‘Construction’ and ‘skills crisis’ are terms that seem to go together naturally these days. The picture people outside the sector see is one of an old fashioned industry that is struggling to attract recruits quickly enough to replace the people who are leaving.
Despite a lot of effort and some excellent practice by some construction firms, the sector has an image that doesn’t seem to appeal to young people selecting their career paths. That may be changing but it isn’t changing quickly enough to address the skills gap, crisis, or however you may classify it.
In the panelised offsite world we don’t talk about a skills crisis. Recruiting the best talent is certainly a priority, as it is in most businesses, but we don’t have a crisis. But then we’re talking about a different set of skills.
With panelised offsite we have a process where much of the work is performed in a precision controlled advanced manufacturing facility rather than a cold, damp, dusty and noisy building site. Not surprisingly, this is a more appealing work environment for many young people.
Offsite Construction is Growing
Greater use of offsite construction techniques is inevitable. This is not just because of skills issues. There are many other advantages including speed, standardisation, quality, simplification and cost that will see offsite construction becoming an increasingly mainstream option.
So, when we talk about skills needed for construction, we have to think more broadly. A recent CITB report highlights six growing skill areas for the construction sector that reflect the growth of offsite:
- digital design
- estimating/commercial
- offsite manufacturing
- logistics
- site management and integration
- onsite placement and assembly
There is clearly work to be done with young people and educators to ensure that they see this broader and more contemporary range of skills when it comes to construction careers. There will also need to be changes in the training offered through colleges and training providers. But these are far from insurmountable challenges.
The skills we require are increasingly the skills that people want to acquire. They are transferrable and they are in tune with the future needs of the economy.
If you are interested in finding out more about a career with a forward thinking offsite provider or you have a project in mind that you think could benefit from an offsite panelised solution please get in touch on 0845 674 0020 or visit our website to find out more.
