m to build
5 days ago

New mobile charging vans crack electric plant downtime anxiety

FM Conway trials new service that recharges small plant in one hour
5 days ago

Build to rent deal kick starts 3,500-home Dagenham scheme

Deal secures 935-home first phase of Ford Dagenham plant redevelopment
6 days ago

RSK adds another 110 staff with N-Able Group deal

Consultant and construction services group makes latest acquisition
5 days ago

JRL Malaysian backers plan 580-home Wheat Quarter scheme

Plans in for Welwyn Garden City Shredded Wheat factory redevelopment
6 days ago

Recycled aggregate firms blast new waste crime levy

10% levy on all recycled aggregate producers to fund policing waste crime
6 days ago

£110m Liverpool Metalworks resi scheme gets nod

Legacie Contracts tipped for 16-storey Pumpfields project
6 days ago

Building products firm fined £1m after double accident

Scaffolder hurt in fall and worker caught in machinery at Norbord factory
6 days ago

Graham lands £42m Woking road upgrade

A320 upgrade will unlock new housing schemes along route
6 days ago

Contractor services