Tackling the skills shortage
Warwick North West’s managing director, Greg Johnson, discusses how the industry can stop talking about the skills shortage and start taking action.
The skills shortage in the construction and fenestration industry isn’t news to anyone. We’ve all read the headlines, seen the statistics, and probably contributed to countless discussions about the crisis.
The Construction Products Association tells us we’re set to lose over 500,000 workers (a quarter of our workforce) in the next decade. The CITB says we need 251,500 extra workers by 2028 to meet demand. Less than 5% of people in our industry believe the labour shortage is getting better, and since the pandemic, we’ve lost 120,000 construction workers. This represents a real threat to our industry’s future.
The numbers are scary, and the challenge is big, but I believe there are practical steps we can take. At Warwick North West, we’re focused on finding the solutions.
Creating change
The government’s recent announcement of 32 new skills hubs and plans for 5,000 construction apprenticeships per year is a start. Their new ‘Skills Bootcamps’ and fast-track apprenticeships, backed by £140 million of investment, will help get more people into the industry. Traditional apprenticeships take 24-30 months to complete, but these new programs aim to cut that time in half.
It’s promising, but we can’t just wait for government initiatives to solve this problem. We need to act ourselves.
At Warwick North West, we tackle the issue directly through partnerships that challenge traditional recruitment methods. We’ve partnered with Nobody Left Behind, a Merseyside organisation dedicated to helping young people, care leavers, and ex-offenders find employment.
Similarly, our partnership with Inside Connections helps ex-offenders build new careers. These partnerships bring great employees into our business while making a difference in our community.
Last year, we took on five apprentices, four of whom are now working full-time with us. We’re expanding our apprenticeship program this April through a new partnership with Hugh Baird College. The college is just down the road from us in Bootle, and it’s one of only three further education colleges in the North West to be rated outstanding by Ofsted. It’s a no-brainer to utilise this hub of capable young people that is right on our doorstep.
These types of local connections excite me. It helps us build stronger links with our community, create more opportunities for young people and fill our ranks with talented employees.
Investment and growth is another important solution to the skills shortage. Our recent £1 million factory investment created eight new jobs, including four apprenticeships, and we made sure those jobs were sourced locally. When businesses grow and are successful, they can create real opportunities for local people.
Looking ahead
While the government’s initiatives are welcome, it’s up to businesses like ours to make them work on the ground.
If we want to solve the skills shortage, we need to look beyond traditional recruitment methods. The old approach of waiting for qualified candidates to come to us simply isn’t working anymore, they just aren’t there. Instead, we need to create them ourselves.
We need to proactively reach out to different communities, create new pathways into our industry, and show people the opportunities that exist here.
I’m proud that Warwick is leading the way on this. We are seeing success with our unique approach to sourcing and developing new talent, and we’re happy to share what we’ve learned.
The future of our industry can be bright, but it will take creative and innovative ways to attract and develop the next generation of skilled workers.
